The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were called “icons” this week after sharing a funny throwback video of themselves dancing while Meghan was pregnant with their daughter, Lilibet.
The playful clip, posted on Instagram by Meghan as part of a birthday tribute for Lilibet’s fourth birthday, shows the couple letting loose and dancing in hopes of inducing labor.
In the caption, Meghan wrote: “Four years ago today, this also happened.
“Both of our children were a week overdue… so when spicy food, long walks, and acupuncture didn’t work — there was only one thing left to try!”
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Cruel online trolls took the Duchess’s video as another chance to push a bizarre conspiracy theory.
During both her pregnancies, the 43-year-old was accused of wearing a fake “moon bump” — a realistic prosthetic belly often used in film and TV to simulate pregnancy. This strange theory resurfaced again after the birth clip, with some viewers claiming her bump looked “lumpy.”
One person pointed out, “Her bump also didn’t move up and down,” while another commented, “No woman nine months pregnant moves that way.”
But now, a doctor is setting the record straight. In an interview with Tyla, Dr. Farah Ahmed, a GP specializing in women’s health, explained that what people saw as “lumps” were likely CTG monitors, which are used to track the baby’s heartbeat and the mother’s contractions.
Dr Farah explained: “The ‘lumps’ seen on Meghan’s bump are likely CTG monitors — short for cardiotocography — which are used to track the baby’s heartbeat and contractions.
“These monitors are held in place with elastic straps, which can sometimes show as bumps under clothing.”
She reassured that this is completely normal, especially in hospital settings when someone, like Meghan, is near or past their due date.
Dr Farah also addressed Meghan’s movements, saying that a heavily pregnant woman can absolutely move like that, and even dancing — as Meghan appears to do — can be both safe and beneficial, provided there are no medical concerns.
“Gentle movements like swaying or dancing can help position the baby correctly for birth and may ease discomfort,” she said. “It might also naturally encourage contractions, although it’s not a guaranteed method to start labour.”
Regarding Meghan’s squatting motions in the video, Dr Farah confirmed this can be useful in late pregnancy: “It helps open the pelvis, which may assist the baby in moving down into position.”
According to Meghan’s Instagram post, she had already tried walking, spicy food, and acupuncture before resorting to dancing.
Dr Farah responded to those methods, saying: “Walking can definitely help if the baby is already low — it promotes movement and may trigger contractions.”
However, she added that spicy food is “more myth than proven,” though some believe it works. “It’s thought to stimulate the gut, which might irritate the uterus, but it doesn’t work for everyone.”
As for acupuncture, Dr Farah noted that there’s some evidence supporting its use in late pregnancy, especially for pain relief and relaxation, but more studies are needed to prove its effectiveness for starting labour.
