Hugs in briefings & scooting in the halls – what Downing St life for Carrie Symonds & Boris Johnson’s son will be like
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FLORENCE Cameron's Godmother Kate Fall knows only too well what life at Downing Street will be like for new mum Carrie Symonds and Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
As Deputy Chief of Staff for David Cameron when he was Prime Minister, she sat outside his door dealing with matters of national importance... but also comforted his children when they interrupted important meetings.
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She was there when baby Florence Cameron arrived when her dad was in office in 2010, so knows only too well what Carrie, 32, and Boris, 55, are soon set to experience.
The Prime Minister's fiancé, 32, delivered her baby boy at a London hospital today and she will soon be returning to number 11 Downing Street - an apartment designed by previous resident and fellow mum Samantha Cameron.
Like previous PMs, Boris bagsed the apartment, rather than 10 Downing Street, as it's bigger.
And over the years it has seen plenty of baby action after the arrival of Leo Blair to Cherie Blair in 2000 and Florence Cameron to Samantha Cameron in 2010.
Speaking exclusively to Fabulous, Baroness Fall - who has now released a book about her experience in number 10 called The Gatekeeper - told how Carrie and Boris could expect the unexpected now they were parents to a newborn while at Downing Street.
"One of the things that makes working at number 10 so unique is that it is the centre of government and it is also a home," Baroness Fall said.
"There were few more cheerful sights than baby Florence being pushed in her pram for her morning walk in St James’s Park.
"And later, she would scoot past my door with a polka dot helmet every morning on the way to nursery, waving as she went.
"Children definitely lift the mood of the house and everyone enjoyed having them."
"I can remember at least once when the Cameron childcare fell apart and Florence had to join our 8.30am meeting. She sat on my lap, sucking a mint slowly," she laughed.
And even though Downing Street families tend to prefer baby-friendly Chequers, with its massive lawn and heated swimming pool, the central London location is increasingly baby friendly.
Carrie and the new little one can expect to breast or bottle feed at an open plan kitchen in trendy stainless steel.
We've seen SamCam and husband Dave sit there surrounded by toast and Marmite - and can just imagine little Baby Boris, who is believed to have arrived early, toddling around it in a couple of years.
It's perfect for kids as Florence realised - in fact she didn't ever want to leave Downing Street.
We've seen what it looks like before after David Cameron gave us a behind-the-scenes look at his life.
With four rooms one could easily be turned into a nursery, and Carrie and Boris have plenty cash to easily hire a nanny - so it could possibly become nanny quarters?
‘All the security arrangements make it incredibly hard for people to come and go. You are living in a fortress. It’s not normal."
Cameron previously reiterated that, admitting you son't get a lot of freedom being PM - or the PM's significant other.
So Carrie won't be able to pop to local mum groups or soft play.
"It's been much easier than I expected it to be, I go to the same office, the children go to the same school. There's a lot of our life that hasn't changed".
And Cherie Blair said today: "She was much younger than I was, I was 45, she is early 30s. She will get the best care."
Carrie is said to have given birth weeks early at a London hospital, with Boris by her side, just days after her fought for his life in intensive care. Get the latest on the birth here.
Meanwhile, Boris is back at work already - just hours after Carrie gives birth.