The questions women ask us every day

Every baby has their own rhythm. Some are busiest after you eat, others just when you finally lie down at night. By around 28 weeks you will usually begin to recognise your baby's pattern, and that pattern is what we want you to pay attention to.

There is no magic number of kicks to count. What matters is change. If your baby is moving less than usual, moving differently, or you cannot feel movements at all, call us straight away, day or night. Please do not wait until the next morning or your next appointment.

You may have heard that cold water or something sweet will 'wake the baby up'. It is better not to rely on these tricks, or on a home heartbeat monitor, because they can give false comfort. A quick check with a midwife is always the safer choice, and we will never think you are making a fuss.

Babies do not move less towards the end of pregnancy. They have less room, so movements may feel more like rolls and pushes than sharp kicks, but you should still feel them throughout the day.

For the first two or three days your breasts make colostrum, a thick yellowish milk. It looks like very little, but it is exactly what a newborn needs. Your milk usually comes in between the second and fourth day, and your breasts may feel full and warm.

Newborns feed often, usually 8 to 12 times in 24 hours, including at night. This is normal and helps build your supply. A good latch means a wide-open mouth, plenty of the darker skin of your breast in baby's mouth, and a pulling feeling rather than a pinching pain.

Sore or cracked nipples are common, but they are a sign that something can be adjusted, not something you must simply bear. A few minutes with a midwife to check positioning often makes a real difference.

Call us if, after day five, your baby has fewer than six wet diapers a day, looks more yellow, or is very sleepy and hard to wake for feeds. Call us too if you have a hot, red, painful area on your breast or a fever.

Many women come to us having heard frightening stories from friends or relatives. The most common is that an implant or coil will stop you having children later. This is not true. Fertility usually returns quickly once an implant or coil is removed.

The injection is a little different. It works well, but it can take several months after your last injection for your periods and fertility to return to normal. If you hope to have a baby within the next year, we may suggest another method for now.

A coil cannot travel around your body or get lost inside you. And emergency contraception is not an abortion pill. It works mainly by delaying the release of an egg, so the sooner it is taken after unprotected sex, the better it works.

There is no single best method, only the one that suits your body, your plans and your relationship. At a family planning visit we explain the options and answer every question. You never have to decide on the day.

Perimenopause is the time, often several years, when your hormones begin to change before your periods stop completely. For most women it begins in their mid-40s, though for some it starts earlier.

The signs include periods that become irregular, heavier or lighter, hot flushes and night sweats, trouble sleeping, aching joints, low mood, anxiety and forgetfulness. Many women tell us they simply do not feel like themselves.

Some changes should always be checked rather than put down to age: very heavy bleeding, bleeding between periods or after sex, and any bleeding at all once your periods have stopped for a full year.

A great deal can help, from changes to sleep, food and movement to treatments such as hormone therapy where it is right for you. At a menopause consultation we listen to how you are feeling, check your general health and agree a plan together.