Group B Streptococcus is a bacteria which can be found in our bodies, most commonly in the vagina and rectum. To us it is completely harmless however it can cause problems for a baby during a vaginal delivery.
Most women will have Group B Strep bacteria present in their bodies at one time or another and around 25% of pregnant women in the UK have it. It can dissappear before labour but if still present at the point of labour and delivery and not properly managed it can lead to early …

It is easy to be a mum to be. You might have to push a small human out of a dramatically smaller exit accompanied by agonising pain and blood at least you know what to expect. Having obsessed about the birth, read about the birth, had one to one attention from your midwife and heard stories and advice from every woman you know there is little left that is a mystery. All you need to do now is let your body and nature lead the way.
Dads have it tough. They know …

Every mum and dad to be will fleetingly worry about the possibility of not making it to the hospital on time and having to deliver their own baby. In reality the vast majority of labours take a long time and give a lot of warning signs so this rarely happens however it is useful for all parents to be and birth partners to know what to do. Not only so they can cope in the case of an emergency but also to slightly dispel their fears.
So here are the steps …

When a baby is first born doctors assess how healthy they are to see if they need any help. They do this by giving them an APGAR score.
APGAR is an acronym for Activity, Pulse, Grimace, Appearance and Respiration. Each of these is assessed immediately after your baby is born. The test was invented in 1952 by anesthesiologist Virginia Apgar.
 
Scores are given between 0 and 2 with the healthiest babies getting a total of 10 (5 x 2).
The scoring is as follows;
Activity: This is testing the movement and muscle tone with a …

Giving birth is easy right? Just pop that baby out and get on with it. A C-Section? Even easier - no pushing or pain just a quick cut and hello baby!
Not so. Any form of giving birth can be incredibly traumatic to your body and, just like any traumatic physical event or injury, it takes time to recover. With child birth there is the added stress to your body that you do not get to just lie there and relax but suddenly have a little human to look after too.
With …

Pre-labour means that a woman is in labour but not yet in established labour.
This stage of labour can last a very short time or a frustratingly long time with multiple stops and starts. If you have rushed to hospital and been examined it is not uncommon to be sent home again at this point as it could still be a long time before established labour sets in.
You will be less than 3cm dilated and may be having irregular or regular contractions but the contractions wil be more than five minutes apart, …