Guidelines on chickenpox and shingles for pregnant women updated
Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists advises pregnant women who have not had chickenpox to avoid those with the virus
The joy of being an older mother
Officially you are an ‘elderly primigravida’ after the age of 35, but with age comes wisdom – and a sense of humour
Dr Christian Jessen: It’s good to talk about the secret stuff of life – especially teenagers
The TV doctor opens up on the bodily functions and problems that make young people cringe
I thought having a baby when I was ‘ready’ would be easy. I was wrong
Monica Fike: I’ve tried yoga, meditation and pills to grapple with infertility. The biggest challenge is feeling betrayed by my own body
I’d like to have a child, but my mother was abusive – will I be like her?
Annalisa Barbieri: I fear I’m destined to repeat my mother’s cruel, cold behaviour
The seismic changes of having a baby
Exhaustion; TV that’s suddenly hard to stomach; a whole new relationship with partner, family, job… Five months into motherhood and everything has changed. Eva Wiseman returns
Prenatal blueprints give an early glimpse of a baby’s developing brain
Innovative research is allowing us to see neural activity in a baby’s brain as it develops inside the womb, writes Vaughan Bell
Homebirth or hospital birth? Choose what’s right for you, but educate yourself first
Jessica Valenti: We don’t have to declare doctors monstrous in order to promote midwives. Both choices can and should be made as safe and acceptable as possible
The day I got my first period
From confusing advice – ‘Don’t talk to lads now’ – to bumbling attempts to help, our readers share warm, moving, and funny stories about menstruation
Social impact: the top five stories of 2014
This year’s top social impact stories featured electric cars, breastfeeding versus baby formula and the lack of diversity in British Vogue