Read in browser

Losing a baby is one of the most life-shattering unimaginable losses anyone could go through. Over the last couple of months, we’ve been investigating birth outcomes at different maternity wards.This week, Olivia Shying has examined the rates of stillbirths and babies dying in the first 28 days of life at different hospitals across the country. Experts say they are concerned that stillbirths have reached a 20-year high. It’s important to note that bigger hospitals take on the most complex cases and the data includes late-term terminations, but you can see how your maternity ward or local area compares here. If you want to know more about the situation in your state we have articles focusing on Victoria | NSW | South Australia and | the Northern Territory.

Meanwhile, did you know that four in five women who give birth vaginally walk away with some form of tear? Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists president Nisha Khot says more needs to be done to reduce the rate of the most common form of injury, a second-degree tear. These tears are deep, require stitches and affect the muscles, but are not the most severe kind. Olivia has spent weeks sourcing the differing rates of vaginal tearing at hospitals or health districts in NSW | Victoria | Queensland | South Australia | Tasmania | and the Northern Territory. One woman bravely opened up about how it felt like her "vagina was falling out". This needs to be talked about more, so If you’ve had an experience that you’d like to share about birth trauma please get in touch at health@news.com.au.

Lastly, we have some excellent expert columns to help us improve our health or navigate relationships. These include dating expert Alita Brydon revealing the new ways to spot a cheater. There's also nutritionist and strength coach Donna Aston telling us the truth about how to reduce excess belly fat. Selena Bartlett, a renowned neuroscientist, opened up about her own health scare after losing her mum in this powerful and personal piece. Her article has prompted many readers to comment that they were going to schedule an appointment with their GP.

Until next week.



#1 ‘Raced to hospital’: TV star reveals debilitating panic attacks Rebekah Elmaloglou suffered her first panic attack while starring as Guy Pearce’s love interest on Home and Away. Today, she says her own mental health struggles have helped her support her husband through two traumatic psychotic episodes.

#2 ‘I lost 90kg – this is what it took to lose the last 5kg' Shayna Fernando lost a whopping 85kg through sheer hard work. But it was the final 5kg that needed this surgery.

#3 Horrified by your feet or toenails? What these 5 things say about your health Have you ever had a sore big toe? Or looked at your toenails and wondered what’s wrong with them? Here are five things you should know about your feet and your health.