Pregnancy Clinic

Did your pregnancy dreams include visions of a neat rounded belly, and little kicks that made your heart flutter? While it's true that pregnancy has its share of wonderful moments and experiences to cherish, it also has a raft of less than fabulous pregnancy symptoms - including many you'd rather not discuss in public and many you'd probably like to forget (which you will, by the way, since forgetfulness is another symptom).

There are pregnancy symptoms you expected (like morning sickness – which also arrives in the evening) and symptoms you almost definitely didn't (like constipation, nosebleeds and bleeding gums). It's probably reassuring to know that you're not alone suffering these ailments - you're actually joining millions of other expectant women who are also wading their way through a different selection of pregnancy complaints. But it also helps to have some tried and true remedies at your (swollen) fingertips that will allow you to navigate around the majority of pregnancy grumbles.

Labour & Birth

Packing your hospital bag Many women pack their bag weeks in advance, then it sits in hall as the big day gets closer and closer. Others leave it to the last minute, though there does seem to be something in our nesting instinct which means even the least organised woman will get a bag packed at least a week before her due date. But what are the essentials when you don’t know if your stay will be a few hours or a couple of days?

Travel

When is good to travel during pregnancy?
If you are planning to travel overseas when you ar...

Professional care

Choosing a doula
For couples who want to find continuity of care wi...

Work

Finding out about local childminders
A childminders, unlike a nanny, often cares for mo...

Planning to get pregnant

Fertility: should I change my diet?
Nutrition and eating habits when you're tryin

Pregnancy Health

Finding a pregnancy photographer
Many women like to celebrate their pregnancy with something special, like an album of photographs either charting their changing body, or with one photo session in late pregnancy and one session with their newborn baby.

Pregnancy Life

When will my bump show?
For many women, there is a certain excitement about the first obvious sign of a pregnancy bump, but for others this is a time of feeling self-conscious, either because they are not feeling confident about how they will look when they are heavily pregnant, or because they are worried about announcing their pregnancy too early. So what is the average time around when a bump might start to be visibly noticeable?