The Duchess of Cambridge has paid a 'video-call visit' to a delighted new mum at Kingston Hospital to support the UK's Maternal Mental Health Awareness Week.

In her unusual 'virtual bedside visit' revealed by Kensington Palace on Twitter, the Duchess, a mum-of-three, could be seen chatting via video-link with a new mum who had given birth the night before, a midwife and other maternity unit staff.

The video showed Kate chatting and joking with surprised mum Rebecca Attwood and dad John Gill and gushing over the couple's 16 month-old baby Max, during the call to Kingston Hospital's Maternity Unit.

"This is definitely a first," she said, laughing along with the new mother. The Duchess asked: "Well firstly, huge congratulations. Is it a little boy or a little girl?"

Rebecca, from Raynes Park, who sat beside her son's cot, said: "It's a little boy."

Given a closer look at newborn Max, the Duchess, who spent two days on a work placement at the hospital last November, said:"He is so sweet. Ah, congratulations! When did you have him?"

The Duchess was told he had arrived at 10pm the previous night and added:"My goodness, you must be exhausted."

Rebecca replied: "Yep. I'm pretty tired now."

The new mum said:"Having a baby is an extraordinary experience at any time, but having one during lockdown and then having a surprise conversation with the Duchess of Cambridge after two hours' sleep was particularly surreal!

"The Duchess asked us about having a baby at such an unusual time, and our experience on the maternity ward was that all the midwives made it as normal as possible – apart from the masks!"

Midwives wearing PPE described how staff were coping with anxious mums facing going into labour for the first time during the pandemic.

A midwife also appeared from a hospital ward on the video-montage, asking whether Kate could tell that she was smiling underneath her protective face mask. "With your eyes, yes I can," the Duchess said.

She said:"As organisations you're playing such a vital role, giving key information, you're hugely trusted by the public in general, and therefore the information that you provide is a lifeline to many people at this time."

Jo Doumouchtsi, Perinatal Mental Health Midwife, said: "The main issues that women are having at the moment really are around coming into hospital and worries about catching Covid, but also about the isolation after the baby is born.

"They have to self-isolate, so they are having limited support from their other family members.

"We are finding that there's women that have no mental health history that are actually becoming incredibly anxious because of the situation currently.

"So we're having a lot more referrals which are specifically around anxiety to do with Covid."

During the zoom video call Kate also spoke about the need for NHS staff to get all the help they need as they deal with coronavirus.

Kate added:"We've heard it with the frontline workers, for those who are struggling, they don't feel they can reach out because they feel guilty for doing it, which is extraordinary to hear.

"With new mums and parents and families, they don't want to feel like they're overburdening, but it is so important to reach out and ask for help when you do need it."

The Duchess's conversations were held as part of the UK's Maternal Mental Health Awareness Week — which aims to create wider awareness of maternal mental health, and signposts support for parents.

See excerpts of the Duchess of Cambridge's 'virtual bedside' visit

See more details about Maternal Mental Health Awareness Week