I Sang Through Labor to Manage the Pain

Turns out, women have been singing, chanting and humming through childbirth for centuries. But can it actually provide relief?

Does Stress Actually Affect Fertility? (Published 2020)

The key to conception is to ‘relax,’ some say, but the evidence isn’t quite so tidy.

Racial Inequities Persist in Health Care Despite Expanded Insurance

A series of studies in an influential medical journal takes a close look at longstanding gaps in medical care.

Surgeons at Greater Risk of Pregnancy Loss, Study Finds

The demands of the profession appear to clash with the process of starting a family. “There’s a health risk in it.”

Citizens, Not the State, Will Enforce New Abortion Law in Texas

The measure bans abortions after about six weeks of pregnancy. And it effectively deputizes ordinary citizens to sue people involved in the process.

Ilana Glazer on the Terror of the Modern Birth System and ‘False Positive’

The “Broad City” co-creator starred in and co-wrote a horror film about pregnancy. It’s being released just as she is becoming a mother.

Opinion | We Were Promised a Village: A Year in the Life of Pandemic-Baby Parents

Readers share life lessons from an extraordinary year.

Opinion | Why the Supreme Court Should Reset the Terms of the Abortion Debate

The viability standard has governed the conversation for decades. It’s time for a new conversation.

Opinion | I Did I.V.F. Without a Partner. It Shouldn’t Have Been So Hard.

Why Aziz Ansari based a plot in ‘Master of None’ on my journey to become a single mother.

The Health Benefits of Coffee

Drinking coffee has been linked to a reduced risk of all kinds of ailments, including Parkinson’s disease, melanoma, prostate cancer, even suicide.

What Weird Games Lurk on Your Kid’s Tablet?

Huge Kid Cesarean Birth in Hospital? Toddler Foot Doctor?

Why Some Orthodox Jewish Women Won’t Get Vaccinated

Unsubstantiated rumors about the coronavirus vaccine and fertility have dissuaded some young women in New York’s Orthodox Jewish communities from getting the vaccine.

Menstrual Cups in Museums? It’s Time.

Objects designed for birth, fertility and parenthood have long been neglected by institutions. A new book and exhibition series aims to change that.

The Truth About Pregnancy Over 40 (Published 2020)

More than 100,000 Americans give birth in their 40s each year, but what does that mean for the health of their pregnancies and their babies?

Clinics Close, but Abortion Continues

Even as abortion is restricted, telemedicine allows some women to end unwanted pregnancies using legal medications.

Opinion | The Sound of Silence on Abortion

Sport leagues and corporations rally against bias and voter suppression. But they are quiet about abortion. 

Have Three Children? No Way, Many Chinese Say.

Intense workplace competition, inadequate child care and widespread job discrimination against pregnant women have made childbearing an unappealing prospect for many.

For China’s Single Mothers, a Road to Recognition Paved With False Starts

Unmarried mothers are often denied government benefits. A debate over the policy is being propelled by a declining birthrate and a new generation of independent Chinese women.

Modern Love Podcast: Meet Cute at Zero Years Old

These two stories will make you audibly gasp.

Opinion | Just How Far Will Republican Attacks on Institutions Go?

For the G.O.P., overturning Roe v. Wade is a live possibility. Taking Jan. 6 seriously is not.