Rebel Wilson Reveals She’s Become A Mother As She Celebrates Birth Of Baby Girl

Posted on 07/11/2022 by Boris Clair

Rebel Wilson has announced that she has become a mother after welcoming a baby girl.

The Pitch Perfect star shared a photo of the newborn – who was born last week, via a surrogate – on her Instagram page on Monday afternoon.

“Beyond proud to announce the birth of my first child, Royce Lillian, born this past week via surrogate,” Rebel told her followers.

“I can’t even describe the love I have for her, she’s a beautiful miracle!”

She continued: “I am forever grateful to everyone who has been involved, (you know who you are), this has been years in the making… but particularly wanted to thank my gorgeous surrogate who carried her and birthed her with such grace and care.

“Thank you for helping me start my own family, it’s an amazing gift. The BEST gift!! I am ready to give little Roycie all the love imaginable.”

The Australian actor added: “I am learning quickly…much respect to all the Mums out there! Proud to be in your club.”

The Bridesmaids received a wave of support from her celebrity friends after the announcement, with Taika Waititi – who directed Rebel in Jojo Rabbit – commenting: “Yes Rebz, congrats.”

Rebel is best known for her performance in comedy films like Bridesmaids, Isn’t It Romantic and the Pitch Perfect series, as well as the musical Cats.

Hey Duggee’s Got A Super Catchy ‘Welcome Song’ For Ukrainian Refugees

Posted on 02/11/2022 by Boris Clair

Ah-woof! Or should we say, ah-welcome! Duggee and The Squirrels have taught the nation’s children many valuable lessons over the years. But their latest episode, which drops on November 2, is perhaps their most important yet.

In news that will delight kids everywhere (and parents who have watched all four seasons back-to-back, multiple times), the award-winning BBC CBeebies series has launched a brand new episode welcoming new characters from Ukraine.

The Squirrels are joined by new faces, as well as Ukrainian-known characters Mavka and Swampy, who Ukrainian children will recognise from animated feature film Mavka. The Forest Song.

To welcome their new friends, Betty, Norrie, Roly, Tag and Happy sing an incredibly catchy ‘Welcome Song’ complete with translations of Ukrainian phrases and words.

And yes, you will be whistling this song for the rest of the day.

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The ‘Welcome Badge’ episode sees Duggee and The Squirrels waiting for some new friends to arrive. The show’s narrator, Alexander Armstrong, explains they come from a country called Ukraine.

The new arrivals speak a different language from Duggee and his friends, so to help them settle in, Duggee, The Squirrels and Hummingbirds burst into song.

‘The Welcome Song’ is complete with translations of Ukrainian phrases to help the new arrivals feel at home – and to give children here some phrases to use for a nice big welcome.

There’s also lots of waving, something everyone understands. And, of course, a big old Duggee hug.

The show’s producers say the aim of the episode is to improve the real experiences of Ukrainian children coming to the UK, in the hope they feel even more welcome.

It’s also educating British kids to learn their language and encourage them to be warm and kind.

The usual cast are joined by children from the UK, as well as those who have recently arrived from Ukraine, who all sing the words of the song in their native language.

All episodes of Hey Duggee are available on BBC iPlayer in the UK.

Pregnant And Worrying Loads? Clinical Psychologists Want You To Know This

Posted on 30/10/2022 by Boris Clair

When you’re pregnant, levels of worry can ramp up to never-before-seen levels.

Much of those nine months can be spent worrying obsessively about miscarriage, whether you’re eating or doing the right things to keep your baby healthy, whether your baby is moving enough, and the impending birth.

It’s a lot. So it’s perhaps no surprise then that one in 10 women will struggle with pregnancy anxiety, which can begin to rule their lives.

It’s the subject of Break Free From Maternal Anxiety, a new book penned by three NHS clinical psychologists: Dr Fiona Challacombe, Dr Catherine Green and Dr Victoria Bream.

The trio use cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) techniques to explore how women can cope with persistent and distressing worries about pregnancy and becoming a mother. Here are some of the things we learned from it.

1. Pretty much every mum-to-be will feel anxious at some point during their pregnancy

If you’re pregnant and feeling anxious, know you’re not alone.

From worries about whether your baby is moving enough to how you’ll cope with the birth (and all of the uncertainty that surrounds that), pretty much every mum-to-be on the planet will experience anxious thoughts at some point.

“They aren’t pleasant or comfortable and they certainly aren’t spoken about enough,” write the authors, “but they are a near universal part of pregnancy and parenthood.”

In fact, research has shown that 100% of new mothers experience intrusive, unwanted thoughts about something bad happening to their newborn in the first weeks after birth.

