Opinion: Duchess of Cambridge's glamour a far cry from realities of birth

Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge outside the Lindo Wing with their newborn son at St Mary's Hospital on Tuesday (NZ time). Photo / Getty Images

Straight out of the maternity ward of London's St Mary's Hospital and into the spotlight went the newest addition to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's growing family.

The little lad, yet to be named as of writing this editorial, was born on April 23 and is the third child of William and Catherine.

Mere hours after his birth, his immaculately dressed mother and father showed off their newborn to the world on the hospital steps.

The Duchess looked radiant in a lace-collared red dress - and what a stir she's caused.

It's not the usual state of affairs for a woman to look as well put together as Kate did after her new baby's birth.

Having children is a messy, laborious affair and there are those who feel Catherine is letting the team down by appearing so well put together so soon after birth.

It harkens back to the old days when men were made to wait outside the delivery room until baby was safely delivered, cleaned and tucked snugly into a freshly made-up mum's arms.

The men could then enter the room to a scene of maternal happiness, blessedly unaware of the indignities of birth.

These days, it's far more common for partners to be in the delivery room right from go to whoa.

There's not as much pressure to look good as the partner has witnessed the whole chaotic affair - rose-tinted glasses are well smashed by reality at that point.

That's why seeing the lovely Catherine is a bit jarring for some mothers - it presents a rather glamorised picture and creates unrealistic expectations of birth.

But we need to remember that being in the public eye is Catherine's life - the face she presents to the world will be, by necessity, a more touched-up version of the real Kate.

Nothing about her life is normal by our standards and we can't expect the birth of her children to be any different.