Disclaimer
Educational purposes only
The content on Expecting Mums Australia is for general education and information. It does not constitute medical, dietetic or health advice, and it does not create a practitioner and patient relationship.
Not a substitute for your care team
Always consult your GP, midwife, obstetrician or accredited practising dietitian before making changes to your diet, supplements, medication or care.
Never delay seeking medical advice, and never stop a prescribed medication, because of something you have read here.
Population level, not personal
Research findings describe patterns across groups of people. They may not apply to you.
Your history, your risk factors and your circumstances change what is appropriate. Only a clinician who knows them can advise you.
Australian context
This site is written for an Australian audience, using Australian guidelines, thresholds and services.
Recommendations, reference ranges and available services differ between countries. If you are reading from elsewhere, check against your local guidance, or send me a message, I’ll be happy to help out.
Accuracy and currency
I work hard to be accurate and to cite my sources.
Guidelines change and research evolves. Content is correct to the best of my knowledge at the date of publication or last review, and no warranty is made that it remains current.
External links
I link to sources and resources I consider reliable. I am not responsible for the content of external sites.
In an emergency
Call 000 or go to your nearest emergency department.
Contact your maternity unit immediately if you experience reduced fetal movements, a severe headache, vision changes, severe pain under your ribs, or sudden swelling.
If you need support
Pregnancy, Birth and Baby: 1800 882 436
PANDA, perinatal anxiety and depression: 1300 726 306
Lifeline: 13 11 14
Last updated: 17 July, 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who writes Expecting Mums Australia?
1
I do. My name is Bella Katahanas, and I hold a Bachelor of Biomedical Science and a Masters of Clinical Epidemiology.
Every article on this site is written by me. There are no ghostwriters, no contributors, and nothing published under my name that I did not write.
You can read more about me.
Are you a doctor or a midwife?
2
I am a health researcher, not a clinician.
Clinical epidemiology is the science of how we know what we know in medicine. My training is in reading research: understanding study design, interpreting risk and working out whether a finding is meaningful or whether it is not quite right.
That means I can tell you what the evidence says. It does not mean I can tell you what to do about your pregnancy, because I do not know your history. That part belongs to your GP, midwife or obstetrician.
No. Everything here is educational.
The goal is to help you walk into your next appointment knowing what to ask. Most of what I write ends the same way: here is the evidence, here are the words to use, now go and have that conversation with someone who knows your history.
Read the full disclaimer.
3
Is this medical advice?
Mostly, you decide. The best articles here start as questions readers actually send me.
Beyond that, I look for gaps. Topics where the evidence says something genuinely useful that has not filtered down into common advice, or where the advice circulating online does not match what the research shows.
How do you decide what research to cover?
4
Where does your research come from?
5
Primary sources. Peer-reviewed papers, systematic reviews and clinical guidelines, read in full rather than from the abstract.
For Australian guidance I use the NHMRC, RANZCOG, the Australian Immunisation Handbook, ATAGI, NCIRS, ARPANSA, MotherSafe and the TGA.
Every factual claim is cited, and the references are listed at the foot of each article so you can check them yourself.
More detail in the editorial policy.
6
Can I send you my test results or ask about my own pregnancy?
Please do send questions. I read every message, though I cannot reply to all of them, and your questions genuinely shape what I research and write.
What I cannot do is interpret your results or advise on your specific situation. I am not a clinician, I do not know your history, and doing so would be unsafe.
If something is worrying you, please contact your GP, midwife or maternity unit. In an emergency, call 000.
No.
I do not accept payment to cover a topic, or to cover it in a particular way. I do not recommend supplement brands.
If any content is ever sponsored or gifted, it will be disclosed clearly and up front, at the top of the article rather than buried at the bottom.
I also flag when a study I am discussing was funded by a company with an interest in the result. That does not make the research wrong, but you deserve to know.