Is Kate Middleton Trying to Fake Us Out?

By Kylie McConville for The Bump.com

There's a royal baby on the way and though the Palace's tight-lipped stance has left too much to the imagination, we know that Kate Middleton will deliver - and soon (she's days past her due date!).

As details continue to trickle out (some totally false, while others carry a little bit of weight behind them), it's hard to keep up exactly what we can expect from the Duchess' grand delivery. Will Kate deliver at Lindo, like she's expected to or will she sneak out of London to give birth somewhere closer to her parents? Do they really know baby's gender? Have they picked a name?

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Kate wouldn't be the first pregnant woman to let a little mystery swirl around her pregnancy. Moms-to-be choose decoy names, reveal fake due dates, keep baby's gender a surprise and make up reasons why no one aside from their husbands' can be in the delivery room when they deliver (hey, it happens!). A little privacy is nice, right?

But with so much royalty to question, let's just dive right in.

Due date

Earlier on in Kate's pregnancy, a royal insider let slip that Kate's reported official due date was July 13th and as that date drew nearer and nearer, the rumors began to fly. We speculated that she might go earlier, on July 11, or go into labor 10 days after her due date (since this is her first child).

There's been so much hype surrounding the method by which Kate will deliver (reports suggest she's planning to go the natural route), but here's what we know about going past your due date: Your due date isn't a deadline - it's more like an estimate. It's absolutely normal to go over, especially if this is your first baby. Go to your regularly scheduled OB appointments and try not to go nuts. Most OBs will schedule an induction if labor hasn't started by the time you hit 41 or 42 weeks. The end is in sight.

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Here's another possibility: the information leaked to the press through royal "insiders" and "sources" could be totally off. No one knows exactly when Kate will deliver. But Prince Charles, his wife Camilla and the Queen have each said this week that they hope the baby comes "soon" (talk about a bunch of pushy royals!) and that they're all waiting for the phone call to let them know that a little prince or princess has arrived.

Kate's mum, Carole Middleton, has even through her own guess into the mix, too, offering that she thinks Kate will go into labor on July 22 (which is Monday).

Suppose only time (and contractions) will tell!

Delivery

Kate's slated to give birth at the Lindo Wing, where Diana and Charles welcomed both William and Harry. The royal tradition is fairly young still, with all royals before Will being delivered at home, inside Buckingham Palace. So with relatively new royal traditions in place, it doesn't exactly mean that Kate has to deliver at Lindo Wing. Yes, it's the birthplace of her husband and her brother-in-law, the birthplace of that iconic first photo and a beloved way to honor (and incorporate) the late Princess Diana into baby's birth, but it doesn't mean that it's definitely going to be the place.

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Speculation started over the weekend, after Kate missed her much-buzzed about July 13 due date. Photographers starting popping up at The Royal Berkshire Hospital, in the center of Reading, close to where Kate's mum and dad live. Women admitted to the hospital have the option of giving birth on the labor word or in the Rushey midwife-led birth center, where there are rooms themed according to the changing seasons.

Another twist in the tale? Carole, Kate's mum, is a certified midwife - which means that if Kate wanted to, it's possible that she could deliver at Buckingham Palace (or at her parents') under the careful eye of her mom, who received her emergency midwifery training at a British Airways training center in 1976. She was taught how to cope if a passenger were to go into labor on-board the flight.

Still, "sources" close to the couple say that the plan is still to give birth at St. Mary's, in London, in the Lindo Wing. In the event of an emergency (such as Kate is at her parents' home and doesn't have enough time to get back to London), then plans will be put in place for Kate to deliver elsewhere. A helicopter is on standby should William need to rush back to be at his wife's side.

Baby's name

There's a lot riding on the moniker that William and Kate choose for their little boy or girl. Currently, there are new moms in England who've left their newborns unnamed because they're waiting to her what the royal babe's name is. Thankfully, however, people slip up and let too many details out. Here's what we know:

If they're having a girl, they've got a few top picks for baby's name already on deck. They're reportedly considering Elizabeth Diana Carole, which would be a sweet way to incorporate all the influential women in mom and dad's life into baby's name. Elizabeth is, of course, for the current queen (it's also Kate's middle name!), Diana for William's late mother and Carole, after Kate's own mum. Other top choices are for Alexandra, Margaret, Isabel - which are names that all appear on the royal family tree, making them a safe bet for top girl picks.

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As for a little man, the duo have also apparently picked a name fit for a future king. Reports say that they've been toying with the name Philip, a way to honor William's grandfather (the Queen's husband), and a way to honor daddy himself. William's full name is: Prince William Arthur Philip, so it's a way to incorporate both the past and present into baby's name. Don't be surprised if they end up naming baby Arthur, Charles or Edward, though, because those are all monikers of male royal family members.

The long and short of it is that we won't know what they've chosen to name their child until after the babe's been born. Just don't expect to see any Blue Ivy- or North West-inspired names anywhere on the possibilities lists.

What do you think? Is Kate trying to fake us out?

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