The spying accusations are a new low for the Student Loan Company

If you’re a student who is estranged from your parents, the last thing you need is the SLC making a fragile situation even worse, says Guardian columnist Dawn Foster

Cot death charity criticises call for baby boxes across UK

Midwives urge roll-out of boxes given to new parents but Lullaby Trust warns on safety

What does childbirth feel like? You asked Google – here’s the answer

Every day millions of people ask Google life’s most difficult questions. Our writers answer some of the commonest queries

Don’t want children? Or not sure? Share your experiences

We want to hear from you if you have either definitely decided or are considering not having children

Maternity services set for more change as the NHS hits 70

Hospital births were once seen as the ideal in maternity services – now, women’s choice is driving policy

The pressure to have a second child

There are far easier ways to screw up your kid than by making them an only child, says Eva Wiseman

Does running a mile a day really improve children’s lives?

The Scottish school that asked primary pupils to do 15 minutes of exercise every day started a global trend – and research suggests it really is transforming lives

Introduce mental health checks for new mothers, ministers told

Six-week checkup would help the 50% of UK mothers with mental health problems

I am 13 and hate what I see in the mirror

Being what you may think of as thin or pretty doesn’t change how you feel inside, says Annalisa Barbieri

You can smell a new mother’s loneliness. Unless you’re the state

As a new mum, I know loneliness cuts deep – and the lack of services for parent and child plays a large part in this, says the freelance writer Nell Frizzell