As the COVID-19 pandemic has taught us all too well, good health policy depends on prior planning, decisive action, and a willingness to spend money. But there’s another area where Australia’s willingness to plan and spend has fallen far short: monitoring breastfeeding rates. A newly released...
The amount of conflicting advice and information expecting parents get can be overwhelming – our experts sort the factual from the less factual, writes Erin Munro, University of Melbourne For women, couples and families, pregnancy is one of life’s most important experiences, but it can also...
Endometriosis is a debilitating, chronic condition that affects 1 in 10 women worldwide, write Caroline Gargett, Caitlin Filby and Fiona Cousins. It occurs when tissue which has similar properties to the womb lining, ends up in the body and attaches to organs, forming a patch...
A new study has confirmed what researchers already suspected to be the case: heat inactivates SARS-CoV-2 in human milk. A team of medical researchers has found that in human milk, pasteurisation inactivates the virus that causes COVID-19, confirming milk bank processes have been safe throughout the...
We need a new childcare system that encourages women to work not punishes them for it...
Research shows a strong link between mum’s mental health and her child’s emotional development. Women experiencing psychological distress during pregnancy and after birth are twice as likely to have children with emotional and behavioural issues throughout their childhood, new research shows, highlighting the need for broader...
COVID-19 is a disaster for mothers' employment. And no, report Leah Ruppanner, Caitlyn Collins and William Scarborough, working from home is not the solution. When COVID-19 hit, some commentators hailed it as an opportunity to revolutionise gender roles in heterosexual couples. But as public life froze overnight...
Klay Lamprell finds that the biggest challenges faced by pregnant women with a disability are not physical but social. Sharon Simmons was born with shortened arms and legs as a consequence of her mother’s use of the drug thalidomide during pregnancy. She had always felt quite...
Rachel Grieve looks at the 6 types of love which can evolve throughout our lifetime. Love is a complex and powerful force, one that plays out in a number of emotional, cognitive and social ways. When we love a person, we feel emotional arousal in their presence....
So what is hypnobirthing? Mary Steen, looks at what the evidence says about its use? In a new parenting podcast, Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge, said she used hypnobirthing techniques to help her get through severe morning sickness – a condition called hyperemesis gravidarum. She also...
