In a society obsessed with celebrity the media has turned its attention to motherhood or the Yummy Mummy. Freelance writer Lincia Daniel examines the pressures now placed on women by this focus on impossible glamour and makes a plea for valuing parenthood and the family in a real context.

Portable fetal monitors have become widely available to purchase over the internet and are proving popular but they cannot provide reassurance because their use in inexperienced hands can lead to tragedy.

Kim Clijsters took two years off from playing tennis after childbirth before returning to win the US Open and proving that women can still compete with the best after pregnancy and motherhood.

Lincia Daniel takes a look at the news on midwifery worldwide and offers an overview of initiatives to draw attention to current issues and promote maternal and infant health across the globe.

The number of births in Japan has recently declined because of a sharp drop in women in their twenties giving birth and an unstable global economy, as well as a reduced number of women of childbearing age.