Pregnancy and Childbirth

Women in Nepal are four times more likely to die during labour than those in Australia. But a doctor's determination to build a new hospital may help bring change.

Exercise is encouraged during pregnancy — but it's not always easy for expecting parents to know what to do in the prenatal period.

The statistic has prompted Queensland Health Minister Shannon Fentiman to order an in-depth clinical review into the problem.

163 mothers have been forced to travel out of town since birthing services were suspended in Carnarvon in February last year.

Often feeling scared and alone, women are making a 950-kilometre round trip from Carnarvon to give birth at the nearest hospital.

There is growing evidence that extreme weather events are linked to premature births and abnormal birth weights. As the climate warms, experts say we must do more to protect women and babies.

China abandoned its one-child policy in 2016. In 2021 the country introduced a three-child policy, backed by tax and other incentives. But births are continuing to fall and the trend is accelerating, writes Xiujian Peng.

Katie Craig's son was born prematurely just three weeks before the Biloela maternity service went on bypass. She would like another baby, but finds the thought of being without a service nearby terrifying.

The Pope's recent pronouncement against surrogacy has sparked heated global debate about the controversial issue. In Australia, surrogacy is complex: deplored by some but embraced by others whose lives have been transformed by remarkable acts of generosity and love.

Stephen and Mitch Page say they wouldn't know the joy of fatherhood without it, but this week, Pope Francis called for a worldwide ban on surrogacy, saying the practice violates the dignity of women. So what do surrogacy experts say?

A mother in her 20s is understood to have avoided contact with medical services throughout her pregnancy, but sought hospital assistance on the day of her baby's birth.

The number of women freezing their eggs has grown, but the number of eggs actually being used is less than 13 per cent, prompting calls for donation rules to be eased.

A 62-year-old woman is given permission to have sperm extracted from her dead husband to conceive a baby, after the couple lost their two adult children in separate accidents.

The culmination of birth control content on social media gives the distinct impression that young women today are well and truly fed up with the pill. In Australia, however, the research suggests a different reality.

Doctors and residents say women in Gaza are giving birth in horrific and dangerous conditions, with mothers and their babies dying after childbirth due to a lack of medical supplies. WARNING: This story contains distressing content.

Kelsey Hatcher gives birth to two babies on separate days in what her obstetrician describes as "a true medical surprise".

Demand is growing for the publicly-funded home-birthing program as more families choose to welcome their babies away from the hospital. 

A publicly-funded home-birthing scheme in Canberra has now successfully delivered more than 100 babies, and is set to expand.

Kirsty Bryant underwent groundbreaking surgery to receive the organ from a donor in January, giving new hope for women.

Christmas has arrived early for Kirsty Bryant, who has given birth to Henry — a healthy baby boy who grew within a uterus donated by her mother.

On top of already painful symptoms, many women with endometriosis from multicultural backgrounds face cultural pressures to start a family after marriage.

Mothers have cried while telling a NSW inquiry into birth trauma of being ignored and mistreated by hospital staff.

Expectant Victor Harbor mothers have been told they will need to contact another hospital an hour's drive away, with further concerns for presenting emergency department patients over the busy Christmas period.

The temporary block was instated at the request of the state's attorney general, in what is a major test case since the US Supreme Court overturned the nationwide constitutional right to abortion last year.

A Texas judge rules that a woman with a complicated, likely non-viable pregnancy can get an abortion.