If you are trying to conceive, you should already be taking folic acid - and continue to do so until the end of the 12th week of pregnancy.The current advice is to take a daily 400mcg supplement, to help protect your baby from neural tube defects such as spina bifida.Research als...

of energy,' he says. ‘Yet, here was this panic-stricken, hollow-eyed creature who couldn't even eat.' Why some women suffer while others don't is a subject of much medical debate. There's no conclusive research, though several contributing factors have now

Deciding how much maternity leave to take is hard, and given the current financial climate it’s tempting to take less than the statutory year. A recent survey of 10,000 British employers found that only 26 per cent intend to hire mothers this year

If you'd like to have a second baby but fear you won't love it as much as your darling first child, psychotherapist Lesley Steyn has some advice.'It's natural when you have a beloved first child to feel you could not possibly love another as much

processed adult foods, successful salt-reduction strategies can only be achieved with the co-operation of the food industry."Manufacturers have a responsibility to reduce the salt content of food products.""This process has already started in UK but much

You don’t need much to start with – just one or two spoonfuls of baby rice or fruit purée, along with his usual milk feeds. An early weaning routine might look like this: Weeks one & two : 1st feed: Breast/bottle2nd feed: Half breast/bottle & try 2

How much sleep does he need?Average number of hours sleep neededAgeDaytimeNight-time1 week88½4 week6¾8¾3 months5106 months4109 months2¾11½12 months2½11½2 years1½11¾3 years111

Newborns sleep for about 16 hours out of every 24, split into periods of 2-4 hours and divided equally between day and night.Most can distinguish night from day by 10 weeks. By the end of the third month, the frequency of daytime naps drops from about four to three and most babie...

on too much, too soon. Second trimester:Weight gain in the middle trimester (weeks 13-25) tends to be more marked. From about week 20 you'll put on around 1lb for each week of your pregnancy, but don't expect it necessarily to be steady: some women put

If you're pregnant with twins, you will certainly need to consume more calories than for a single pregnancy. But rather than aim for a certain intake per day, try and be guided by your appetite. The same rules on healthy eating apply no matter how many babies you are carrying. En...