When you think about your baby’s birth, machines might not be what you imagined. But for many families, CTG (cardiotocography) monitors are part of the labour room setup. What is a CTG, why is it used, and how reliable is it? In this post, we explore the history, evidence, and practical considerations so you can feel informed and empowered to make choices that suit you and your baby.

You’ve just welcomed your baby, and everyone says: “Sleep when the baby sleeps.” But between round-the-clock feeds, laundry, and the adrenaline of new parenthood, that advice can feel impossible. The truth is, newborns simply aren’t wired to sleep like adults, and that’s by design. In this post, I share why babies wake so often, what sleep deprivation really does to parents, and practical, evidence-based ways to cope, from small daily shifts to support like night doulas.