I Brought My Newborn to a Wedding, and This Is What Happened

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's royal wedding is right around the corner, and it was recently revealed that Kate Middleton will not be bringing her newborn, Prince Louis, to the big day. Having been a mum with a newborn who didn't have much choice of whether or not to bring him to a wedding, I'd like to praise the Duchess of Cambridge for leaving her little one at home.

The two main components of a wedding are the ceremony and the reception. During both of these, it's not ideal to have a newborn baby with you. This is especially true if you're not just attending the wedding, but are also IN the wedding. The ceremony is a time for watching and listening, quiet reflection, and observing the couple exchange their vows. The reception is a time for celebrating, eating, mingling, dancing, and drinking. It doesn't sound like a baby really meshes well with any of these things, right? Well, if I had a choice, I wouldn't have toted my newborn baby along, either.

But let me start from the beginning. My best friend got engaged when I was two months pregnant, and I was thrilled to be asked to be her maid of honour. It was a very exciting time, but I did worry about being pregnant during all the planning, hen party, shower, and ultimately the wedding, which just so happened to be fewer than three weeks after I was due. This began giving me anxiety pretty early on, but I was still wrapped up in the excitement of my best friend's dreams coming true. When it came time for the wedding, my son was less than a month old. Thank God I had an easy delivery and recovery, or else we may not have made it at all. But we made the multistate road trip and prepped for a day and night out . . . with a newborn baby.

I nursed him moments before walking down the aisle and handed him to my husband, at which point he began to wail uncontrollably. This forced my husband to pace back and forth, shushing and jiggling him while missing the entire ceremony. I watched my best friend get married, then I walked back up the aisle, searched for my husband and son, had a short period of time to calm the baby, and nursed him some more. To be honest, the rest of the reception was a blur. Even with the help of my mum and my husband, I barely had a moment to enjoy it. I didn't have time to really eat anything, I missed the photo booth entirely, and I was on the dance floor for maybe one full song with all my friends. My friend and her new husband were more than accommodating by allowing me to bring my son, especially since this was a no-kids wedding.

While I was truly so excited for my friend, I had a hard time balancing everything. My son was brand new on this earth and needed me for things no one else could give him. Because of this, I was unable to fully enjoy this amazing time in my friend's life. I was unable to let loose, turn my mum mind off, and catch up with friends I only get to see at weddings now that we're all busy living our own lives.

So I think the Duchess of Cambridge is absolutely making the right choice to leave baby Louis at home. But that's the key part: she has a choice. If you're lucky enough to have help, especially in those first few months, don't be afraid to ask for it. As much as the world would love to get more glimpses of the little prince, I think Meghan Markle would much rather have a carefree day for both her and her new family.