Parenting - Pregnancy - Irish Examiner

Baby shower or nesting party? The support mums really want before their baby's birth

Baby shower or nesting party? We ask four mums about the kind of support they would have liked in the run-up to their baby's birth and during the exhausting early weeks after the arrival

Sun, 11 May, 2025

Pregnant woman suffering with nausea in morning

Low iron in pregnancy linked to newborn heart disease in 'gamechanger' discovery

Experts will now investigate whether taking iron supplements before and during pregnancy could help prevent heart defects

Wed, 23 Apr, 2025

Mom giving nebulizer breathing treatment to sick infant baby at home

HSE urges pregnant women to get whooping cough vaccine

There were over 539 cases of whooping cough — also known as pertussis — last year, with 25% needing hospital care.

Tue, 25 Mar, 2025

Cute newborn baby boy just after childbirth and doctor in the background

Call for obstetric violence problem in Irish hospitals to be acknowledged

At Monday’s launch of the National Survey on Births in Ireland the health service will be asked to acknowledge the problem exists

Sat, 08 Mar, 2025

Tots to Teens: Bringing colour to a grey world in Stockingopolis

And a gift set to make it a bit easier going back to work while breastfeeding

Tue, 04 Mar, 2025

Tots to Teens: Brew up for children’s ambulance

Brew for BUMBLEance takes place on Wednesday, March 12, and people across the country are invited to host coffee mornings, tea parties, and bake sales to raise money for this essential service.

Tue, 18 Feb, 2025

Just over half of patients 'fully involved' in decisions about giving birth

Almost half surveyed did not realise consent was needed before medics could carry out internal examinations

Sun, 16 Feb, 2025

Young mother, reading a book to her baby boy, showing him pictures

Dan Wuori: Relationships between parents and babies is the greatest love story of all

Newborns are expert, super keen observers of adult lives. It’s like they’re on apprenticeship. They’re watching our faces, assessing our mood and gauging whether they’re safe

Tue, 11 Feb, 2025

Infertility is a very lonely journey, say parents Lucy and David — who had a baby girl after IVF

And there are worries when you conceive after pregnancy loss also: “Every week that passed, I remember looking up the likelihood of a baby surviving at 24 weeks, 25 weeks, 26 weeks. It was my weekly routine."

Tue, 14 Jan, 2025

Dr Phil Kieran: What can I give my kids for an upset tummy?

As a parent of young children, this time of year can be a nightmare for limiting sugary foods

Tue, 24 Dec, 2024

Pregnant woman holding blanket, feeling abdominal pain, risk of miscarriage

Pregnant women facing 'horrifying' abuse often 'too ashamed to seek help'

Emerged from a survey carried out as part of a three-year collaboration between Women’s Aid and four hospitals in Cork and Dublin to boost supports

Thu, 07 Nov, 2024

Vitamin D supplements in pregnancy shown to improve bone density in childhood

Vitamin D regulates the amount of calcium and phosphate in the body — minerals essential for bones, teeth and muscle health

Wed, 06 Nov, 2024

Limerick maternity hospital eases visitor restrictions

Tight rules had been in place since the pandemic

Thu, 31 Oct, 2024

Four year old girl having fun outdoors, picking up flowers in nature

Tots to Teens: Getting a sense of the arts

Plus: natural help with eczema; VOYA's Mama Care baby oil; circus workshops for kids

Tue, 03 Sep, 2024

Water births no riskier than births out of water — study finds

The team examined the number of babies who needed antibiotics or help breathing and the rate of severe tears suffered by women

Tue, 11 Jun, 2024

Young happy couple is enjoying and preparing healthy meal in their kitchen together

The impact of diet on IVF and more: How to eat to boost your fertility

A diet rich in micro-nutrients helps support the reproductive systems of women and men planning to have a baby

Tue, 04 Jun, 2024

Fertility challenges — the ones you might anticipate and some you might not

Jemma Henry did specialist training, becoming a certified fertility and prenatal dietician. She wanted to use her skills and knowledge to help others going through IVF and other fertility treatments

Sun, 25 Feb, 2024

Hyperemesis: 'I couldn't move without vomiting. I couldn't sit up or go to the bathroom'

Non-stop nausea and vomiting while pregnant — some women have a genetic predisposition to this severe form of 'morning sickness'

Wed, 24 Jan, 2024

Joanna Fortune: How can I explain morning sickness to my toddler?

'My three-year-old son gets upset every time I have to run to the bathroom or need to lie down'

Wed, 17 Jan, 2024

Working Life: I go out at 6am... I tiptoe in around 10pm, when my boys are asleep

Esther Groarke Powell, clinical midwife manager, Emergency Room, The National Maternity Hospital, Holles Street, Dublin

Fri, 22 Dec, 2023

Study finds why morning sickness is more severe for some pregnant women

It is hoped the discovery could help treat severe cases of the condition, which is known as hyperemesis gravidarum

Wed, 13 Dec, 2023

Majority of pregnant women are not getting essential vitamins, according to study

Researchers found that more than 90% of the group had marginal or low concentrations of one or more of the vitamins

Tue, 05 Dec, 2023

Tots to Teens: Schoolkids get to grow a food business

Plus: parenting podcasts, inclusive kids' reading, and a traditional Irish Christmas experience

Tue, 05 Dec, 2023

Delayed cord clamping could reduce risk of premature infant death by 66%

Research included data from trials at Cork University Maternity Hospital

Mon, 20 Nov, 2023

88% of midwives in Irish hospitals say units are understaffed most of the time

INMO says there are currently over 800 midwifery vacancies

Thu, 16 Nov, 2023

PARENTING - PREGNANCY

Aoife Hearne: Eight weeks pregnant and nauseous most of the time

HSE homebirth service audit finds no agreed national standard for travel time, says advocacy group

Ectopic pregnancy: 'I was doubled over with pain, but I was also so angry at the situation'

Mother opens up about perinatal OCD: ‘I thought I was going to hurt myself — I didn’t want to’

Tots to Teens: Inspiring a lifelong love of food and cooking in primary school children

Cork students campaign to break stigma around miscarriage and infertility in schools