21 December 2008
Here’s some good news for pregnant women’s finances – the new Health in Pregnancy Grant (HiPG) is on its way. From April 2009, almost every pregnant woman in the UK will be eligible for the HiPG. This one-off payment of £190 will be available from the 25th week of pregnancy. It’s meant to support the health and well-being of women in later pregnancy, and to help them meet costs in the run up to birth.

3 November 2008
A free new DVD has been launched today by Best Beginnings, a child health charity, and the Department of Health. Entitled ‘From Bump to Breastfeeding,’ the DVD provides practical breastfeeding support and information. It’s available from midwives and health visitors nationwide, and can also be watched online.

17 October 2008
Enfield, Barnet, Brent and Harrow had some of the lowest home birth rates in greater London last year, according to the Office for National Statistics – all had rates lower than 1.2%. At the other end of the scale, Southwark, Lewisham and Havering scored rates between 4.4 – 6.2%. If women had true choice in where they gave birth, the Royal College of Midwives and the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists believe the home birth rate would be closer to 10%.

3 September 2008
A study at Yale University indicates that women who give birth naturally have an easier time bonding with their newborns than women who give birth by caesarean – possibly due to increased oxytocin levels in natural birth. Skin-to-skin contact as soon as possible after the birth can help improve bonding.

10 July 2008
The Healthcare Commission has published a new review of NHS maternity services in England: Towards Better Births. The Commission interviewed 26,000 mothers and 5,000 maternity staff, and focuses on the whole childbearing experience, from early pregnancy through to postnatal care.