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There’s no safe level of alcohol use during pregnancy. It’s safest to not drink at all during pregnancy, when trying to conceive, and while breastfeeding...
Finding out you are pregnant can be a very exciting time. But it can also make you feel uncomfortable, unwell, worried and make you wonder how you are going to cope. And it doesn’t stop when the baby...
It’s helpful to have an idea of how your body may react to the different stages of pregnancy. It also helps to know how pregnancy may affect your emotions and feelings...
Sometimes, babies arrive early. It’s important to recognise premature labour, in case you and your baby need medical care...
An obstetric emergency may arise when a woman is pregnant, or during her delivery.In this case, extra care is needed. A woman may need a lot of tests and treatments, and extended hospital stays. She...
After having a baby, you need to choose an effective method of contraception if you don't want to have another baby straight away...
Packing for hospital is an exciting part of preparing for the birth of your baby...
The Billings method of contraception is a form of natural family planning that teaches a woman to interpret her signs of fertility. It doesn’t rely on any drugs or devices, and there are no side...
The odds of a young fertile couple conceiving by having sexual intercourse around the time of ovulation (the release of the egg from the ovary) are approximately one in five every month. Around nine...
Placental abruption means the placenta has detached from the wall of the uterus, starving the baby of oxygen and nutrients...
Sometimes, a home pregnancy test may be positive when a woman isn’t pregnant...
Most women take a drug of some kind during pregnancy, sometimes without realising the potential for harm...
It's important to look after your teeth and gums when you're pregnant, as gum disease can affect your baby...
Most molar pregnancies are diagnosed when bleeding early in pregnancy prompts an ultrasound scan...
Bleeding from the vagina in early pregnancy happens in almost one in four pregnancies...
Adoption can give a secure family life to children who can?t live with their birth family...
Smoking while pregnant exposes a woman and her unborn child to an increased risk of health problems...
Always consult with your doctor or midwife before starting any postnatal exercise program...
Make sure your abdominal muscles have healed before you do any vigorous tummy exercises, such as crunches...
Unless you have complications, you should be able to exercise throughout your pregnancy...
Labour is divided into three stages. The first stage is dilation of the cervix from 0 to10 cm, the second stage is birth of the baby, and the third stage is delivery of the placenta. Labour typically...
Some of the signs and symptoms of going into labour may include period-like cramps, backache, diarrhoea and contractions...
Pregnancy is calculated from the first day of your last period, not from the date of conception...
Understanding your pain relief options can help you cope better with the pain of childbirth...
Studies show most women who have an abortion feel they made the right decision...
Placenta previa means the placenta has implanted at the bottom of the uterus, over the cervix or close by...
Travelling to developing nations is not encouraged during pregnancy, due to the risk of disease and the standard of medical facilities...
Morning sickness is typically at its worst early in the day but it can strike at any point during the day or night...
Pregnancy is counted as 40 weeks, starting from the first day of the mother's last menstrual period...
All women experience pregnancy differently, and you will experience different symptoms at different stages of your pregnancy...
With low levels of vitamin K, some babies can have severe bleeding into the brain, causing significant brain damage...
Surrogacy is a form of assisted reproductive treatment (ART) in which a woman carries a child within her uterus on behalf of another person or couple...
There is no evidence that pre-eclampsia is caused by emotional stress, working too hard or not getting enough rest...
Postnatal depression can happen either a few days or weeks after the birth, with a slow or sudden onset...
A range of feelings is normal after a miscarriage, and they often linger for some time...
Good nutrition during pregnancy can help to keep you and your developing baby healthy...
Breastfeeding within the first hour after birth allows your baby to behave instinctively and breastfeed with little intervention...
Let your baby feed as much as they want in the first few days to help establish good breastfeeding patterns...
Even if your baby furniture meets every safety standard and recommendation, your child still needs close supervision...
It is best to take emergency contraception as soon as possible, ideally within 24 hours of having unprotected sex, but it still works well within 96 hours (four days)...
Even women who aren't planning to have a baby should increase their folate intake in case of unplanned pregnancy...
Listeria infection is uncommon but very dangerous for the elderly, people whose immune systems are not working properly and pregnant women and their unborn babies...
It's very important for you and your baby to be looked after from the start of your pregnancy until after the birth of your baby...
Immunisation can protect a woman and her unborn baby against many infectious diseases...