Kirstie Allsopp is praising the Duchess of Cambridge for shining a light on Hyperemesis Gravidarum – and making people realise that sufferers aren’t just “being wimpy” about morning sickness. The Location, Location, Location star was struck down with the same condition that Kate struggles with when she was expecting her second son, Oscar. And she hopes the guilt and stress she went through when trying to explain her lack of ability to work, or even look after her then 18-month-old son Bay ,during the non-stop convulsions will be easier for others thanks to the Duchess’ honestly about her condition.
Talking exclusively to HELLO! at the launch of her Handmade Fair at Hampton Court on Friday, the Queen of Craft said that Kate missing Prince George’s first day of school showed how debilitating the illness is. "Every mother knows that’s a total indication of how bad it gets, that she simply could not get up and get dressed and get to school," Kirstie said. "She might have been able to get into the car but when she was holding George’s hand and walking into school she wouldn’t have been able to control herself.
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"The only time I left the house, I had a bucket with me and I ended up throwing up twice, on Hampstead Hill," she laughs. "You’re just some mad woman puking into a bucket. That would’ve been very difficult for Kate and very distressing for George."
Kirstie suffered from Hyperemesis during her second pregnancy
Talking about the Duchess’ decision to endure the condition for a third time, Kirstie admitted she felt some sadness that she herself hadn’t been able to have a third child – and that Hyperemisis had played into timing decisions for her and her partner Ben Anderson. "Sadly, I never did have a third one because I needed a 2 year gap to make sure [my second son] was big enough by the time I did it again. The first time, I wasn’t capable of looking after my 18-month-old baby when I had it - I couldn’t be left alone with him because he wanted to climb up or down the stairs or grab a cup of tea, and I couldn’t stop him because I’d be so convulsed with the vomiting. Sadly, by that time I was 40 and it was too late.
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"People do [do it again] – the Duchess of Cambridge has," she continues. "But there are people who don’t because they can’t afford it, they can’t afford the time off work, they can’t have the childcare. Bless the Duchess, she has done more to publicise this condition because before people just thought you were being wimpy and making such a fuss about having morning sickness. But it’s actually only through the Duchess of Cambridge suffering from this that people have learned about it."
For ticketing information about Kirstie's Handmade Fair, open all weekend, go here.
