Maxine Clarke admits to using deception as a parental ploy. I remember the first time I realised that my mother could be deliberately dishonest. I was only about seven, but the exact details are almost as clear in my mind as if it happened five minutes...
Linda J. Graham writes about the displacement of parents, and particularly mothers, by ‘experts’ in modern life. It goes almost without saying that the latter half of the 20th Century witnessed fundamental change to the institution of the family. While the emergence of feminism has received...
When Elizabeth Kenyon is pregnant with her third child, things do not go according to plan. My husband and I were very smug when we conceived our third child, as it happened exactly when we’d hoped. The ideal timing made up for the fact that in...
Karleen Gribble, Naomi Hull and Nina Jane Chad report that it’s sooner than you think! Parents are often faced with well-meaning opinions and conflicting advice about what to feed their babies. The latest guidance from the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends formula-fed babies can switch to cow’s...
Some women’s breasts can’t make enough milk, and the effects can be devastating. Researchers Renee Kam and Lisa Amir explain why. Many new mothers worry about their milk supply. For some, support from a breastfeeding counsellor or lactation consultant helps. Others cannot make enough milk no matter how...
It’s rare for a significant period of time to pass before another debate about breastfeeding takes place in the media, writes Alison Bartlett The latest is about Comedian Arj Barker. Some of the highest authorities have said breastfeeding is okay, even in the Sistine Chapel, as...
‘Free birthing’ and planned home births might sound similar, says Hannah Dahlen, but the risks are very different. The death of premature twins in Byron Bay in an apparent “wild birth”, or free birth, last week has prompted fresh concerns about giving birth without a midwife...
'Mother’s little helper': interviews with Australian women show a complex relationship with alcohol by Maree Patsouras, Cassandra Wright, Emmanuel Kuntsche, Gabriel Caluzzi and Sandra Kuntsche Men have historically, and still do, drink more than women. But in recent years there has been an uptick in women’s drinking,...
News for New Parents: Australian Government Calls for Stronger Regulation of Infant Formula Marketing The government released a report about how infant formula is marketed here, and it’s a big deal for families with babies and toddlers. You might not have heard of it, but there’s a...
Tamara Heath wonders if liberation equals hyphenation – or is it just more complication? For want of a better solution, my daughters have a hyphenated surname. And I am the first to admit the ‘double banger’ name can be more than a little annoying. It takes careful...
