The official definition of a premature baby is one born before 37 completed weeks of pregnancy.
Advances in medical technology now mean that most babies born from 32 weeks survive. Before 32 weeks, babies run into problems caused by the immaturity of their lungs - a condition known as Respiratory Distress Syndrome (RDS).
At the moment, [...]

Mothers who use a birthing pool or a bath during labour suffer less pain and stress, say researchers.
They found that women who spent the early stages of labour in water were less likely to need pain-relieving epidural injections.
The study was carried out on first-time mothers, all of whom were making slow progress during [...]

How do you judge what sort of maternity care to choose?
• The things you may want to consider are:
• What sort of care will give you the best opportunity of a straightforward birth?
• What sort of environment will you feel happiest in?
• And, if you have, or are likely to have, [...]

It’s common knowledge that labour hurts. “Violent pain” and “the most pain you will ever experience, ever” are typical descriptions of what giving birth is like.
But what if you fear a needle and the side effects of medication more than you fear labour pain? What if the thought of an epidural has you searching [...]

Taken from my contribution to “Living Miracles of Book of Hope.” I personally think our emotions are the most complex part of us. We react to everything around us with certain feelings, sometimes ones we are unaware of. Say the word “spider” and most people would grimace or say “urhhhh!”
Parents of premature babies react [...]

Normal full term baby (born after 37 weeks) weighs approximately 3.5 kgs or 7 ½ pounds. This average does not take into account a number of issues.
Firstly it does not consider your family history or ethnicity or how much you or your partner may have weighed at birth. You may be small or tall [...]

Before any procedure, test or treatment is carried out by any health professional you have a right to be fully informed of the risks and benefits of having the treatment and you should have agreed or consented to the treatment or in the case of your baby, the mother will consent.
Informed consent means what [...]

An episiotomy is a small incision (cut) made with scissors into an area called the perineum. The perineum is a piece of tissue between the vagina and the anus. This area stretches and thins to allow for the baby’s head to be born with ease. An episiotomy is only performed in an emergency situation. An [...]

When you find out that ‘it’s twins’, the news will take some time to sink in. Even if you have been undergoing treatment for fertility, or if there are already twins in your family, you can still feel unprepared for the news.
The incidence of multiple pregnancies has increased dramatically in the last 20 years, [...]