Kate Middleton’s Doctors Weren’t Allowed to Drink Alcohol for Months Ahead of Her Kids’ Births

The medical team that helped Kate Middleton give birth to her first two children, Prince George and Princess Charlotte, not only had to keep the details of her pregnancy a secret, but were also required to abstain from drinking alcohol in the months leading up to the birth while they were on standby.

The team of 20 — which included two obstetricians, three midwives, three anesthesiologists, four surgical staff members, two special care staffers, four pediatricians, one lab technician (for blood tests,) and three or four managers — was handpicked by the royal family to help Kate.

Obstetrics Professor Tiong Ghee Teoh, who was on the team but not at the actual births of Kate’s children, recently explained the size of the crew to People by saying, “Anything that could possibly go wrong, we had a team of people behind each specialty. Everyone was sworn to secrecy.” The team reportedly met once a month to discuss Kate’s pregnancy progress.

Anesthesiologist Dr. Johanna Bray also explained the thinking behind the no drinking rule, telling People it was a necessity in case you got the call unexpectedly. “We weren’t actually at the birth but were behind the scenes. We were all on call for three months — my husband did the childcare for three months!” she said.

Dr. Bray added, “You never know when you need to be called. You need to be in town and available. If you are at a party you need to have your car keys at the ready. No drinking!” To all the doctors out there currently sober and awaiting the birth of royal baby No. 3, we salute you!

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This post was written by Rebecca Cope. It originally appeared on our sister site, Grazia Daily.