I’m giving birth as a battle rages over maternity care in Ireland. We shouldn’t have to pay to feel safe

An unfair two-tier system is, at last, giving way to universal state care. But private interests and highly paid doctors are resisting, says journalist Caelainn Hogan

I don’t get along with my sister-in-law. Should I try to address the dynamic?

There are two things to consider, writes advice columnist Eleanor Gordon-Smith. Are you hurt by the way she treats you or the way she sees you?

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

A moment that changed me: my grandpa risks his life to litter pick – and he taught me a profound lesson

I thought I knew what it was to be a good citizen. But after seeing him scramble up a ditch, beaming with pride at his rubbish-filled bag, I realised what it actually involves

Dutch children are unusually happy and healthy. Is it because of this walking ritual?

Once a year, Dutch kids, parents and teachers take part in a walking festival, heading out for four nights in a single week to explore their neighbourhoods, exercise and make friends. It’s a tradition that seems to be genuinely transformative

My partner sleeps at least 10 hours a night. Should I accept this situation won’t change?

There are so many causes here that aren’t up to him, writes advice columnist Eleanor Gordon-Smith. Rather than trying to change him, change the goal

My egg, my wife’s womb, our baby: how we found our way to lesbian motherhood

When Leah and I planned a family, we wanted to be as mutual as possible. Could reciprocal IVF – Leah carrying an embryo made from my egg – be the way forward?

A moment that changed me: I was wary of men – then I found out I was having a baby boy

When I became pregnant, all I wanted was a healthy baby. Discovering I would be having a son gave me a new perspective on the narratives around masculinity

‘I was mortally offended’: writers on the throwaway comments that changed their lives

Can a sentence affect the course of your life? Five authors reveal the interactions that transformed the way they saw themselves – and the world

My mother is addicted to gaming and emotionally unavailable. What should I do?

Her actions may be numbing pain she feels in other areas of her life, so you must approach the issue thoughtfully

OurChemist

Our Chemist – Health