Throughout both of my pregnancies, my antenatal and postnatal care was shared between my GP and the local midwife team. For me, this shared care worked incredibly well and I always felt very well looked after (my GP even paid me a home visit after both of my children were born).

 So I was heartened to read about the new report published by the King's Fund which suggests that GPs should and would like to be more involved in caring for their pregnant patients 

 Thirty years ago it was commonplace for GPs to have a very involved role in antenatal care - with some doctors delivering babies themselves! However the professionalisation of midwifery and hospital maternity services has seen this role all but disappear.

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It's not often that a 'celebrity' gets my back up to the point of having to vent my fury in a blog, but in this case, model Gisele can't go unpunished!

Ever since having a baby seven months ago, Gisele has taken it upon herself in a series of gushing interviews to act as an authority on all things maternal.

Firstly, according to Gisele, giving birth doesn't hurt. In fact, after giving birth at home she got up and made pancakes. Of course! Because that was at the forefront of my mind straight after giving birth.

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I know that when I was pregnant, I paid little attention to what shoes I wore. To be honest, if I could actually squeeze them on or put them on without having to bend over, then that worked for me!

However The Society of Chiropodists and Podiatrists are warning that some pregnant women may be risking the health of their feet in the name of fashion.

The weight gain and hormonal changes that occur during pregnancy have a huge impact on the body. The softening and stretching of muscles and ligaments can mean the wrong type of footwear can put extra strain on the feet and ankles.

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Despite having unprecedented access to information regarding pregnancy, birth and parenting a recent study has revealed that mums-to-be still think their own mothers know better than the medical profession.

A University of London research team spoke to women who gave birth in the 1970s, 1980s and the 2000s. What they found was although modern women were more likely to take a mixture of advice, they were still more likely to follow family wisdom.

Professor Paula Nicolson from Royal Holloway, University of London, who led the study, said: "When it comes to the crunch - if women feel sick for example - they will take their mother's or their grandmother's advice.

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Being married myself to a Scot, I am very much aware of how proud they are of their heritage.

However, I would have had to draw the line at  driving 500 miles to give birth in order for said child to be born in Scotland.

But for Leanne McDermaid of Aldershot in Hampshire, driving 500 miles to Arbroath in Angus was part and parcel of being married to a proud scot.

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Although it might seem like good advice at the time, for one Berkshire woman being told to "keep your legs crossed" was an exercise in futility.

 Charlotte Duly, from Newbury was on the M4 with her husband, travelling to hospital when their son, Ignatius, was born.

Mrs Duly said: "As soon as we got on the M4 I thought actually this might be it, then my husband  didn't believe me and just carried on driving.

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A new study by researchers at University College London (UCL) claims that premature babies are more sensitive to pain than their full-term counterparts.

The researchers believe that invasive tests such as tube feeding, blood tests and injections are a key cause of this apparent sensitisation. They are now calling for better pain management for premature babies in intensive care.

This latest research, which is due to be published in the journal NeuroImage, supports previous research that reported increased pain sensitivity in older children who were born prematurely.

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British buggy manufacturer Maclaren has agreed to compensate over 40 children who suffered fingertip injuries in the hinge mechanism of some models of collapsible buggies.

Maclaren said the compensation was "not an admission of liability" and it took children's safety "very seriously".

 Now lawyers representing the children will meet with Maclaren to decide how much they will be awarded

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John Lewis have teamed up with Philips AVENT to host a Feeding Awareness Week from 2-8 May.

 The aim is to give parents and parents-to-be practical advice on one of the biggest parts of early parenting. Throughout the week, stores will run product demonstrations, competitions and expert advice.

For more information please click here.

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Although many women experience a degree of morning sickness during  pregnancy, an unlucky few will suffer from excessive vomiting (or hyperemesis gravidarum) which can require hospital treatment.

Now Norwegian researchers, from a study of 2.3 million births, have identified that pregnant women are three times more likely to suffer from the condition if their mothers did.

Hyperemesis can be extremely debilitating and is the most common cause of admission to hospital in early pregnancy.

