Meet the 'mummy messiah'
Amy Molloy For an "ecstatic birth" mums-to-be should eat raw food, sit naked in front of a mirror and take sex toys into the delivery room, says America's new birthing guru.
Stand and deliver - upright births best for mum and bub
Hannah Dahlen What began as a change in birth positions for the convenience of men has been shown scientifically to be an inconvenience for women and babies.
Trauma pushes mothers to home births
MELISSA DAVEY Women are turning their backs on the health system after being traumatised by childbirth in hospitals, according to a new paper from University of Sydney researchers.
Dads in the delivery room
Monica Dux The presence of dads in the delivery suite is now all but mandatory. But are they a help or a hindrance?
Why water births work
Hannah Dahlen “Women aren’t dolphins” is a phrase often bandied about by those who question the idea of water births. But research increasingly points to the benefits of labouring with the help of a birthing pool and H20.
The rise (and rise) of the doula
Fran Rimrod Gaby Targett, a doula, describes herself as "a guardian of natural birth". She talks about the role she's played in hundreds of births over her career of 17 years.
The rise of the doula2
Fran Rimrod Gaby Targett, a doula, describes herself as "a guardian of natural birth". She talks about the role she's played in hundreds of births over her career of 17 years.
Doctor threatens to call police and perform forced caesarean on patient
Melanie Mahoney A pregnant woman was shocked when her doctor sent an email demanding that she either have a voluntary caesarean or he would call the police.
Birth centre guidelines need changing, say midwives
MELISSA DAVEY The national guidelines on where women should give birth are based on outdated beliefs that birth centres unattached to hospitals are dangerous, a leading Sydney midwifery expert says.
Pregnant women being turned away
JULIA MEDEW Overwhelmed public maternity hospitals are rejecting bookings for pregnant women, forcing them to find hospitals further away or to switch to expensive private care.
Australian private hospital birth figures 'horrifying', expert says
MELISSA DAVEY Tens of thousands of Australian women with a low risk of birth complications are undergoing unnecessary medical interventions in private hospitals, a new study has found.
Babyology looks at Designer Mamas birthing gowns
SITE: BABYOLOGY Babyology adores Designer Mamas birthing gowns - especially the all-new leopard print gown, for women who are after something a bit different in the birthing suite.
The blood's in the bank
RACHEL BROWNE After 14 failed IVF attempts and two miscarriages, Arielle Herman's arrival didn't come easily. Her parents explain why they then decided to store her cord blood and tissue.
Birth rituals: a better way to deliver?
Sandy Smith What Aussie mums can learn from traditional childbirth practices.
Dedicated midwives a boon to births: study
Julia Medew Women who have one midwife caring for them during pregnancy are more likely to avoid medical interventions during labour including caesarean sections, Australian research has found.
The Face of Birth: a film about pregnancy, childbirth and the power of choice
The Face of Birth explores pregnancy and childbirth. Watch a free 20-minute clip on Essential Baby.
Coroner dismisses free-birth advocate's views
Lisa Davies Free-birthing advocate Janet Fraser's views about the controversial practice were "wrong" and "quite insensitive" to the potential harm unassisted labour could cause, a coroner has ruled.
Birth of a new art form: professional labour photos
Elissa Gootman It's a new trend around the globe: parents are paying to have professional photographers take photos of their child's birth.
Best results for twins at 37 weeks
Michelle Henderson A new Australian study has revealed that 37 weeks gestation is the best time to give birth to twins in uncomplicated pregnancies.
Coroner's findings renew homebirth debate
Tim Dornin South Australian deputy coroner Anthony Schapel this week ruled that it was a "matter of certainty" that three babies who died after homebirths would have lived if they'd been born in hospital, bringing more attention to an already fierce debate.
Watch: The 90-second labour and birth
When Rachel Falecki’s husband said he’d put the video of their daughter’s birth on YouTube, Rachel was, understandably, a little worried. She didn't realise the 90-second film would be a hit - and the start of their new business, too.
Philosophers' claim over moral right to kill newborns sparks outrage
Julie Robotham Killing newborns is morally the same as abortion and should be permissible if the mother wishes it, Australian philosophers have argued in an article that has unleashed a firestorm of criticism and forced the British Medical Journal to defend its publication.
Home birth: what mums-to-be need to know
Justine Davies As a mum I have always been quite definite about the type of birth experience that I wanted to have and I was privileged to be able to avail myself of that choice. Here is what you need to know about choosing a home birth.
Alarm over jump in induced births
Julie Robotham Obstetricians in NSW public hospitals will receive strict guidelines this week about when they should induce labour, after a state-wide surge in the practice that may be responsible for a continuing rise in caesarean births.
Caesarean link to infant respiratory infections
Lucy Rickard Babies born by elective caesareans are more likely to suffer a serious respiratory infection in their first year of life, according to Perth researchers.
