I’d do anything to make my autistic daughter happy – but I feel like a walking mum-fail

There is an intense emotional strain involved with parenting a neurodivergent child with mental health issues. But we will do whatever it takes to understand her brain

‘It was empowering and joyful’: the UK women hiring private midwives

After a troubling report on NHS care, the number of pregnant women seeking more control over their birth plans is growing

‘The darkest period of my life’: I struggled to breastfeed – then a drug sent me spiralling

The anti-sickness medicine domperidone is increasingly being prescribed or bought illegally to aid lactation. Yet, as I discovered too late, side-effects can include anxiety, depression and suicidal thoughts

Heatwaves increase risk of early births and poorer health in babies, study finds

Research that looked at 53 million births says Black and Hispanic mothers and those in lower socioeconomic groups most at risk

Should we follow Lily Allen – and let our partner control our smartphone?

Allen’s husband decides the apps she is allowed to use and she decides his. It’s one of many approaches people are taking to try to ditch social media and unbreak their brains, writes Arwa Mahdawi

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

Cold review – theatrically evocative folk-tale treatment of the pain of miscarriage

A man spins a story in a doctor’s waiting room, sparking a fairy tale of loss and desperation

‘I felt myself split into before and after’: how giving birth triggered a life-changing illness

Having a baby led to an unexpected disease and then surgery that altered Lauren Bensted’s body for ever. She talks about the pain she felt in being separated from her newborn, and her journey to learn to accept her new life

‘Why has my uterus fallen into my vagina?’: Emily Oster’s new book demystifies common pregnancy complications

The Unexpected, the latest book by the economics professor, examines the uncomfortable and embarrassing parts of pregnancy that no one talks about