Stages of Labour

Some babies are born with a protective covering of vernix.

Facebook page celebrates vernix - AKA baby’s 'birthday frosting'

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Put down the ice chips: eating in labour may actually be beneficial.

Eating during labour may be beneficial, study finds

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Like any stage of labour, the delivery of the placenta may not pan out as expected.

What you need to know about the third stage of labour

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Natural pain relief in the early stages of labour

While managing labour pains on your own can be daunting, there are a number of natural pain relief options to help you cope until you are admitted to hospital.

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Delivery room surprises: when gender predictions are wrong

Out of all the questions asked of mums-to-be, 'Do you know what you're having?' would be right up there in popularity.

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Walking or being vertical can help with moving labour along.

When 'skin to skin' becomes a family affair

An adorable photo of a little boy and his dad enjoying skin to skin contact with newborn twins is melting hearts everywhere.

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Bed rest after waters broke: Rachel Dale with her baby, Micah.

What to do when a woman's waters break

A new study has challenged conventional thinking about when to induce babies.

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Doctor helps create the ultimate labour playlist

Spotify have teamed up with an obstetrician-gynecologist to create the perfect set for the birthing suite.

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Should you eat during labour?

Given that that you're going to be labouring for a while, often through times you'd be eating a meal – or at least a snack – is it necessary to eat?

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The Quinlan family in their Collingwood home.

Bond between mother and midwife key to a happy birth

Women who are cared for by the same midwife throughout their pregnancy are less likely to need intervention such a caesarian sections during labour and are less likely to report a traumatic birth, research has found.

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How the media can shape our decisions when it comes to labour

We all like to think that we make our choices in fair, reasoned and well-thought out ways. Not many of us would admit that we allowed the media to influence us in our life choices.

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Mark Harris, who has written a book about his career as a midwife.

Don't panic: A granddad midwife's guide for dads-to-be

Mark Harris has helped deliver 500 babies. And he's now telling fathers what to expect.

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Yuki Nishizawa had fun entertaining the nurses in labour.

Mum dances her way through labour

There are a fair few ways to distract yourself and beat pains while in labour, but it's probably a rare woman who chooses her dance her way through it.