Is it ever possible to be properly prepared for parenthood, asks Sarah Cameron. “Gotta go – can’t talk now – Emily’s screaming again. Honestly, she’s SO relentless!” That was the last line of an email I received recently from my sister, Nikki, who was talking about...
Mothers are born right alongside their babies, and while they always need support, it’s especially important in the fourth trimester (the first three months after birth), writes Emily Mitchell This postpartum period is a time unlike any other. Everything is different. Who you are has evolved,...
In preparation for her first pregnancy, Helen Kronberger ploughed through every parenting book available, but these days, she is a little more selective in her reading. The first time around, I treated my due date for giving birth like the date of a major exam. I...
Danielle Aalders reflects on giving birth by caesarean when this was not part of her plans. When I found out I was pregnant, I stated to anyone who would listen that I did not want to have a caesarean. I was quite emphatic about it. I...
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...
Moving from fairytales to reality, Dolla S. Merrillees reflects on her role as a stepmother. When asked what I would like to be when I grew up, I can’t say I actually aspired to being a divorcee, however glamorous it sounded, or, for that matter, a...
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...
A new sibling can start as a threat but end as a friend, writes Sarah Cameron. Imagine your husband comes home from work one day with another woman. He introduces her to you and explains that she will be joining the family from this day forward....
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...
