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.

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?

Professional care

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

Labour & Birth

Labour: what to expect
Labour on average lasts around 12 to 15 hours, but...

Pregnancy Health

All about pregnancy scans
Brace yourself for nine months of peeing and prodd

Parties & Celebrations

5 things that make a great baby shower
Remember Rachel's baby shower in Friends? Nat

Work

Telling the boss
You are not obliged to tell your employer than you are pregnant until as late as 15 weeks before the beginning of the week in which your baby is due. However, most women do tell their employers much earlier than this for various reasons.

Travel

Car, train, boat, plane: safe pregnancy travel
Using the time before your baby arrives to visit friends and family can be important to you. However, whichever form of travel you use, make sure you keep yourself and your baby healthy. Also make sure you have checked out our *Overseas travel in pregnancy article if you are planning a longer journey.