‘Deep in my madness, witches gave me hope’: Elizabeth Sankey on motherhood, depression and witches

While battling through the darkness of severe postpartum anxiety, Elizabeth Sankey saw a light of solidarity in the stories of witchcraft

Do you want kids? It’s finally OK to simply say no

If birth rates are falling it could be down to choosing childlessness, rather than economics or infertility

A moment that changed me: partying was my personality – until I helped my 16-year-old sister give birth

During her pregnancy she taught me so much about resilience, self-reliance and strength. It inspired me to veer off the reckless path I was on

‘Women feel like failures if they haven’t had a “normal” birth’: how the NCT has shaped childbirth in the UK

It was founded to promote natural deliveries and has become Britain’s biggest and most influential antenatal charity – but did its policies harm some mothers and babies?

‘It felt shameful’: the profound loneliness of modern motherhood

The mothers of babies and young children often experience extreme isolation – and all the health problems that accompany it

Experience: I gave birth to my granddaughter

My husband joked: ‘My wife is pregnant – but it’s not mine’

Water births do not increase risk of complications, study finds

Using a water pool during labour for low-risk pregnancies is as safe as giving birth out of water, research shows

Pillows, playlists and a gentle push… My birth plan was a joke

We all start our journey into motherhood with a Plan A for the birth, but wouldn’t it be helpful if we had a Plan B or C or even D?

The Guardian view on maternity care failures: birth trauma can and should be reduced

Editorial: A pioneering report from MPs should lead to much-needed improvements in the treatment of new mothers by the NHS