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One of the UKs most respected parenting experts has claimed that leaving babies to cry can lead to problems in later life.

Dr Penelope Leach, author of the popular 70's parenting manual Your Baby And Child: From Birth To Age Five, said: 'It is not an opinion but a fact that it's potentially damaging to leave babies to cry. Now we know that, why risk it?'

Speaking to The Independent, Dr Leach was quick to dimiss the current trend for 'controlled crying', stating that babies did not have the mental maturity to known when it is the right time to go to sleep.

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As the mother of a winter baby, who also happens to have a serve food allergy, I was interested to read about a recent American study which claimes babies born in autumn and winter appear to be more prone to food allergies.

US researchers from the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston believe the trend may be explained by a lack of vitamin D or the 'sunshine vitamin. Experts have long believed that the vitamin D gained from natural sun exposure is needed for the healthy development of a child's immune system.

Dr Milo Vassallo, lead author of the study and a physician at Massachusetts General Hospital, said: "Vitamin D helps the body fight infection and suppresses its allergy cells.

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It must be 'bash a breastsfeeding mum' month or something, as yet another woman is publicly humiliated.

Anisa Baker was in a charity shop changing room in South East London when her baby began to cry. Realising her baby was probably hungry she decided to take a few minutes to breastfeed, seeing as she was already somewhere quite private and discreet. 

What she didn't expect was to see the shop manager looking through the side of the curtain and then declaring loudly "changing rooms aren't for breastfeeding".  

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For many women, myself included, maternity leave is something to look forward to and enjoy.

However for some women, getting back to work as soon as possible is the order of the day.  Of course for many women this will be a case of necessity rather than absolute choice but for a small minority taking maternity leave is seen as a sign of weakness....

Er, hello?? Even putting aside the fact that physically you will probably feel like you've been hit by a bus (repeatedly) what about spending some time with your gorgeous new bubba?

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Scientists now believe that there is no such thing as 'baby brain'.  Boooooooooooo to the white coat brigade! I know that when I was pregnant, my short term memory was, well a distant memory!

But if Australian researchers are correct, then pregnant women will need to find something else to blame their forgetfulness on. 

The study, which compared the memory function of 1,241 women both before and after having babies, concluded that neither pregnancy nor motherhood, addled a woman's brain.

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As an ex-smoker myself I know how hard it can be to give up.

However I believe that being pregnant is perhaps the biggest incentive there is to ditch the cigs.

We all know that smoking whilst pregnant can put your baby at greater risk of being born prematurely, being of low birth weight and being more at risk of Sudden Infant Death (maternal smoking remains one of the biggest risk factors for cot death).

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Although the majority of midwives will encourage you to eat and drink in the early stages of labour whilst you are home, when you get to the hopsital you may find that you are entering a 'nil by mouth' zone.

 Indeed a very good friend of mine had her husband sneak her mini cheddars when her midwife wasn't looking!

Eating and drinking during labour was (and sometimes still is) considered a no-no due to concerns about choking or regurgitating food that might cause fatal damage to the lungs.

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With UK birth rates rising, a new report has expressed concerns that many areas of the country are facing midwife shortages.

The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) have called on local health authorities to act promptly on its findings.

 The report has cited the rising number of births, plus the added strain of complex births, including substance abuse and obesity as putting an additional strain on exisitng midwifery services.

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A study is underway by psychologists  at Durham University, who are trying to gain a better understanding of how the brain develops.

It is hoped that this research could provide a greater insight into conditions such as autism.

Children aged up to 2 are needed to take part in the research and all the tests will be harmless and non-invasive (and of course, mum or dad can be present too!).

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Is Lib Dem Leader Nick Clegg becoming politics answer to Prince Phillip?

If his recent attack on Gina Ford is anything to go by, then he may be punching well above his weight.

Love her or loathe her, best selling baby author Gina Ford is not one to shy away from a fight. Back in 2006 she launched a libel case against Mumsnet, after some of their users posted less than flattering comments about her. The case was settled out of court, however her fierce reputation lives on.

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