Naps, nuts and gentle parenting: everything you need to know about new babies

A quick guide for parents to the latest research and studies on raising infants and looking after toddlers

Why do we bathe children before bed, but wash ourselves in the morning?

The long-running series in which readers answer other readers’ questions on subjects ranging from trivial flights of fancy to profound scientific and philosophical concepts

Instant calmer: a mindful walking weekend in Wales

A trip focusing on slow immersion in the natural world is the perfect way to unwind and restore mental harmony for this busy mum

Baby sleep has become a sign of parenting competence – and a source of shame

Expectations around infant sleep are often way off, says the Guardian’s assistant Opinion editor, Lucy Pasha-Robinson

Having bipolar made my pregnancy ‘high risk’. But all mothers deserve an elevated level of care

Pregnancy comes with mental health risk for all women. And so many of us downplay our own needs and wants once a baby is on the scene

Thursday briefing: What the UK’s first womb transplant means for the future of fertility

In today’s newsletter: does the UK’s first successful womb transplant mean that men could one day carry babies?

Manchester’s minority ethnic women to tell ‘untold stories’ of childbirth

Oral history project will preserve experiences, traditions and cultural practices of black and Asian mothers

Women with poor mental health ‘have 50% higher risk of preterm birth’

Study of more than 2m pregnancies in England found link between severity of mental health difficulties and adverse outcomes at birth

I have never wanted children – and don’t think I will change my mind

My partner, however, always assumed that one day he would be a dad

I’m doing the Edinburgh fringe at full-term pregnancy – and not just because I’d paid the deposit

Pregnancy is a privilege but is also weird, awkward and difficult. The cathartic nature of standup helps us consider the confusion of imminent parenthood