Does it matter? It's increasing, writes researcher Angela Brown Induction of labour for women having their first baby has risen in Australia from 26% in 2010 to 46% in 2020, according to the latest data from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW). This compares...
Sarah Pietrzak has learned that it’s best not to ask people, even friends, about their family planning. I could have bitten my tongue off after the words left my mouth, although I suspect that the person I was talking to would have happily done it for...
Martha Wegner and her daughter steer their way through the finer points of parking. It all started with my daughter turning 16. For those of you with a baby at your breast and a toddler playing havoc with the kitchen cupboards, trust me, these children will...
A new online tool has been launched to support expectant parents in their choices around prenatal testing for chromosome conditions in their unborn baby. It’s YourChoice, created by the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute and James Cook University, aims to guide pregnant women through the prenatal testing...
Whether it’s debilitating periods or depression during menopause, reports Jayashri Kulkarni, women with mental health problems are told to grin and bear it as their crushing emotions are “simply nature taking its course”. But what we now know, and science has told us, is that many...
On 15 October 2022– International Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Day – a new website from Monash University and Miscarriage Australia was launched. It fills a gap in Australia by providing evidence-based information and research for those affected by miscarriage. In Australia, around 285 miscarriages occur every...
Sheree Gleeson observes her sons and their friends as they negotiate their alliances. With four boys between us, the bond between my closest friend and I sometimes gets a robust work-out. Last week, Abby phoned. “I’m sending your two home and Finn to his bedroom,” she...
Lisa Chamberlain sheds light on her son William’s experience with childhood heart disease. As the mother of a heart kid, life is a constant balancing act between hopefulness and anxiety as my family navigates the unknowns of childhood heart disease. My son underwent three open-heart surgeries...
Researchers have discovered that some immunotherapy treatments used to treat cancer can cause fertility damage. It means these treatments could affect the future fertility and hormonal health of female cancer survivors, prompting experts to call for more research and preventative measures, such as freezing eggs. Traditional cancer...
Kate King reflects as she starts to see herself in her kids. Sensible eating habits, sun safety, good manners, respect for the environment and positive relationships are some of the things I consciously model for my children. While it’s rewarding to see my little sponges absorb...
