Kate Middleton speaks out about supporting moms beyond the baby stage

The former Kate Middleton isn’t exactly living the average #momlife. The Duchess of Cambridge has plenty of help raising 5-year-old Prince George, 3-year-old Princess Charlotte, 3, and baby Prince Louis (can you believe he is 9 months old now?).

Still, even when you have help, you don’t always have support, Kate said Tuesday during an engagement for the charity Family Action, People reports.

The Duchess was there to help launch a new helpline for parents that might fill some gaps when parents are struggling. Because there are times when motherhood is lonely and when you don’t have all the answers.

“It’s so hard. You get a lot of support with the baby as a mother particularly in the early days, but after the age of one it falls away,” Middleton shared during her visit. “After that there isn’t a huge amount — lots of books to read.”

“Everybody experiences the same struggle,” Kate said.

Now, let’s not pretend that the struggle is exactly the same. A mom with the resources and privilege of a duchess is not dealing with the same day-to-day stressors as a mom who is trying to pump in the supply closet at work so she can pay for daycare.

But in some ways, motherhood is a universal experience, and Kate’s message today was clear: “It’s so hard” and mothers need support.

Mothers need someone to talk to long after the meal train is over and the newborn phase has given way to toddler tantrums.

We can’t all be royalty, but we can all support each other, and be the voice who picks up the phone for a fellow mama no matter how new or old her baby is.

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