Motherhood

The Indignity of Indiscipline (And Why Too Much Parenting Advice Leaves Me Bemused, Confused and All Out of 'Instinct')

Zoe Armstrong | Posted 03.05.2013 | UK Lifestyle
Zoe Armstrong

During a brief stint teaching, my shoes were captured and held to ransom by students. I don't remember the detail of their demands, just that I was h...

Water All the Way!

Dr Gowri Motha | Posted 28.04.2013 | UK Lifestyle
Dr Gowri Motha

Water births are gaining in popularity, although some people still consider them to be rather unconventional! I personally believe water birthing gives the mother, baby and partner the best possible experience.

This Labour of Love

Lana Citron | Posted 23.04.2013 | UK Lifestyle
Lana Citron

So there we were at the end of a journey and the beginning of a lifetime. These past nine months have been the longest, shortest, most confounding emotional roller coaster since... well, probably since the first time round...

I Dream Of Sleeping

Alice Wright | Posted 19.04.2013 | UK Lifestyle
Alice Wright

I haven't enjoyed a full, uninterrupted eight hours sleep in nearly six years. I know this because I have had a lot of time to think about that fact. A lot of time spent lying in bed in the dark, eyes wide open pondering how long it has been since I have slept a full night and since when.

The Pulse Tour Hits London, Carmit Bachar Leads the Dance Powerhouse!

Jasmine Dotiwala | Posted 16.04.2013 | UK Entertainment
Jasmine Dotiwala

Girl bands. They come. They go. They usually don't stand the test of time. Alas, once many achieve group fame and success they can't go the solo road alone.

Top Ten Fears of Impending Motherhood

Taylor Glenn | Posted 16.04.2013 | UK Comedy
Taylor Glenn

There's no maternity leave in comedy. Well, there is, but the fear is it could be indefinite, and it's most certainly unpaid. The majority of industry people have been great, but I have had the occasional 'Oh, you're pregnant? OK bye, loser!' moments.

Thirteen Lucky Years of Boy Wonderment

Lana Citron | Posted 15.04.2013 | UK Lifestyle
Lana Citron

We have been on a journey for 13 summers. Just the two of us travelling to infinity and beyond, adventure after adventure, hiding out in makeshift dens, hopping on island cushions, gladiators on sheepskin carpets, scaling furniture, bouncing on beds, sofa snuggling, conquering long rainy days.

Why Having Kids Is a Terrible Idea

Planet Ivy | Posted 09.04.2013 | UK Lifestyle
Planet Ivy

As we all inevitably leave our twenties and begrudgingly begin the slow pitiful march towards responsibility and self-loathing, it's important to ask the question - what next? For some it's fulfilling careers and the exciting discovery of our greatly unrecognised adult self, and for some it's children.

Why A Deadline Is No Friend of the Toddler: It's Physics

Zoe Armstrong | Posted 07.04.2013 | UK Lifestyle
Zoe Armstrong

The faster one travels, the slower time moves. We know this from Einstein's theory of relativity. So if something is moving incredibly slowly - a todd...

Mother Judgement: How Women Are Undermining Modern Feminism

Jemma Wayne | Posted 04.04.2013 | UK Lifestyle
Jemma Wayne

There is a quieter, yet just as dangerous trend undermining feminist values, and this trend is being perpetrated most, by women. The arena: online forums, Facebook groups, press articles, NCT circles, even groups of friends. The reason: Mother Judgement - the war between those who do and those who don't.

Overweight Women Warned Of Life-Threatening Health Risks During Pregnancy

PA/The Huffington Post UK | Posted 27.03.2013 | UK Lifestyle

Obese or overweight women are more likely to develop life-threatening health complications during pregnancy, new research has revealed. Their risk ...

One In Fourteen Women Have An Eating Disorder During Pregnancy

PA/The Huffington Post UK | Posted 18.03.2013 | UK Lifestyle

One in 14 women have an eating disorder in the first three months of their pregnancy, according to research published on Monday. A survey of more t...