If you have the odd worry here and there, you probably don’t need to read a book on pregnancy anxiety. But if worries seem to crop up daily and they’re stopping you from doing things, read on.

2. ‘Problematic worry’ is something to watch out for

There’s a difference between the odd anxious thought and problematic worry, where you get stuck in repeated loops of negative anxious thinking that feel hard to stop, control or turn away from.

It’s one of the most common problems in pregnancy and postnatally, according to the book, with about 8% of women experiencing it.

The authors share the story of one mum, Hestia, who was 32 weeks pregnant and constantly worrying about every decision she made about her baby. Some worries she had included: ‘What if I haven’t included everything on my birth plan?’ and ‘What if lose my job when I am on maternity leave?’.

While some people might have these kinds of thoughts and move on, she would find it difficult to move her attention to other things and would become irritable, unable to concentrate on work or reading books and then she became reluctant to leave her house.

When anxiety starts to impact your day-to-day life, it’s time to seek help. As Dr Fiona Challacombe explains: “The perinatal period is a time of big changes, emotionally, physically and socially, so it’s often assumed that anxiety is a normal part of this.

“However, when anxiety persists and is having an impact on your daily life and functioning then it is likely to be an anxiety problem.”

3. Tackling worry isn’t about what you worry about, but the way you think about it.

One of the things the book is keen to convey is that rather than trying to tackle the worry itself, you need to focus on solutions which tackle the way that worry works.

A strategy the authors advise is to ask yourself whether the worry you are having is actually important – ie. will anyone else care about this tomorrow? Or will you care it about it on your deathbed?

If it isn’t important – and you firmly believe that – they recommend trying to continue with what you are doing, and if your worries come back, to treat them as white noise in the background.

If it is an important worry, then they recommend defining what the problem is that underlies the worry – and then generating as many solutions as possible for that problem.

4. Setting a ‘worry-free zone’ or planning a time to worry could help

Another way to tackle worry is to set a worry zone, say the authors. This is basically where you make a conscious decision to put your worries to one side for a set time in the day.

One idea they suggest is that whenever you have a snack, you can “try to focus away from worry and enjoy every second of your crisps or chocolate”.

It’s a well-used technique in CBT for worry problems, they add, and as you get more practice, you can try to increase the worry-free zones and take control.

It sounds weird but the clinical psychologists also suggest planning a time when you will worry, and deliberately postponing worrying until that specific time.

“This is a useful strategy to free yourself from the relentless worrying, by setting a particular time when you can come back to worries you have noted in the day,” they say.

There are tonnes of strategies like this in the book, as well as advice on coping with intrusive thoughts and phobias.

Dr Fiona Challacombe says: “CBT is a very effective treatment for persistent anxiety and our own research trials show that it can be effective for maternal anxiety in various forms.

“We have seen many parents use the techniques described in the book to get control of and overcome their anxiety, with benefits to them and their families.”

Break Free from Maternal Anxiety: A Self-Help Guide for Pregnancy, Birth and the First Postnatal Year will be published October 27 by Cambridge University Press (£12.99).

Help and support:

Mind, open Monday to Friday, 9am-6pm on 0300 123 3393.
Samaritans offers a listening service which is open 24 hours a day, on 116 123 (UK and ROI – this number is FREE to call and will not appear on your phone bill).
CALM (the Campaign Against Living Miserably) offer a helpline open 5pm-midnight, 365 days a year, on 0800 58 58 58, and a webchat service.
The Mix is a free support service for people under 25. Call 0808 808 4994 or email help@themix.org.uk
Rethink Mental Illness offers practical help through its advice line which can be reached on 0808 801 0525 (Monday to Friday 10am-4pm). More info can be found on rethink.org.

How To Get Your Kids To Eat Vegetables – And Actually Gasp Enjoy Them

Posted on 19/10/2022 by Boris Clair

Is there such thing as a child who likes vegetables? Yes, there is. But they’ll often need a helping hand in getting there.

This is why a leading baby food brand is urging the government to consider adding sensory food play to the curriculum for young kids attending nursery.

Ella’s Kitchen has launched a nationwide campaign calling on the UK government to take urgent action to improve early childhood nutrition by encouraging more sensory food play – where kids can explore fruit and vegetables in a fun, engaging way that stimulates the senses – in early years settings.

The brand said poor nutrition is having a “devastating impact” on the health of the nation’s children, but this simple, low-cost intervention could play a role in alleviating this.

More than a quarter of kids (29%) aged five to 10 years old eat fewer than one portion of fruit or veg a day.

Yet evidence shows that sensory food play helps to build confidence and curiosity around fruit and veg, which can create a willingness among kids to try, and ultimately like, them.

