Expectant mothers are too often treated as an inconvenience – and we can’t blame a TV drama for that

The BBC’s new show This Is Going to Hurt is about overstretched doctors – but patronising pregnant women is a long-standing problem, writes Guardian columnist Zoe Williams

Mothers and newborns kept apart unnecessarily in hospital due to Covid

Birth charities call for update of ‘draconian’ rules that isolate maternity patients from babies and leave women traumatised

Growing sales of breast milk online amid warnings about risks

Exclusive: Human breast milk can contain harmful bacteria, drugs and viruses, say health experts

A moment that changed me: having a baby in lockdown nearly broke me – but it made me face my depression

After my son was born, I lost the ability to cope. But seeking help opened my eyes to other issues I had long silently lived with

Caesareans or vaginal births: should mothers or medics have the final say?

More babies are born by C-section than ever, causing alarm at the WHO. But some believe the option should always be offered

Living in a woman’s body: it’s a potent myth that all women want children – but I have experienced other wonders

The lie that all women have a yearning to be a mother can feel like biological gaslighting. I’ve had a different kind of life – and it is meaningful, rewarding, joyous

If you don’t like it, go private: what my maternity clinic said over scans delay

After a raft of prenatal check-ups were cancelled because of Covid staff shortages, one mother asked how other mums fared. The replies shocked her

Newly pregnant? Your life will change – but your skincare need not

Many products spark fear during this period, but few are off-limits. The main thing is not to start a dramatically different routine

Home births in England may be denied if midwives without Covid jab lose jobs

Women could also be unable to give birth at their local hospital as understaffed maternity units face loss of up to 2,000 midwives

Global heating linked to early birth and damage to babies’ health, scientists find

Exclusive: Impacts include premature births and birth defects and affect everybody, everywhere, say researchers