CathyMum's Blog

Nearly one in five parents say a school league table has influenced where they chose to live. New research has found almost one-quarter of UK parents with school children would be prepared to pay 2-10% more for a new home in the catchment area of a good state school. And while the link between high house prices and good school catchment areas is already know, this study found parents are making...

Lives are being put at risk as half of maternity wards turn women in labour away because they are so busy. A report by the Royal College of Midwives say units are “bursting at the seams” and unable to cope with soaring demand. Britain’s birth rate is at an all-time high and midwives say there has also been an increase in complicated births because more mothers are older or obese. Despite the...

75% of mothers who are married or cohabiting are now working – the highest proportion since records began. Official figures from the Office for National Statistics highlight the effect of current financial pressures on families. Experts have blamed government policies, which they say make it harder for this generation of parents to raise their children. Changes to child benefit, increases in VAT...

Have you heard of the latest birthing trend? A ‘lotus birth’ involves leaving the placenta attached to the baby until it falls off naturally and this practice has attracted a growing number of converts. While advocates of the method believe it has physical and emotional benefits for the newborn, obstetricians have expressed their concerns, warning that it could lead to infection and even death...

Caffeine could be preventing your child’s brain from developing properly. Swiss scientists say caffeine present in fizzy drinks and coffee are preventing adolescents from falling into a deep sleep – an incredibly important time for brain development. With teens’ caffeine consumption rising 70% in just 30 years, there are worries about the effects of caffeinated drinks on teens, with problems...

A New York hospital has decided to put antenatal classes online for expectant mothers. The move to create online tutorials came after the hospital noticed a drop in the number of women turning up to classes. A US parenting charity says the online tutorials will put parents at a disadvantage, while the hospital believes it will open up important information to more mothers-to-be. What do you think...

Ever wonder why you have an urge to gobble up any baby you come across? Scientists have discovered that the smell of a baby actually excites women in the same way an addict is excited by drugs. Newborns give off a chemical that triggers the same reward circuits in a woman’s brain that are triggered when she’s eating something nice. It’s nature’s way of forming a bond between mother and...

American chat show host Jimmy Kimmel sent his team out onto the streets to ask kids to reveal the worst thing they've heard their mums say. Here's what happened...

A British MP for Dagenham & Rainham has suggested that parents should lose their child benefit if they refuse to give their child the MMR vaccine. The measure, which is already in place in Australia, was suggested by Labour MP Jon Cruddas in response to figures that show uptake of the vaccine has dropped to dangerously low levels in some areas. Earlier this year, more than 1,000 people caught...

A British mother is criticising a taxi driver for charging her a cleaning fee after she gave birth in his cab. Jenny Larkin started giving birth when the driver arrived at the maternity unit and midwives were forced to deliver the baby in the front of his car. The driver presented her with a valet bill for £40 two days later, which Miss Larkin says is unfair as they paid the £16 fare and the...