Hospitals have come under fire for letting more and more commercial companies into maternity wards to sell their products to new mums.

If you've given birth in a hospital recently, you'll probably have a vague recollection of hordes of people coming to bother you every five minutes.

Some ask for your details - address, phone number, email - while others try to sell you something directly.

Most hospital trusts have contracts with private firms, receiving fees or commission from them in exchange for allowing them access to patients.

So mums who have just given birth or are recovering from surgery can be bombarded by sales reps.

If you find you're being emailed by all sorts of companies afterwards, it's probably because you gave your details to somebody.

Bounty, for example, give out those lovely goody bags with lots of useful stuff in them - and then ask for your contact details, which they can sell on to other companies.

Experts have announced that there is no evidence either acupuncture or Chinese herbal medicine improve the likelihood of getting pregnant through IVF.

Many couples now turn to acupuncture in a bid to get pregnant but the British Fertility Society says this may be a waste of time and money.

The researchers looked at 14 trials involving 2,670 people to come up with their new guidance.

They found that it did not matter what stage of the IVF process acupuncture took place - it still had no effect on the pregnancy or live birth rate.

However they also found it didn't actually do any harm as there was no difference in miscarriage rates either.

The team said there were no rigorous trials published on the use of Chinese herbs, so they decided there was currently no evidence to support the use of these in fertility treatments either.

Hollywood actress Lindsay Lohan is suing a company for $100 million because she claims they based the character of a baby in a TV advert on her.

She says E-Trade, an online share trading firm, gave the "milkaholic" baby in the advert her first name.

Lohan, 23, has convictions for cocaine possession and drink-driving.

The advert features a spoof video chat between a baby boy and a baby girl.

The girl asks her "boyfriend" if he has been spending time with "that milkaholic Lindsay". Then a second baby girl comes into the shot slurring "milk-a-what?"

Lohan claims that using the name Lindsay sends a "subliminal message" to viewers that the character was based on her.

Have a look at the advert here and see what you think...

There's some bad news today - pregnant women are being told that they shouldn't be "eating for two" as this may actually be harmful for the baby.

What a load of spoilsports. One of the few benefits of being pregnant (apart from the baby at the end of it) is that you get to pretty much eat what you like. Well, no more, apparently.

Researchers say if women eat diets which are high in fat or carbohydrates this can affect genes in their children.

So all those cheese sandwiches were probably a bad idea, then?

The study found that girls are more likely to be affected genetically by what their mother eats, although sons of obese mothers are more likely to become obese and develop diabetes as they get older.

The research was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, and was based on observations of pregnant mice. Right. Mice. Okay then.

A baby boy who was born weighing just 9.7oz, or 275g, is set to lead a normal and healthy life, it has been reported.

The boy, who was born at 25 weeks old in Gottingen Hospital, in Germany, last June, has been called a medical miracle.

He weighed less than a can of Coke at birth but doctors are now confident he is strong enough to survive.

A spokesperson for the hospital told the Guardian that doctors now believed the boy would lead a normal, healthy life.

He said: "The danger has passed. He was most vulnerable when his organs were underdeveloped. Now he is the weight of a normal baby and healthy in every way."

The baby, who was nicknamed Tom Thumb by doctors, was born 15 weeks early by caesarean section due to concerns that his life was at risk.

Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt have been accused of turning their three-year-old daughter Shiloh into a boy.

She's been photographed dressed in boys' clothes and with a new short haircut.

To be honest it's a bit sad if the way a three-year-old is dressed sets off a major controversy. But it appears to have done.

An eyewitness told the press: "It's a drastic change. The last time we'd seen her, her hair was longer and blonder, and she was more girlie. We were surprised Angelina dressed her so much like a little boy."

Celebrity stylists have been rushing to comment on the little girl's fashion choices.

Alana Kelen, senior fashion stylist at VH1, told Life & Style: "Shiloh is pushing the boundaries of a tomboy look and crossing over to cross-dresser territory."

"Pushing the boundaries of a tomboy look"?? She's THREE.

A prisoner who has 25 years left to serve in jail for drug trafficking is attempting to become a father.

Scott Hurford, 34, has written to prison authorities and Justice Secretary Jack Straw, asking to be allowed to try IVF treatment with his Thai girlfriend Uria.

He was caught with 250 amphetamine pills in Thailand five years ago and served time in Bangkwang Prison before being extradited back to the UK last year.

Hurford is currently in London's HMP Wandsworth and has 25 years left on his jail term.

The Daily Mail says that he wrote in a letter from his cell: "I am serving a very lengthy sentence and still have over ten years left until release.

"My partner has stood by me and we would like to start a family, however time isn't exactly on our side with me being 34 and my partner 37.

"I need some advice on the rules for IVF treatment whilst in prison. Is this possible? Has it been done before? How do I set the wheels in motion?"

The TV chef Jamie Oliver is expecting a fourth child with his wife Jools, it has been announced.

Oh dear God. What do you suppose they're going to call this one?

Their first daughter, who is eight, is called Poppy Honey, their second, who is six, is called Daisy Boo while their third daughter, who is nearly one, is called Petal Blossom Rainbow.

Dandelion Burdock Doolally Tat? Just a suggestion.

A statement put out by the couple said: "Jamie and Jools Oliver are delighted to announce that they are expecting their fourth child."

Jools, a model and writer, is due to give birth in September.

Jamie, 34, who found fame as the Naked Chef, has previously said that he would like a boy as he is seriously outnumbered.

He has joked that he needs another male in the house as "back-up" when the girls are bossing him around.

A 15-year-old schoolgirl has become Britain's youngest Botox user - and the injections were given by her own mother.

Hannah Burge, who is now 16, was first given Botox last May at a clinic in Spain.

Since then her mother, Sarah, 49, who apparently is a "trained aesthetic practitioner" has given her two more injections at home.

Hannah believes Botox will stop her from getting wrinkles when she's older. Mind you, she also believes she had wrinkles before the injections, which is pretty hard to believe.

She told the St Neots News and Crier: "I wanted to have Botox for two reasons - it prevents wrinkles and everyone at my school was talking about having 'B'.

"I had a couple of lines on my forehead and around my mouth, which I was unhappy about.

"Appearance is important to me and I don't want to look haggard and ugly by the time I'm 25.

"Some of my friends told me that the earlier you start to have B, the fewer wrinkles you'll have as an adult."

Tragic, isn't it?