‘I was grieving but couldn’t admit it’: why men cope so badly with miscarriage

When a mother has a miscarriage, men tend to snap into being strong, stoic and supportive. But a father also needs time to grieve. Here, Steve Bloomfield reflects on loss and hears how men are learning to help each other come to terms with what might have been

Levels of toxic PCB chemicals found at 30 times ‘safe’ limits in stranded whales

Studies of cetaceans stranded in UK waters show high levels of toxins 20 years since global ban of most PCBs, say scientists

Dr Chelsea Polis: ‘The scientific world recognises when you stick your neck out and do the right thing’

The US reproductive health expert on being sued for $1m, and winning a top prize for her fight for free speech in the public interest

Births among women over 50 rise 15% in England, figures show

Births to older mothers have increased in recent years alongside average ages for childbirth and IVF treatment

Pregnant in Gaza with no clinics: ‘I have no idea where I will give birth’

As one of 50,000 pregnant women in Gaza, Noor Hammad faces a traumatic birth and fraught start in life for her first baby

Fertility patients in UK unable to keep stored embryos amid cost of living crisis

Rising inflation has made it harder for patients to continue fertility treatment, experts say

‘There was blood. A dash to the hospital. No heartbeat’ – how I survived the stillbirth of my son

My world came crashing down when my baby died. The future my wife and I had been planning for nine months had been snatched away, and for fathers like me there seemed to be no one to turn to

Smoking in pregnancy increases risk of premature birth threefold, study finds

Risk of smoking double the previous estimate, but research finds no link between above average caffeine intake and pre-term babies

Having bipolar made my pregnancy ‘high risk’. But all mothers deserve an elevated level of care

Pregnancy comes with mental health risk for all women. And so many of us downplay our own needs and wants once a baby is on the scene

Thursday briefing: What the UK’s first womb transplant means for the future of fertility

In today’s newsletter: does the UK’s first successful womb transplant mean that men could one day carry babies?

OurChemist

Our Chemist – Health