Parenting Babies and Toddlers

We spoke to mothers to hear about their experiences of taking their breastfed babies to live gigs such as the theatre and concerts, including one who welcomes babies at shows of her own.

Most mothers start out breastfeeding their baby, but by the time babies are five months old, exclusive breastfeeding drops to 15 per cent. Valuing breastfeeding as work could help change that.

Parents of triplets and quadruplets say they're struggling to make ends meet, calling on the federal government to expand support for families of multiples.

Alex McKinnon made a choice not many men feel able to. He quit his job to stay home with his newborn and his wife. 

Having a baby with limb and facial difference can be scary for parents as they enter a world unknown to them. But Dave and Lana feel prepared to help their son thrive with his difference, because it's one the whole family shares.

When my daughter discovered a pink tea set abandoned at our local playground, it was the greatest treasure to have ever been unearthed. Was it hers for the taking? I wasn't so sure. 

Before having children, Jenna used to spend weekends — and weeknights — bingeing the latest shows. Not anymore.

Is perfume harmful to a baby's health or is it that we prefer to protect that newborn smell? The answer might surprise you.

The dinner table is a hotbed of parental tension. What’s important for one parent, might not faze the other. For my husband and I, it’s the food our kids eat.

You might not get much of a choice when it comes to which movie you watch this school holidays. But if you do get a vote — or are just going to see a kids movie by yourself (same) — we rated the watchability of the two big offerings this September hols.

I know I'm not alone in a desire to use my phone less when with my child, but I'm not here to make parents feel guilty either.

There's been an increase in home births in recent years but they're not accessible to all, and they're not considered suitable for every pregnancy.

Only two years will separate my kids, but having my second child out of COVID-19 restrictions has made the whole experience completely different.

When I saw a young mum crying in a cafe, I wanted to tell her that I know how she feels and, more importantly, that she will be OK. But I didn't. And I'm sorry.

The parents in my peer groups, and the parenting content I consume online, led me to believe most of us were trying to be more patient and understanding with our children. But maybe that's just the algorithm talking?

When experts say "playing" with food, they don't necessarily mean letting kids throw spaghetti onto the ceiling.

Growing up with Western messaging around what "normal" families looked like, I assumed kids were supposed to sleep in their own room once past infancy. But that soon changed once I became a mum.

Currently, only one Australian state has public Mother-Baby Units in its regional areas. This mum says Australia needs to do more to support perinatal mental health.

Returning to work is a constant sensation of being compressed by all the expectations and newness. Kind of exactly how I felt as the mother of a newborn. 

Anu Goel's first language is Punjabi, her husband's is Hindi and their son now speaks both, as well as English. Experts say growing up with multiple languages brings plenty of benefits later in life.

I'm pro safe spaces online and weekly catch-ups at the park where new mums can connect. But they have their limitations.

Most parents don't have to leave their baby behind when they go home from the hospital.

While breasts continue to be viewed primarily as sexual objects, there will always be challenges for women to embrace feeding in public — especially when it's with their toddler. 

Tucked in between the towering trees and beautiful beaches of WA's southern coast, the small town of Denmark has teamed up with eco-conscious resident Carolyn Oliff to bring free cloth nappies to each new baby born in town.

Having a baby is expensive. Here are tips from two parents on what to buy second-hand.