It was the details that mothers noticed immediately.

The high, high heels. The white dress. The full make-up and blow-dried hair. And was that… pantyhose? As the world breathlessly waited for the promised first photos of our newest royal baby, Archie Harrison, women who had given birth before were thinking about their first hours and days after becoming a mother.

Words like “bleeding”, “sore boobs”, “euphoria”, “numbness”, “shock”, “colostrum”, “surfboard in my undies”, “fear”, “stitches”, “vulnerability” and… “clots” are just some of the things mothers remembered about that time as they looked quizzically at the photos of the Duchess and her newborn son.

Of course, there’s no particular way any woman should or shouldn’t look at any time in her life. Your face, your body, your baby, your choice.

What Meghan does is very specific to Meghan and let’s be honest, there are worse things to happen to a new mother than having a professional team of hair stylists, makeup artists and wardrobe people swarm your house and make you camera ready.

But we can probably all hold hands and agree that this is not the typical new mother aesthetic.

If you are one of the millions of women who haven’t ever had a baby and are looking at these photos – or any post-birth photos of a royal – well, we wanted to paint a slightly more realistic picture of what it’s like. Less pantyhose, more pads. Such. Big. Pads.

Behold:

Caroline: Day three after c-section baby number two, with boobs bigger than baby’s head…and definitely wearing black baggy yoga pants!

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Emma: This was one day after giving birth...third degree tear and had to waddle down to the special care nursery with my bladder bag from my catheter dangling out from my dressing gown. Also felt like I had to hold my belly up to stop my guts from falling out. Obviously still stoked with it all!

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Kate:

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Milena.

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Sarah: Brand new daughter, boobs out, sitting on a pad eating celebratory chocolate cake.

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Kelly: I am pretty sure this was the day after he was born I was soooo tired.

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Emily: This is actually about two weeks after...taken by my four-year-old. It’s my best angle...and my best boob.

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Vanessa: My first (and only!) birth. Note the hospital grade double breast pump, wearing a pumping bra and not much else!

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Nadka: This is me in labour eating BBQ shapes.

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India: Still in ICU 48 hours post emergency caesarean. This was my first skin to skin with my son.

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Amanda: Three hours after second baby boy born. Dark puffy eyes and scared to wear any other colour apart from black.

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Tahlia: This was the day after I had my second.

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Caitlin: My first stole the beanie straight off her sister's head.

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Jess: Two or three days after in hospital still recovering from c-section MIL took this photo don’t know if lovingly looking at son or falling asleep.

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Jessica: Bags for days. Boob bigger than his head. Day two.

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Sami: Two days after I spent 24 hours in labour resulting in an emergency c-section and all I was thinking in this moment was... “Please, (person taking the photo) leave so I can sleep”! I think you can tell by the fake smile plastered on my face.

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Kim: My daughter isn't even in the photo but this is us home two days after my daughter was born, haven't showered and wearing an old crusty hoodie of my husbands, leggings as god knows what was going on downstairs and absolutely exhausted... even the dog is shattered!!

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Renee: 'Sleep when the baby sleeps'...well yeah you can in hospital but that changes once you get home.

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Claire:

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Jacqui: The morning after.

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Jess: Second day in hospital after my second bub. Managed to brush my hair which was a big thing.

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Tiffany: She wouldn’t for a second go in that horrible plastic crib and at this stage I hadn't slept for three days. She still hates her own bed and hasn’t slept too far away from me ever since. This is my favourite photo of all time.

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Bethan: Two days after baby number two was born. Exhausted but happy.

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Bethan: Five days after baby number one was born and leaving hospital, swollen and exhausted and terrified.

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Sheridan: I feel pressure to be really funny or sentimental, but really, my boobs hurt, my stitches hurt, but I’m really happy with how my hair looked. Plus I think the kids are cute.

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Nic: This was my first cuddle with my first born, 16 hours after she was born. She was six weeks early, super low apgar score, and I had a massive bleed during an emergency c-section, hence it taking SO long for my firs