Church halls and chipped mugs … antenatal classes aren’t that different from Alcoholics Anonymous

Last time I was battling addiction and this time I’m growing a human, but the intimacy, inexperience, wisdom – and the level of gore – are pretty much the same

Do celebrities have a responsibility to reveal their IVF?

In Europe, 77% of IVF treatments fail – and doctors have suggested that famous people should be more honest about their fertility to combat the spread of misinformation

Pregnancy is a universal experience – but access to good healthcare is not

Development worker Leila de Bruyne says the first-world healthcare that saved her life is a basic human right that should be afforded to all expectant mothers

The Letdown shows the darker side of motherhood – and it’s a relief

No matter how much you love looking after your baby, you cannot escape moments of devastation

‘Reality shrivels. This is your life now’: 88 days trapped in bed to save a pregnancy

The long read: Months before she was due to give birth, disaster struck for Katherine Heiny. Doctors ordered her to lie on her side in bed and not move – and gave her a 1% chance of carrying her baby to term

Stop telling women their suffering is normal. Pain should be treated

Pelvic organ prolapse, incontinence and period pain are all common but none of these conditions is ‘normal’

Giving birth to my stillborn daughter was horrific. NHS staff saved us from despair

At every stage, the experience and understanding of the midwives and doctors guided us through this traumatic experience

What you should say to somebody who has miscarried – and what you shouldn’t

Don’t offer explanations or try to ‘fix’ things, says journalist and fundraiser for miscarriage awareness Janet Murray

Egg safety – we’ve cracked it, food watchdog tells Britons

Pregnant women, infants and elderly people told it is now safe for them to eat runny or even raw British eggs

A very private grief: the parents breaking the stillbirth taboo

Stillbirths are 10 times more common than cot deaths, yet they are rarely spoken about. But a new project seeks to end the silence