As she adjusts to life as a mum of three, Kate Middleton is likely realising just how much of a handful a big family can be.

She's also probably basking in the lovely glow that a new baby brings and making the most of her time off with her other two too. The Duchess of Cambridge gave birth to Prince Louis, her and husband Prince William's third child, last Monday. It's been confirmed that she will be taking a longer maternity leave with this baby than with her last two. Palace aides said that she won't return to royal duties until the autumn, which could mean up to five or six months off. It's in stark contrast to her two previous maternity leaves. Kate went back to work just six weeks after she gave birth to Prince George in July 2013 when she opened the Ring of Fire marathon in Anglesey in August. She took eight weeks off after giving birth to Princess Charlotte in May 2015 and went back to work when she attended the America's Cup World Series in Portsmouth in July. This time around it's thought that she wants longer to recover and to spend more quality time with her children. While we mightn't think of public engagements and attending events as work, former midwife Diana Woodhead said that days of preparation goes into these appearances.

"This isn't a case of popping down the shops, there will be timings to adhere to - and these never work around a baby - they have their own time!," she told the Daily Mail.

'Then there's planning that will go into the event such as clothing, hair, and make-up.

'With breastfeeding mothers or just any new mum in general, your shape changes after a baby so those clothes you expected to slip back into might look completely different.

"For engagements that entail a lot of preparation, for example greeting guests she might not have met before or speaking to the media, this demands an awful lot of clarity and recall - something in short supply when you have a newborn."

She won't be totally out of the spotlight though. We'll likely see Kate at Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding later this month and at Prince Louis's christening over the summer. She'll also appear at Trooping the Colour on June 9.