Almost a third of women say their experience of childbirth is ‘traumatic’, and as many as 15,000 mums develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) following childbirth every year. If you found your baby’s birth difficult or shocking, you may have

of pregnancy and giving birth, but rest assured it is usually temporary problem.Post birth urinary stress incontinence is an involuntary leak of urine when you laugh, sneeze, cough or exercise and happens when the pelvic floor and vaginal muscles are stretched

The science bitWithin a week of your baby's birth, high levels of pregnancy hormones oestrogen and progesterone, which helped to sustain your healthy pregnancy, drop. With all this going on in your body, it's no wonder you find yourself euphoric one

There’s no denying that a vaginal birth will leave you sore and swollen. But the reality is unlikely to be as bad as you imagine, and the good news is there’s a lot you can do to help your body’s natural healing process.One way you can help prevent

Hair loss and rebellious skin are perfectly normal after giving birth, and are caused by pregnancy hormones settling down. The effects are only temporary, and there's still plenty you can do to give yourself a confidence boost:HAIRAround three

Your antenatal classes will have contained all sorts of helpful information about the birth and baby care. But the nitty gritty of what actually happens to you and your body post-labour often doesn't get the same attention. Here's what to expect

There’s no denying that a vaginal birth will leave you sore and swollen. But the reality is rarely as bad as you imagine, and the good news is there’s a lot you can do to help the healing process.BLEEDINGPost-birth bleeding, or lochia, normally

To accommodate your growing baby, your stomach muscles will have stretched by around 60cm during pregnancy. Whilst this will have gone down considerably by the time you’ve given birth, your muscles still have a lot of work to do to regain their tone

IRONIron is necessary for healthy blood, and iron deficiency can lead to anaemia, which can make you feel very tired and lethargic. Eat lots of iron-rich foods such as lean red meat, fortified bread and breakfast cereals, dried fruit, eggs, beans and pulses and green leafy veg, s...

It's normal to feel a bit down after the birth of your baby, particularly two to four days after the birth. Many women get a touch of the baby blues. Doctors suggest this may be brought on by sudden changes in hormone levels. You may feel very