Accepting your pregnant body

Bree Player Many mums admit to comparing themselves with celebrities when it comes to shedding the baby weight. But with the very public bump watch of Kim Kardashian and Kate Middleton, mums are now feeling the pressure even during their pregnancies.

'I'm not ready to be a mum'

KATE FRIDKIS When I think of myself as a 'mum', I don’t like that. I may be a mum soon, but I’m not ready to say it yet.

My pregnancy after cancer: despair, joy and empathy

ELISSA GRIESSER After being told she had cancer, Elissa Griesser moved her life into fast forward. Once she was given the all-clear, it was time to try for a baby - but that came with its own heartache, despair and hopes.

Comments

Warning: Googling while pregnant a health hazard

Natalie Craig Ever since the appearance of the blue line on her home pregnancy test, Natalie Craig says she's suffered from a common but poorly understood prenatal condition: Gestational Googlemania. But why does she feel the need to ask the internet about every conceivable pregnancy danger?

Leave Kim alone: why body shaming pregnant women has to stop

AMBER ROBINSON I may not be a big fan of Kim Kardashian, but no one deserves the public body shaming she's been facing since she fell pregnant with Kanye West’s baby.

Comments 17

Things I didn't expect when I was expecting

Cristy Clark After reading all she could about pregnancy and motherhood, nothing prepared Cristy Clark for the truth. She wishes she'd had a copy of a new book to shed light on what lay ahead ...

Comments 4

It's official: feet grow longer, flatter in pregnancy

A new study has backed up what many mums already know: foot size increases during pregnancy – and it’s often a permanent change.

Stress impacts on unborn baby's brain

SARAH BERRY New research into the impact of a mother's stress on her unborn baby can hopefully predict the occurrence of neurodevelopmental diseases.

Comments

Pregnancy myths under the microscope

MEGAN JOHNSTON Research shows you can't really believe all the tales you hear about pregnancy, birth and parenthood.

Manslaughter may count for unborn babies

Anna Patty, Melissa Davey and Melanie Mahoney People could be charged with killing or hurting unborn children under a controversial new law set to be considered in Parliament.

Comments

How pregnancy changed my body image

KATE FRIDKIS The Mayo Clinic guide warns: "Simply put, you may feel fat and unattractive." But pregnancy can change your body image for the better, too.

Comments 1

Chrissie confesses: 'Smoke got hold of my senses'

CHRISSIE SWAN When Sun-Herald columnist and TV host Chrissie Swan was snapped smoking, her secret was out. As her regular Sunday Life column had already been printed, she agreed to tell her full story here.

Myth busting: no more eating for two

Susie De Jersey While it might be nice to indulge during pregnancy, the 'eating-for-two' myth should be discarded to give babies the best chance of optimal development and future health.

Locking up pregnant women

AMY GRAY The Queensland Police Union would like to start rounding up, monitoring and curtailing the personal choices and liberties of pregnant women.

Comments 7

The latest pregnancy trend: at-home ultrasound parties

Melanie Mahoney Most expecting parents would agree that seeing their unborn baby on an ultrasound screen is an exciting time. And now those special moments are becoming group events, following the rise in popularity of ‘ultrasound parties' in private homes.

Comments

Terminated pregnancies 'may have been viable'

AMY CORDEROY Some experts have warned that misdiagnoses of early miscarriage may be leading doctors to inadvertently terminate healthy pregnancies.

Comments

The pregnant woman's guide to Christmas eating

Livia Gamble Christmas turkey, seafood or ham; however you decide to dine this Christmas, if you’re pregnant there are a few things to keep in the back of your mind.

An espresso a day okay for mums-to-be

Tanya Ryan-Segger When it comes to caffeine in pregnancy, moderation is key.

Falling for your obstetrician

Kylie Orr It's not the bowtie or the yellowing teeth, so just what is it that makes some women feel giddy around their OB?

Generation grey: the 50 Shades 'baby boom'

Melanie Mahoney Almost 18 months after 50 Shades of Grey first appeared on the shelves, there's said to be a "greybie" movement - babies born to parents who were reading the books around the time of conception. And they've got the onesies to prove it ...

Comments 6

British servicewoman gives birth while serving in Afghanistan

Military experts have called for pregnancy testing of female soldiers after a British servicewoman gave birth while serving in Afghanistan.

Eating for two: sea bass/red snapper with tomato relish

ANNABEL KARMEL This fresh tomato relish is delicious with fillets of white fish.

Eating for two: chicken satay

ANNABEL KARMEL Unless you're allergic to peanuts, you can eat peanuts – and indeed any nuts – when you’re pregnant. Dig in to this delicious chicken satay by Annabel Karmel.

Annabel Karmel: Eating for Two

ANNABEL KARMEL You might be eating for two when you're pregnant, but that shouldn’t be an excuse to go overboard. Annabel Karmel is Britain’s number one author on cooking and nutrition for babies and children, and with her latest book, Eating for Two, she goes back one step further.

