The Duchess of Cambridge has written an open letter to midwives, praising their role in "building parents' confidence" and "the future happiness of their children".
Kate wrote the letter to mark the fact that next year is the International Year of the Nurse and Midwife.
Recognising what she describes as the "humbling work" that nurses carry out "day in, day out" she writes: "You are there for women at their most vulnerable; you witness strength, pain and unimaginable joy on a daily basis."
Talking about the support parents need in the first five years of a child's life, she adds: "Your role in supporting this critical phase of development extends far beyond the complicated task of delivering a baby successfully.
"The help and reassurance you provide for parents to be and parents of newborns is just as crucial.
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"It goes a long way in building parents' confidence from the start, with lifelong impact on the future happiness of their children."
Kensington Palace has released photographs taken in November, when Kate spent time with staff at Kingston Hospital's Maternity Unit.
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In the letter she describes going on home visits with community midwives, and being "truly touched by the trust that people placed in me, sharing their experiences and voicing their fears openly".
She also talks about the compassion she witnessed, whether it was in hospital clinics or on post-natal wards.
Since returning from maternity leave after having Prince Louis last year, the mum-of-three has concentrated a significant amount of her royal work on learning more about the support services available to parents and their children in the early years of a child's life, from birth to five years old.
Reflecting on what she has learnt, she writes: "The early years are more critical for future health and happiness than any other moment in our lifetime.
"Even before we are born, our mother's emotional and physical health directly influences our development and by the age of five a child's brain has developed to 90% of its adult size.
"Your role at the very start of this period is therefore of fundamental importance."
Quoting the founder of modern nursing Florence Nightingale – who said, "I attribute my success to this: I never have or took an excuse", a mantra the Duchess of Cambridge says she saw time anRead More – Source
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