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Royal baby: The signs that said Kate was having a girl

May 4, 2015

Prince William and his wife Kate Middleton may have kept the gender of their second baby a surprise, but some eagle-eyed watchers had guessed long before that the Duchess of Cambridge was carrying a little girl.

The royal couple, who welcomed their second child and first daughter on May 2, were no doubt thrilled to give their young son Prince George a baby sister.

The shape of Kate's bump, especially during the later stages of her pregnancy, and other tell-tale signs led many to guess correctly the baby's sex.

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Observers noted how Kate sported a larger baby bump during her second pregnancy Photo: Getty Images

While the Duchess looked fit and healthy in her second and third trimester, observers noted how she looked somewhat bigger with this pregnancy compared to her first with George.

"The Duchess of Cambridge is one of those lucky women who look effortless and elegant right through pregnancy," Cathy Ranson, editor-in-chief of Netmums, a UK parenting site, previously said.

"She remained very slender while carrying Prince George, almost right up to the end, but with her second child, she appears slightly softer, curvier and fuller in the face. And according to old wives' tales about pregnancy, this could indicate she's carrying a girl."

The Duchess of Cambridge welcomed a daughter May 2 Photo: Getty Images 

Cathy added that photos of Kate released just a few months before she gave birth showed the Duchess with "more rounded hips than her previous pregnancy" – another tell-tale sign that she was having a daughter.

When Kate carried out an engagement in January for The Art Room, a charity she is patron of, the royal was joined by writer and TV personality Ulrika Jonsson, who also guessed Kate was having a girl.

The pair were treated to cupcakes and chocolate brownies during their visit – a supposed sign that Kate was pregnant with a daughter as mums-to-be carrying girls are said to crave sugary treats.

"I do know that my tooth was very much sweeter when I was expecting my girls," Ulrika, who has four children, told HELLO! magazine.

Kate carrying out an engagement with The Art Room when she was six months pregnant Photo: Getty Images

However, according to other commentators, the boy/girl question wasn't easily answered by looking at the supposed signs. Pregnancy expert Zita West did acknowledge that the Duchess was a different shape this time around, but also pointed out that this is common in second pregnancies.

"Kate does look bigger, but most mothers carry differently in the second pregnancy because you have softer muscle tone from having had the first baby," she told HELLO! magazine.

"I think there are always going to be these myths about what sex a baby will be, but I've been a midwife for 30 years so I know there's no way of telling from all these old wives' tales. Everyone who guesses has a 50 per cent chance of being right."

But if you were in the 50 percent that predicted it was a girl, congratulations! And congratulations to the parents and their new little princess.

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