Amid the social and political panic about falling birthrates, why not ask new mothers what they think?

Medals and cash bonuses have been mooted as incentives, but the priority is for policy that addresses women’s real concerns, says author and journalist Lucy Jones

Les Mills, New Zealand Olympian behind global gym chain, dies aged 91

He and his wife opened first Les Mills gym in Auckland in 1968 and family later introduced workout programs including BodyPump taught worldwide

A US champion of ‘freebirthing’ always claimed there had been no maternal deaths linked to the movement. Is Stacey Warnecke the first?

Guardian investigation exposes full links between a US business linked to baby deaths around the world and Australian ‘birth keeper’ Emily Lal, the central witness at the inquest into the death of a Melbourne wellness influencer

The Guardian view on the Ockenden maternity review: lifting standards must be the number one priority

Editorial: Families are right to be angry about devastating care failures in Nottingham. Ministers must respond fast

Midwives want to make childbirth miraculous – so what went so wrong in Nottingham?

The acronym ‘FOH’ for ‘Fuck off home’ was used beside the names of expectant mothers. Senior midwives advised others not to be ‘too kind’. But as this and other shocking evidence is brought to light, sexism is only one part of the story, writes Zoe Williams

‘This is so taboo’: Kimberley Nixon on the hell of perinatal OCD – and how she survived it

After the birth of her son during lockdown, the Welsh actor was flooded by disturbing thoughts she couldn’t shake, a plunge into darkness and isolation. She discusses how it changed her and what helped her recover

I yearned to be a mother. Why did I feel nothing when my daughter was finally born?

I had presumed I would love her instantly – but a traumatic birth led to devastating numbness

I went into motherhood an oblivious idiot – and I don’t regret it

All the information about pregnancy and parenting can be understandably off-putting. It’s best to look at it clear-sightedly and, if you do decide to give it a go, accept that the path ahead is unpredictable, writes Emma Beddington

What is the national maternity and neonatal investigation and why was it launched?

From racism to staff shortages, the interim report found a host of deep-rooted issues affecting women and babies

NHS maternity units often cover up harmful errors in childbirth, report finds

Damning inquiry into services in England reveals falsification of medical records after ‘negligent’ care

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Our Chemist – Health