Kate Wattus ponders the nature of her relationships with her two girls. “But I don’t want my hair done today!” harrumphs my seven-year-old princess, arms folded and eyebrows pushed so low as to almost completely cover her eyes as well as half her face. “Well I want...
Deciding whether your children should be present during the birth of a new sibling is a deeply personal choice. Some families find it beautiful and bonding; others discover that labour is simply too intense for young kids. Author Gabrielle Targett shares her real-life experiences and...
Kate Wattus seeks a permanent symbol of her fertility. Waiting for the Needle: A Calm Exterior, Shaky Hands As I try to anticipate the itchy sting of the buzzing needle, I sit with my legs outstretched and read my library book, a picture of calm repose. ‘Oh...
Professeur Nicolas Mathevon reports on why a baby’s cry is a simple, powerful alarm and why maternal instinct is a myth. The sound slices through the quiet of the night: a muffled sob, then a hiccup, quickly escalating into a high-pitched, frantic wail. For any parent...
Researchers Jennifer Koplin, Debbie Palmer and Desalegn Markos Shifti look at the current advice for mothers. Many questions pop up when you’re growing or raising a new baby. Among them, women often wonder if what they eat during pregnancy or breastfeeding will affect whether or not their...
Even the most mindful parents slip into old habits, explains Dr Amanda Mullin, When Old Voices Sneak In We all start out with the best intentions. I’ll be more patient, we promise. More understanding. More aware. And then one day—somewhere between the school run and a supermarket...
Can you imagine spring cleaning for a good cause? Besides the fact that culling is good for the soul, we've found another happy reason to pump your cleaning tunes and get to work. Babies are getting infections because their parents cannot afford clean nappies. It is a shocking but...
Kate Gorringe-Smith considers the qualities of the mental images we hold of our own families, and how others remember our children. Parents see daily change, but it’s relatives who hold vivid snapshots. Why memory works this way—and how to treasure your child’s fleeting stages. The Familiar Family...
National guidelines are urgently needed to give clarity and consistency to the rules around surrogacy. For many Australians, surrogacy offers a precious pathway to parenthood. In Australia, surrogacy is altruistic only – meaning it’s not paid, beyond covering expenses – and often takes place between close friends or...
In part two, Dr Sam Tormey explains how gestational diabetes is diagnosed, managed, and what it can mean for both mother and baby. How Gestational Diabetes is Detected A routine test often detects these higher-than-usual blood-glucose levels during pregnancy, before they actually cause any symptoms. The growing...
