.The other cause of bleeding in late pregnancy is placental abruption, where the placenta separates from the wall of the womb. 'It's often accompanied by pain,' says Sharon. 'It's rare but needs attention - if a lot of the placenta separates, it will stop

is the first study to show that mothers can improve their child's bone development early on by consuming a good diet in the late stages of their pregnancy,' says Dr Zoe Cole, study author from the University of Southampton. 'We reach our peak bone mass around

GP DR ROB SAYS:Castor oil is a powerful laxative and is reported to have been used by midwives for many years to induce labour. It's not clear how exactly it may achieve this, but some suggest that when stimulating the gut it also stimulates the womb causing contractions. The con...

the first 12 weeks of pregnancy (an early miscarriage), it's often due to a one-off genetic problem that stops the baby from developing. A late miscarriage - between 14 and 24 weeks - could also be due to infection or problems with the shape of the uterus

Midwife Nikki Khan says...It sounds like your baby is lying in an awkward position. Your tummy will be changing shape as your baby settles into your pelvis ready for birth. A common concern is that this discomfort is due to labour pains, but they wouldn't subside after you'd just...

during induction to make the womb contract). It's safe to have sex in late pregnancy provided you do not suffer from placenta praevia or vaginal bleeding.Bring on labour

taking the morning-after pill, however, can slightly increase your chances of an ectopic pregnancy, so if your period is late or you experience pain, seek medical help as soon as possible.

that only women needed to worry about their ticking biological clock, but experts have advised that would-be fathers should not leave having children too late.

(NTDs) such as spina bifida.But as half of pregnancies in the UK are unplanned, many women don't take supplements or take them too late. NTDs affect up to 1,200 pregnancies a year in the UK according to the Association for Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus

MIDWIFE NIKKI SAYS: A large study in 2004 in Denmark showed that pregnant women who regularly work nights have an increased risk of late miscarriage or stillbirth, although other factors such as age, smoking habits and the physical demands