Kate Middleton nicknames royal baby 'grape,' reveals rise in 'what to expect apps' for pregnant mums

Kate Middleton might be keeping quiet on her and Prince William’s baby name ideas, but the nickname of their unborn child is already garnering a lot of attention.

The Duchess of Cambridge is said to have nicknamed her baby ‘grape,’ due to size of the baby nine weeks into her pregnancy.

While Kate and Wills are keeping schtum on the sex of the baby – despite that apparent slip by the expectant mum that she’s having a girl – the nickname reveals a new trend for first time mums.

[Related: Kate Middleton and Prince William reveal unborn baby's nickname]

It seems the Duchess, like many other mums, is charting her pregnancy using a smartphone app - which not only help to advise expectant mums but also reveal the baby's size as the weeks progress.

Many mums are turning to these apps, such as I’m Expecting, What to Expect and Baby Center, to keep them up-to-date with their baby’s progress in between scans.

But interestingly, as Kate’s ‘Little Grape’ reported comment has revealed, these apps are perfect for mums who are keeping their baby’s sex a secret until their big arrival.

New mum Lucie Selby, who gave birth to a baby boy back in January, told us her unborn child became known as ‘baby bean’ among family and friends - an affectionate nickname that he'll probably have forever.

Revealing how she first learnt about the app, she told us: “A friend at work recommended I downloaded the iPhone app I’m Expecting.

“And the first time I entered how many weeks pregnant I was, it told me my baby was about the size of a kidney bean."

[Related: Did Kate Middleton let slip the sex of the royal baby?]

Lucie said the nickname came in really handy as they'd decided not to find out whether she was having a boy or a girl.

“My husband and I had decided not to find out about the sex, and we didn’t want to call the baby ‘it’ or just ‘baby,' she said.

“So that’s how ‘bean’ started. But it ended up becoming a recurring theme, as all our friends and family would ask how ‘bean’ was – it even was the theme of my baby shower!”

Lucie added that while the app afforded them the chance to give their unborn child a name, it also ended up becoming a ‘security blanket’ for the baby’s development.

“It was reassuring, above all,” she said. “As a first-time mum, you don’t know anything.

"And right up until the birth, you’re convinced it’s not really happening.

“So it became a familiarity thing for me. But it also felt better than giving him or her a name, just in case anything terrible was to happen – something that you can’t help but worry about in pregnancy.”

Lucie added that the app – which shouldn’t be followed prescriptively, but as more of a general guide – reassured her about what symptoms and movement she should be feeling.

“It was great that the app would tell me when I should be feeling the baby moving and what size my baby was in between scans,” she recalled.

“You constantly question everything as a new mum, so this app – which also had a forum – also gave me the opportunity to talk and share with over mums.”

Top five 'expecting' apps to chart your pregnancy:

1. What to expect when you're expecting
2. Baby Center
3. I'm expecting
4. What to expect
5. Expecting

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