‘The pain was worse than giving birth’: why are so many women separated from their babies in prison?

First they had to give birth in custody, then their babies were taken away. Sometimes they never got them back. Here’s what 29 women told the Lost Mothers Project

‘One father threatened to stab the referee’: why does kids’ football bring out the worst in parents?

When they’re not shouting at their own children, many of Britain’s soccer dads like nothing more than swearing at the officials, or even trading blows on the touchline. Isn’t this supposed to be fun?

Put your baby down to nap near a washing machine, expert says

Researcher warns that dark daytime naps can disrupt babies’ sleep when they properly go to bed at night

‘It can break you’: life for parents of autistic children can be exhausting. One podcast is offering hope. Is it real?

A podcast claims to show that autistic children with limited speech may be able to communicate via telepathy. What does the science say about the idea?

Rogue doctors stole one woman’s eggs to get another patient pregnant. What happened next is an unlikely tale of friendship against the odds

When it emerged that a fertility clinic had made one woman pregnant with another’s baby, Renée Ballou and Carole LieberWilkins were advised to ‘lawyer up’. Instead they did something extraordinary – even as one raised the other’s biological child

New mums are being ‘strongly encouraged’ to take regular exercise and get more sleep. Hahahaha

New guidelines are well intentioned, but as parents of babies know, finding time to look after yourself is impossible, says Guardian columnist Rhiannon Lucy Cosslett

Have you ever been tired enough to put your shoes in the microwave? This is my world: welcome!

I asked on social media for stories from parents suffering extreme sleep deprivation. It was both hilarious and frightening, says journalist Nell Frizzell

Maternity Service by Emma Barnett review – a tour of duty in early motherhood

In this valuable, brutally honest guide, the broadcaster argues that a supposedly joyful time is often steeped in drudgery and social isolation

‘Talk about it, focus on your values and … stay stoic’: how to cope with rejection

From the workplace to romance to friends, everything you need to know about rejection – and how to move on from it

Maternity Service by Emma Barnett review – baby steps

An energetic attempt to reimagine maternity leave swerves hard thinking about social reform

OurChemist

Our Chemist – Health