Labour and delivery

Induction Overload

Why have Canadian induction rates climbed so dramatically? And is it a problem?

The Too-soon Baby

Facing the challenge of premature birth

Doulas & Dads

Does professional labour support diminish the father's role? Many couples find it's just the opposite

Old Wives' Tales for Inducing Labour

Are you past your due date and looking for natural ways to jump-start labour? We explore nine old-fashioned strategies for coaxing baby into the world

The Secret to an Easier Labour

How to use movement to help your labour along

Breech Baby

What are your options when your baby is bottom-down?

Both Sides Now

Epidural or not? Women share their stories

Labour Day Primer: Your Guide to Giving Birth

When facing labour, there are many unknowns. Here's a crash course of tips and ideas to make your baby's birth a positive experience

Do Epidurals Have Side Effects?

The research has been murky — even contradictory. Teresa Pitman gets to the bottom of the question

Is It Selfish to Want a Good Birth Experience?

The desire for a good experience has inspired childbirth reform and made birth more humane, more social and more inclusive of families

Tips From a Labour Nurse

What you can do to have the best possible birth

Caesarean Birth

It could happen to you. And if it does, you'll be glad you read up on what to expect

Building a Dream Team

Positive communication with your caregiver

You Need a Friend

Emotional support during labour

And Then There Were Three

The Goldsteins teamed up with a surrogate to carry their twins. Then they got pregnant

Positions for Labour

During labour, experiment with these positions to find where your body feels and works the best

Childbirth Fast Forward

The average length of pregnancy is dropping largely due to induction and Caesarian section

Aboriginal Midwifery

Culturally sensitive care for Aboriginal women

Hard Labour: Difficult Births

It takes more than a few stitches to help some mothers heal after a difficult birth

Childbirth Fears

We have prenatal classes, epidurals and The Birth Channel — but giving birth is still a mysterious, powerful and often painful experience. It’s normal for expectant parents to have some fears. So how do you manage them?

Cord Blood Banking

What are the benefits of banking your baby's cord blood?

Is the Increased C-section Rate Women's Fault?

What's driving the trend to surgical birth

Tattoos and Epidurals

“Is it true that anesthesiologists won’t administer an epidural if the needle has to pass through a tattoo, or is this just an urban myth?”

Coach's Corner: Support During Labour

Do women need to be “coached” to push their babies out during the second stage of labour?

A Cut... Above?

Episiotomy in Canada and the world

L - o - o - n - g Labour Survival Guide

Maybe nothing can really prepare you for a labour that becomes a marathon, but extra support and a stockpile of coping techniques can help

Strategies for an Easier Labour

Can you boost your odds for a better birth?

On the Ball

What you can do with a birthing ball

Lean on Me

How to be a great labour partner

Is Normal Birth at Risk?

With C-section rates at an all-time high and the list of contraindications for vaginal birth growing, critics worry we’re headed back to the bad old days of birth as a medical procedure. What does it mean to you, the pregnant woman?