What if I have a chronic health condition?

Asthma. This is the most common respiratory problem in mothers-to-be and is usually controlled by inhalation of bronchodilator drugs and inhaled steroids. There seems to be little risk to the growing fetus from the medication although thrush, a condition often … Read More

What determines my baby’s sex?

As a woman’s eggs each contain a single X sex chromosome, it’s your partner who will determine the sex of your baby, as his sperm contain either an X or a Y sex chromosome. If your egg is fertilized by … Read More

Male fertility facts

Sperm production continues throughout a man’s fertile life and although numbers and quality of sperm diminish from the age of 40, men in their nineties have fathered children. The process of sperm production within a man’s testes is known as … Read More

Is genetic counselling necessary?

Genetic disorders include Down’s syndrome, familial hypercholesterolaemia, cystic fibrosis, sickle-cell anaemia, thallasaemia, Tay-Sachs disease, haemophilia and Duchenne muscular dystrophy. If either you or your partner have a history of genetic disease in your extended family then you should seek counselling. … Read More

How does the ovarian cycle work?

When an egg is released from an ovary it is caught in the fimbriae, enters the fallopian tube and is carried slowly along by contractions of the tube and by the rhythmic waving of tiny hair-like projections in its lining … Read More

How do twins happen?

Each has its own placenta within the uterus. Identical twins come from a single egg, fertilized by a single sperm. The egg divides into two and each develops independently into a genetically identical twin sharing a single placenta.Other multiple pregnancies … Read More

Female fertility facts

The fertility of both men and women reaches its peak at about the age of 24 and then begins to wane. A woman’s entire stock of eggs, or ova, are formed in her two ovaries while she is still in … Read More

What will my new baby look like?

Your baby will probably be a bluish-white colour at first and may be covered with the greasy fluid vernix caseosa, which protected her skin while it was immersed in the amniotic sac. She will have streaks of blood on her … Read More

Will I be able to hold my baby straightaway?

Gentle stroking movements and the sound of your heartbeat and voice will reassure your baby. Her eyes will be able to focus on your face at a distance of 20-25cm (8-10 inches). Research has shown that you can bond with … Read More