Royal Baby: It's A Boy

Pregnant Woman and Stethoscope

(Image credit: Pregnancy photo via Shutterstock)

The royal baby is finally here, and it's a boy, according to news reports.

Today (July 22) the Duchess of Cambrige Kate Middleton gave birth to a healthy 8 pound, 6 ounce baby boy at St. Mary's Hospital at 4:24 p.m. local time. Middleton did not have a c-section, according to CNN. The Duke of Cambridge, Prince William, was there for the birth. [7 Ways the Prince or Princess Will Be Celebrated].

The new heir is slightly on the heavy side compared with the average newborn. The average weight for a baby born between 37 and 41 weeks of gestation (full term) is about 7 pounds, according to Boston Children's Hospital. However, newborn babies may lose as much as 10 percent of their birth weight in the first few days of life, because they are born with extra fluid.

The annoucment brings an end to the month of anticipation regarding the royal baby's appearence. Although the palace never announced Middleton's exact due date, the royal family said it was expecting the baby in mid-July. [Royal Baby: Are Firstborns More Likely to Be Late?].

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Royal Baby: Are Firstborns More Likely to Be Late?

Rachael is a Live Science contributor, and was a former channel editor and senior writer for Live Science between 2010 and 2022. She has a master's degree in journalism from New York University's Science, Health and Environmental Reporting Program. She also holds a B.S. in molecular biology and an M.S. in biology from the University of California, San Diego. Her work has appeared in Scienceline, The Washington Post and Scientific American.