Paramedics deliver baby zoomer generation
Amy Corderoy There was a lot that was unexpected about little Scarlett Steele's birth.
Steep rise in first-time mothers being induced
Amy Corderoy A huge jump in first-time mothers having their labour induced is a worrying trend that is putting women at unnecessary risk, experts warn.
Mums fork out for 'five-star' hospital
Rachel Wells There may not be a doorman or a porter to take your luggage, but everything else about The Cradle in Hawthorn, which claims to be Australia’s first five-star maternity hospital, feels like a luxury hotel.
Dannii's home birth heartache
Dannii Minogue has revealed the full story of the birth of son Ethan Edward Minogue Smith in July last year. The first-time-mum had prepared for a home birth but as she tells in her book Dannii: My Story “nothing about the birth went according to plan.”
After the first caesarean, a second one is much more likely
Julie Robotham and Melissa Davey Tracy Hart had intended to have her first child, Ariane, now 2.5, naturally. But when Ariane failed to move into the normal birth position, Mrs Hart was told that a caesarean was the safest option.
Women push for midwives under bulk bill reform
Amy Corderoy Midwives cannot register fast enough to meet growing demand from women for services after historic changes that allowed them for the first time to bulk bill using Medicare, the Australian College of Midwives says.
Silent or drug free births: some star mothers are not too posh to push
Sarah McInerney News that slender Miranda Kerr gave birth to a 4.42kg baby drug-free was enough to make many women cross their legs in discomfort.
Babies by the dozen but medic says home birth too risky
Julia Medew More than 50 Victorian women have safely given birth at home this year as part of a state government-funded trial that provides hospital back-up.
Water birth: the basics
Brooke Wells With proper medical attention, water birth is a legitimate and safe way for women to give birth and can help manage pain in labour.
Homebirth mothers being refused prescriptions
Kate Benson Doctors, fearing they will be sued, are refusing to prescribe drugs or order tests for women who want to give birth at home, and this is forcing mothers to give birth in hospitals or putting lives at risk, midwives say.
Public or Private Hospital for the birth: WDYT?
Justine Davies I could be several thousand dollars out of pocket by going private – money that I could otherwise use for my maternity leave. Is it really worth that cost or should I think about going public instead?
Birth: a woman's right to decide?
Justine Caines The maternity reforms had the ability to place women as the focus of care, rather than the current practice of meeting the needs of organisations and practitioners first. Justine Caines, founder of What Women Want, shares her views on the proposed maternity reforms.
Home birth program that delivers
Kate Benson It took Bailey Mannion only 75 minutes to slip calmly into the world, amid the comforts of his own loungeroom, unaware he was quietly making history.
EB members' feedback on our maternity system
EB members express their concerns regarding the Australian maternity system and we examine the key issues for those entering the birthing experience.
Multiple Birth Resources
Books, websites and EB articles to guide you through the life-giving process of multiple births.
Blood worth banking on, say parents
Jill Stark More people want to be able to store their baby's umbilical cord blood, believing it could one day be a lifesaver. .
Birth rights
John van Tiggelen In many countries, home births are commonplace - and generally regarded as safe. So why in Australia, where such births are rare, is the Government discouraging the practice? John van Tiggelen investigates.
Angry mums against midwife legislation
Kate Dennehy A group of angry mothers and mothers-to-be have gathered in Brisbane to discuss tactics to overturn a Federal Government proposal they say will ban home births with a midwife.
Roxon joins mother of birthing battles
Leslie Cannold The Labor Government's threatened ban on home births is moving closer to reality.
Baby steps as hospitals deliver a helping hand to home-birth push
John Elder Midwives working away from labour wards are to be covered by insurance under a pilot scheme, writes John Elder.
Push against home births
AAP Proposed laws which would stop mothers accessing registered midwives for home births would jeopardise the health of thousands of women and babies, a peak maternity group says.
It's a woman's right to choose how she births
Monica Dux In five months' time, if my pregnancy progresses without complication, I will birth my second child at home, attended by two registered private midwives. If I'd become pregnant a mere six months later, this carefully researched, intensely personal decision would have been far more tenuous.
Birthing after July 1, 2010?
Melissa Maimann Essential Baby explains the changes to legislation and the consequences it may have for those birthing after mid-2010.
Midwife home birth as safe as hospital, says study
Louise Hall Home birth assisted by a trained midwife is just as safe for low-risk mothers and their babies as a delivery led by a midwife in hospital, a study of more than half a million women has found.
Home births in jeopardy
AAP Home births could be pushed underground in "fragile, secretive arrangements" after a federal review rejected funding for the practice, an academic says.
Forums
Labour & Birth Forum
Forum to ask and share advice on what to expect on the big day.
Homebirth Forum
Read information, questions, answers and experiences of homebirth as a birth option in our forum.
Your birth stories
Share and read EB member's birth stories. Stories of all kinds - some to make you cry, and some to make you laugh out loud, but all to make you proud of womankind.
