If it was April 1st we wouldn't have taken this news seriously for a minute! But - Sheffield's Hallam University have invested in a 'robot' to simulate various different birth experiences to better train student midwives before they get real

, new mums in London can now have good old-fashioned midwifery advice on call. Fertility and pregnancy expert Zita West, herself a trained midwife, has launched a private Home Midwifery Service, which enables you to access advice on all aspects of new

,000 expectant mums last year paid up to £500 each for doulas - who have no specific medical training - to give them one-to-one support through an NHS birth.Read more...92% of women happy with their NHS maternity care, research revealsNHS launches maternity

and reduce the pressure on over-stretched maternity wards.The intention would to enable pregnant women to have free hypnobirth training on the NHS. However, critics are concerned that leaving mums to cope with labour and birth on their own may put them

her own atmosphere for the labour, as well as helping her cope physically and mentally. If you're interested in using aromatherapy then do check what the hospital or birthing centre policy is - there may even be trained aromatherapists available

medical procedure: it needs to be carried out safely by trained staff, because collection is not without risk to the mother and baby,” said Dr Shaun Griffin from the HTA.“It is essential that midwives are able to concentrate on the birth and are not put

Women may soon be given control of their own epidurals during labour.

Currently in the UK, 40% of women giving birth opt for an epidural as a form of pain relief. For the majority, a steady flow of anaesthetic is delivered directly into the spine

you may have visited a trained massage therapist for pain relief and relaxation. Sadly, trained massage therapists aren't that readily available to assist you during labour and birth, but there's no reason why your birth partner can't roll up his

for what is right for you. If you've heard about waterbirth and would like to find out more about it then here is a good place to start.A water birth is no longer the preserve of a minority - most hospital labour wards will have at least some water birth

impending labour, it suddenly occurs to you that the things you think you know are as follows:that the birth will happen on almost any date other than the one you have been given that the duration of your labour will be indeterminate, but prolonged