Meghan Markle is due to give birth in a matter of weeks and if speculations are correct, the Duchess of Sussex might have a home birth with her mother, Doria Ragland, serving as her doula.
According to reports, Ragland took classes in 2019 or months before Markle was to give birth to her first baby with Prince Harry. The duchess had been planning on this special delivery but then the couple has to be whisked away to the hospital in secret as Markle was overdue during her first pregnancy.
Meghan Markle went into labor in the early morning of May 6 at the London's Portland Hospital. However, the birth was kept so secret to shun the paparazzi that even some senior royal family members were not aware that Archie had been born.
It's understood, however, that Ragland was with Harry and Markle as they welcomed the baby's arrival. Ragland stayed in London for a few more weeks so she could help take care of her grandchild while her daughter recovered from the baby's delivery.
With Markle's second pregnancy, however, sources said that the duchess wants to go back to her original plan of having a home birth. Ragland will likely stand in as her doula again. A doula is not a medically trained professional but they could provide emotional and physical support, encouraging the mother to stay calm during and after the birth.
The Duchess of Sussex's due date is in the summer. She and Harry are expecting a baby girl, whose name has not yet been revealed.
However, an insider intimated that Markle's mother has not been around much in the couple's Montecito home even as Ragland has her own place to stay in the mansion and she lives just an hour's drive away from the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. The source said that it's only been Harry who has been doting on his wife. He has been taking care of the house while looking after Archie as well as Markle is in her last trimester of pregnancy.
Markle, however, said in several interviews that she and her mother are the best of friends. She appreciates her more today, amid the different controversies, because Ragland has never talked nor squealed to the press about her daughter's life, unlike her father.
Meanwhile, home birth is quite common among members of the royal family. Queen Elizabeth gave birth to all of her four children at Buckingham Palace and Clarence House. However, according to the biographer of Meghan Markle, Omid Scobie, all the Duchess of Sussex wants is to give birth in the "safest way possible," whether it's at home or in a traditional hospital.