Maternity Discrimination on the Rise as Women Pay the Price of Austerity

Myriam Francois-Cerrah | Posted 13.05.2013 | UK Politics
Myriam Francois-Cerrah

A report released today by the group Working ‎Families has revealed high levels of maternity discrimination for the third year running, ‎reinforcing recent research suggesting this is a growing trend. ‎

Tales of Hard Labour and the Pink Ribbon

Lana Citron | Posted 13.05.2013 | UK Lifestyle
Lana Citron

"What does one do when contractions begin?" My arm shot up. I knew this one. "Scream," I answered. This response was met with disdain: "Wrong... You need to be in control. Screaming evokes the idea of someone who has lost control." I suddenly came over all John McEnroe. Was she serious? She could not be serious? How could she possibly say that?

'Off the Shelf' Employment Support Fails Single Parents

Caroline Davey | Posted 13.05.2013 | UK Politics
Caroline Davey

While some media might have us believe that most single parents are shunning work in favour of a 'lifestyle' on out-of-work benefits, the reality is starkly different. Single parents are highly motivated to work. After all, they're the sole breadwinners for their families - families which face twice the risk of living in poverty than those headed up by a couple.

Motherhood: It Gets You Coming and Going

Christina Robert | Posted 09.05.2013 | UK Lifestyle
Christina Robert

I got a phone call from my doctor recently, telling me that a recent blood test showed that I was 'post-menopausal'. I didn't quite know how to respond to this news. I didn't feel post-menopausal. My body seemed to be still following somewhat familiar rhythms.

Dear Baby Girl

Emi Howe | Posted 07.05.2013 | UK Lifestyle
Emi Howe

Now you're three, I'm still 33 and two weeks out of chemo. There's a way to go but the future is bright. I'm a good reason for people not giving up the fight with cancer - we're winning!

When Sexiness Left the Building

Lana Citron | Posted 06.05.2013 | UK Lifestyle
Lana Citron

This week the bump took command of the mothership. All things ego related receded into the background as I prepared for metamorphosis, from woman to 'mother' or 24 hour service station. Branded with a thick black line, a primal print of 'Keep Off' ran the length of my curvature.

That Mother/Daughter Thang

Paula Fry | Posted 03.05.2013 | UK Lifestyle
Paula Fry

I may be the wrong side of 40 now but I still want to look funky. And why shouldn't I!? But there is a fine line to looking funky, edgy and cool that can swiftly turn into desperate, try hard and dated.

Childcare: Where's the Emergency?

Caroline Davey | Posted 29.04.2013 | UK Politics
Caroline Davey

The cost and shortage of childcare is harming our economy and our society. Parents who were once an active part of the workforce are giving up their jobs, childcare costs are overtaking mortgage payments, and women are being held back from senior positions in all industries.

Channel 4 News Reveals What Life Is Like for Children Affected By Alcohol in the Womb

Cat Mcshane | Posted 20.04.2013 | UK Entertainment
Cat Mcshane

Last night, Channel 4 News aired air a short film I've spent the last five months putting together about Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders, or FASD. This is a range of lifelong disabilities that can occur when a mother drinks while their child is in the womb.

Coffee Linked To Low Baby Weight, Study Reveals

PA/The Huffington Post UK | Posted 19.02.2013 | UK Lifestyle

One cup of fresh coffee a day significantly increases the chances of giving birth to an underweight baby, research has shown. The new findings from...

Things I Wish I'd Known Before I Had a Baby...

Susanna Lascelles | Posted 20.04.2013 | UK Lifestyle
Susanna Lascelles

At some point during the first six weeks you will wonder whether you love your baby as much as you should. You're not strange and there's nothing wrong with you for feeling like this - everyone does.

Fifty Years on From 'The Feminine Mystique', Now Childless Working Women Ask, 'Is This All?'

Katherine Baldwin | Posted 19.04.2013 | UK Lifestyle
Katherine Baldwin

For those experiencing feminism's unintended consequences - childless, working women of my generation who, just like Friedan's housewives, are wondering if there's 'something more' - it can feel like the pendulum swung too far the other way.

Shortage Of Men Encourages Poorer Women To Have Children Earlier

PA/The Huffington Post UK | Posted 13.02.2013 | UK Lifestyle

Poorer women who face a shortage of men will have children younger, while richer women will delay motherhood and focus on their careers, a new study s...