Baby health checks, sometimes called well-baby examinations, are an important way to monitor your baby’s growth and development and promptly identify any issues or areas of concern. Routine checks also provide an opportunity to have questions about your baby’s health and development answered, and help your practitioner develop a rapport with you and your
A recent analysis of 24 different studies showed there was a significant association between mothers who smoke in early pregnancy and the development of a cleft lip in the baby (a gap in the upper lip) and/or cleft palate (a hole in the roof of the mouth). A woman has approximately a 30 percent
PBB has put together a list of frequently asked questions, and answers, to help you as you make decisions about purchasing and using a birth pool for labour and birth. Researching your options in pregnancy helps you decide whether or not a pool is right for you, which pool suits you best, and how
So you’ve found out that you’re pregnant. Congratulations! But what now? You need someone to care for you during pregnancy – and someone to support you when having your baby – but who? You’ll also need to think about where, and how, you want to have your baby. Most women might think that the
Giving birth is about a lot more than having a baby — it's about making mothers and growing families. The right support people can help enormously in making sure that the ingredients are there for a wonderful start to life. Some women are turning to doulas for this support. What is a doula? Doulas
Learn the new campaign by SIDS and Kids - In preparing your home for the arrival of your new baby, one of the most important decisions you may make is where and how they will sleep. Apart from obvious factors like having easy access to your baby for those middle-of-the-night feeds, many parents revel
The World Health Organisation recognises childhood obesity as one of the most serious public health challenges of the 21st century. Globally in 2010 the number of overweight children under five was estimated at over 42 million. There are a broad range of societal factors which are attributed to this alarming figure. These include an
‘Imagine a woman being forced to birth at home when what she craves and needs is the support of a hospital. Imagine a woman being forced to birth in hospital when what she craves and needs is the support of her familiar home environment. The miracle of producing new life, and bringing that life
Even babies who are very healthy generally see a doctor, midwife or child health nurse a lot in their first two years of life. This is because the first two years are a crucial time for your baby’s growth and development. If born in a hospital your baby will have their first check-up. They
If you were to ask a woman who is scared about giving birth why she feels that way, she’d probably tell you that she is simply worried things will go wrong and birth will be an unpleasant event and pain. This is despite the very high standards of care we have access to and
