Inside Kate Middleton's Pregnancy: Her Difficult Road to Baby No. 3

Kate Middleton is a great many things. She's a Duchess, of course. She's a mental health advocate. She's the owner of the most enviable hair around. But first and foremost, she's a badass. 

She may not be the first person most think of when it comes to toughness—all those riding boots and blazers don't exactly scream edgy—but as a mother she's as impressive as it gets. The Royal has endured not one but two pregnancies with Hyperemesis Gravidarum, the morning sickness so severe it's in a class by itself—and now she's embarking on a third. 

Her experiences carrying both George, now four, and Charlotte, two, reads almost like a horror novel. The disease is characterized by nausea and vomiting, which can occur as often as every 10 minutes and last throughout the entire 40 weeks. It often requires extra hydration and nutrition supplements, and that's exactly what happened with Prince George.

Middleton was hospitalized early on in the 2012 pregnancy, staying for a few days as she regained her strength. The disease came back with a vengeance with Princess Charlotte, but she had been warned by her doctors that most women who suffer from HG, as it's known, experience repeats with every baby, so she was better prepared for the symptoms—a fact that presumably brought little relief to the Duchess. 

Despite these struggles, William and Kate have long been eager to build a large family; he being exceptionally close to his brother and she being one of three children herself. Royal-watchers were waiting for the moment when they would add to their brood yet again, but most were surprised when the announcement of the third Royal-baby-to-be came so soon.

The palace put out the news that Middleton was expecting again in early September. "Their Royal Highnesses The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are very pleased to announce that The Duchess of Cambridge is expecting their third child," a statement read. "The Queen and members of both families are delighted with the news."

While all of England rejoiced, speculation also began almost immediately. There had been almost no hints that the announcement was coming, and word started to spread that Middleton was still in her first trimester—a point at which most people still keep mum about the news. As it turned out, they released the news because Middleton was so ill that she was going to miss public appearances and, most importantly, George's first day of school. This bout of HG was so bad that she was forced to sit out of what would be a marquee day in the little Prince's life.

At the time, sources told E! News that Kate was "very much hoping to be at George's first day of school, but because of her illness it is looking unlikely." As we all know now, William took George on his own—it gave the world that adorable father-son photo opp, but it was a hard moment for Middleton to miss.

And it may not have been entirely her choice either. It seems that her medical team jumped into action as soon as the first symptoms of HG presented themselves, giving her a routine that they hoped would prevent future hospital stays—as a source explained, she was under strict doctor's order to rest and "take each day one at a time." 

The Duchess has spent her days since announcing the pregnancy holed up in Kensington Palace, receiving regular visits from those doctors. And, as William told a well-wisher at a recent event, using ginger biscuits to try and ease her nausea symptoms. And, as a silver lining, her time at home has given her many opportunities to bond with Princess Charlotte, while the rest of the family is off at school and work. 

While there is almost no way to predict how long the most severe symptoms of HG will last, a Middleton family source is assuring E! News that as of the last few days the family believes the worst of the condition may be behind them. 

"She has such a rotten time during these early month," they said. "But she's out of the woods now and doing well."

In fact, since she recently entered her second trimester, she's even started to enjoy her pregnancy. That means the Duchess is preparing to get back to business as usual—make that royal business as usual. Next Tuesday, Middleton will be attending a reception at Buckingham Palace alongside the Duke and Prince Harry as part of the World Mental Health Day, a cause that has been very near and dear to her heart.