Miranda Kerr's advice to fellow mummy models

Miranda Kerr has shared some parenting advice with her workmates after the announcement that a third Victoria's Secret model is pregnant.

Jessica Simpson's TMI pregnancy moments

From farting to excess sweat, amniotic fluid to Slutty Brownies and everything in between, Jessica Simpson has told us all about it during her pregnancy.

The joy of (pregnant) sex

Amber Robinson Jessica Simpson has spoken publicly about having sex while pregnant, spilling the beans about a not often talked about side effect of pregnancy: great orgasms.

Pregnant Jessica Simpson poses naked for ELLE

Pregnant pop star Jessica Simpson has channelled her inner Demi Moore by posing naked on a magazine cover - and revealed she's expecting a baby girl.

Porn for pregnant women

Staff writers What do pregnant women want? According to Canadian Blogger Amy Morrison the answer is not much different to what regular women want Ryan Gosling. Bearing skittles.

Pregnancy as a competitive sport

Mia Freedman Now, not only do you have to be sexy when you're pregnant, you also have to be thin.

Research

Pregnancy diet affects baby's DNA

What you eat during pregnancy will shape your child's metabolism: study.

I’m pregnant, vegan, and all I want is a Junior Burger.

Elisabeth Lambert Elizabeth Lambert planned to stick with veganism throughout her pregnancy - but now she is craving a junior burger.

Vegan checklist for pregnant women

Elisabeth Lambert Elizabeth Lambert gives us the vegan checklist for pregnant women.

Cathy Freeman pregnant with first child

Leesha McKenny and Ellie Harvey Olympic gold medallist Cathy Freeman is pregnant with her first child - but the happy event has taken a toll on her health.

Christina Applegate: pregnant and... pole dancing?

Pregnant actress Christina Applegate has featured in a hilarious mock advertisement for 'prenatal pole dancing'. Watch the video.

Pregnancy's a weighty issue

Sarah Smiles Sitting in the waiting room of my obstetrician this week, I found myself disgracefully comparing my weight gain to the other pregnant women around me.

Secret society

Mia Freedman There are some questions almost too big to answer. Or too loaded. "How many times have you been pregnant?" is one of them.

Healthy pregnancy weight best for baby

Julia Medew Women planning to give birth have a further reason to keep fit after research found that the bigger the mother, the bigger their baby.

A bit of booze breeds better babies, claims new study

Katherine Fenech New evidence has emerged that pregnant women who indulge in one glass of wine every day in their first trimester may have better behaved children than those who abstain from alcohol or drink heavily.

The do's and don'ts for people around pregnant women

Juliana Fridman The do’s and don’ts for the friends and family of pregnant women, as told by a mum of triplets.

Specialised pregnancy support groups

If you are experiencing pregnancy-related problems such as gestational diabetes, Crohn’s, pre-eclampsia or if you are worried about high-risk nuchal translucency results, rest assured you can find support on Essential Baby.

Mums object to the myth of baby brain

Simon Webster Women have reacted with outrage at Australian researchers who say "baby brain" - the addling of the mind by pregnancy and breastfeeding - is a myth. The study, conducted by researchers at the Australian National University, found that pregnant women performed just as well in cognitive testing as they did before falling pregnant.

First-time older mothers 'anxious'

Julia Medew Women who give birth for the first time in their late 30s and early 40s cope just as well with the physical demands of pregnancy as younger women, but are more anxious about the wellbeing of their babies, research has found.

The psychosocial impact of high risk pregnancies

Stephanie Azri There is an approximately 20% chance of being diagnosed a ‘high-risk’ mother to-be in any given pregnancy. The psychological and social impact of such a diagnosis can be tremendous.

Maternal instincts can vary with age

Julia Medew First-time older mothers in their late 30s and early 40s cope just as well with the physical demands of pregnancy as younger women but are more anxious about the wellbeing of their babies.

The real job of pregnancy

Jodie Benveniste If you think pregnancy is all about growing a baby, then think again. Pregnancy is actually about growing you into a parent - it's nine months of preparation for your most significant role yet.

Depression test for new mums

Rachel Browne Expectant mothers could soon be routinely tested for their risk of suffering postnatal depression (PND).

Thanks for the memory loss, baby

Danielle Teutsch Could you repeat that please? Heavily pregnant women may not be imagining it when they say they have "placenta brain" and easily forget what people tell them.

News archive

Half Aussie women drink while pregnant

Danny Rose/AAP Almost half of all Australian mothers-to-be drink alcohol throughout their pregnancy, and some even admit to binging in the final months before giving birth.

A pregnant pause before things get really hectic

Calliste Weitenberg Taking time off from work during pregnancy leaves room to prepare the little things, Sheridan Szypica says. But even these can prove a handful.