Why pregnant and breastfeeding models are the key to bumper sales

From Chanel to Victoria’s Secret, visible bumps and breastfeeding are increasingly being used to sell clothes. It says a lot about fashion’s changing relationship with women

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

Introduce mental health checks for new mothers, ministers told

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

My life was so hectic that I welcomed getting ill

Being forced to take a break is the only way to switch off from relentless family and work life – but does it really solve anything, asks Stuart Heritage

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

Stopping the rot: the distressing condition that makes​ children’s teeth crumble

One in 10 children are affected by MIH, which can cause their molars to disintegrate. But scientists are baffled by what causes it

Night nannies are wealthy mothers’ latest must-have

As seen in the film Tully, exhausted and harassed women are turning to overnight helpers to help cope with their babies

Don’t save it for the duchess. All new mothers should be treated like royalty

Rather than treating royal births as mundane events, why don’t we celebrate all the ordinary women who give birth, says Guardian columnist Gaby Hinsliff

Abortion clinic buffer zones being considered by more councils

At least eight local authorities in England are examining whether to follow Ealing’s lead

Obese couples could be risking health of future children, studies say

Diet and lifestyle during the ‘pre-conception’ period can profoundly affect the child’s development, researchers find