Juggling work and family life is a struggle that parents everywhere face - even the Duchess of Cambridge.
She and Prince William are determined to be hands-on parents and want to give their children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, a normal upbringing.
In the months after their oldest George was born, the couple at first decided against hiring a nanny and they moved in with Kate's parents Carole and Michael, so they could help out with the newborn.
But moving home coupled with caring for a young baby and carrying out royal duties wasn't easy for the first-time parents.
And according to royal expert Katie Nicholl, Kate had a heart-to-heart with the Queen where she opened up about her struggles.
Katie told True Royalty's documentary Kate Middleton: Heir We Go Again: "Kate was having a conversation with the Queen in which she confided that she had found being with George on her own, and not having a full-time nanny or a maternity nurse, very hard.
Love the royals? Sign up for the Mirror's daily newsletter to get all the latest news on the Queen, Charles, Kate, Wills, Meghan, Harry and the rest of The Firm. Click here to sign up .
"William and Kate wanted to be hands-on parents, and they did it until September and then they recruited a nanny."
That nanny was Maria Borrallo, who trained at the prestigious Norland College and still cares for the Cambridge children to this day.
Meanwhile, Katie added that despite Maria's appointment, Kate's mum Carole still regularly helps her daughter with the children.
She added: "One of the things that allows William and Kate to be so ordinary is the presence of the Middletons in their lives.
"Carole is a regular through those golden gates at Kensington Palace, she whizzes through in her Land Rover. There is no security because everybody knows her.
"She turns up to help with bedtime and bathtime. She is absolutely indispensable."
One of the causes that Kate supports and is close to her heart is research into the early years and how that can affect a child's development and later life.
Last year, during the coronavirus lockdown, Kate joined volunteers to unload a van of donations for needy families at a baby bank run by the charity Baby Basics UK in Sheffield.
She told how she broke down after hearing how some families had battled at the start of lockdown.
And she launched a drive to get retailers and brands to donate items to more than 40 baby banks across the UK.
During her work with the charity, Baby Basics UK CEO Cat Ross says Kate has also been open with other mums about her parenting challenges.
Cat told Hello! : "I think what struck me the most about the Duchess was her genuine interest.
"She genuinely wanted to hear of our experiences, she wanted to hear directly from families that had accessed our services, what their experiences were like and was really unashamed to share her difficulties that she faced in parenting and really been able to relate to families about what it's like raising children with three children herself."
