Torn apart by childbirth

For a few women in the UK, giving birth results in traumatic, life-changing injuries, reports Joanna Moorhead

More than one in 20 pregnant women severely obese

NHS is ill-equipped to cope with heavier mothers, increased health risks and higher likelihood of stillbirths

Maternity care improving – but more needs to be done

Most mothers happy with maternity care, but NHS must improve support during labour, birth and antenatal period, says watchdog

My week: Hassan Shehata, consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist

By the time women come to see me they are pretty desperate. One had had 21 miscarriages

It’s time to debunk the myth of too posh to push

Barbara Ellen: A new report on caesarean births makes some telling points

Leading midwife says staff shortages risk safety of mothers and babies

Cathy Warwick accuses government of backtracking on pre-election pledge to hire 3,000 more NHS midwives

Midwife staff cuts put women giving birth at risk

The combination of staff cuts, a 19% increase in births and more complex pregnancies has put maternity units under pressure

Too scared to push: big rise reported in birth trauma

Services set up to reduce demand for caesareans as midwives report trauma cases 'growing at alarming rate'

The push for better births

With no major advances in safer childbirth for 50 years, doctors are calling for more properly funded research. By Carol Davis

Hungary: Midwife Agnes Gereb taken to court for championing home births

Gynaecologist faces five years in Hungarian prison, prompting protests over authorities' hardline childbirth policy