While talk of implementing this kind of scheme in nurseries rumbles on, parents can start fuelling a better reception to vegetables at home, too.

It’s difficult to get children to eat tveg – every parent knows this. But why is it such a chore? “Babies are born with immature bitter and sour taste buds,” says Sarah Almond Bushell, a registered dietitian and weaning expert at The Children’s Nutritionist.

In contrast, their sweet taste buds are “very mature”, she says, meaning kids will always gravitate towards sweet foods. “It’s an evolutionary thing as it helps newborn babies seek out the breast because breastmilk is very sweet.”

Bitter and sour flavours therefore have to be learned, so exposure is a must – and this is where parents have to put the work in. But you’ll reap the rewards once you do.

1. Serve vegetables at every meal and make sure they see you eating them

It can be all too easy to get into a bit of a mealtime rut at home. We buy the same-old vegetables every week to accompany those same-old meals, because we know our kids will eat them and they won’t end up in the bin.

This might be the easy option, but – argues the dietitian – it is not conducive to getting your child to like a wider range of veggies.

“Children can’t learn to like to eat vegetables without being regularly exposed to seeing them on the dining room table,” she says. “But what’s even more important is that they need to see you eating them too.”

Research suggests it can take up to 10 tries for a baby to readily accept some foods, like vegetables – so keep trying. And an exposure doesn’t necessarily mean them devouring a whole carrot stick, either. The act of touching, smelling and even seeing the food can be enough to ‘expose’ them to a food, according to nutritionist Charlotte Stirling-Reed.

2. Presentation is everything

A bit of wilted cabbage on the side of your toddler’s plate isn’t exactly inspiring, so it’s time to embrace your inner artist and get creative.

“All food must look attractive if you want your little one to be intrigued by them,” says Almond Bushell. “Vegetables come in a rainbow of colours and so are easy to make look appealing.

“Pre-school aged children are influenced by how food is presented so get creative by cutting veggies into funny shapes or arrange them in smiley faces.

“Older children will visually appreciate foods that are presented on sharing platters, coloured or patterned plates, or even simply serving veggies in cupcake cases can instantly lift their appeal.”

3. Make them tasty

If your veg selection looks stellar but tastes like wet socks, then you’ve got a problem on your hands. So yes, the next tip is that veggies quite simply need to taste nice.

“Steamed veggies may be better in the healthiness stakes, but they don’t hold much flavour for developing taste buds,” says Almond Bushell.

“I’d encourage you to sauté your green beans in garlic butter, toss asparagus in soy sauce [you can buy low salt versions], roast your parsnips in honey [if your child is over one].”

She adds: “You can make a fab marinade for most veggies with ketchup, maple syrup and soy sauce, even adding a little salt to broccoli or Brussels sprouts can make a world of difference – and yes, it’s ok.”

While it might sound a little controversial, her thinking is that while these foods will be slightly higher in salt and fat, it will encourage your child to like them at least – “after all, it doesn’t count as nutrition unless it’s eaten,” she adds.

“Once the veggies become an accepted part of their daily diet then you can work on reducing the salt, sugar and butter to improve the healthiness.”

4. Let kids serve themselves

It can be overwhelming for your child if you’ve decided to wave a stick of cucumber in their face or thrust it into their mouth. Why not, instead, focus on letting your kids serve themselves?

Family-style serving involves placing all components of the meal individually in serving dishes in the centre of the table, says Almond Bushell. Then, children as young as toddlers can help themselves or indicate to you what they want, how much they want and when to stop.

“This puts them in control of the food on their plate and ultimately what goes into their body,” she says. “If your little one doesn’t want to have a certain veggie on their plate, that’s OK.”

If you do find they’re averse to certain veggies, set up a ‘learning plate’ next to their dinner plate, she suggests. There are 32 different sensory steps that children go through when they’re learning how to eat and they do this for every single food – so a learning plate can help them navigate this process.

“The learning plate is simply for looking at, sniffing, prodding, poking, licking, chewing or spitting out on,” she explains.

“It’s there just for learning all about the sensory characteristics of the new food.

“Having a learning plate helps move them up the 32-step ladder as the new food is closer to them, they have to look at it, they can smell it, and touching it even with a fork or spoon is a huge step forward.”

Stop Leaving Marmalade Sandwiches For The Queen, Says Royal Parks

Posted on 12/09/2022 by Boris Clair

It was the Queen’s final starring role of her Platinum Jubilee celebrations and now her iconic double act with Paddington Bear is living on in tributes paid after her death.

The monarch’s two-minute skit with the famous bear from Peru – another British icon – was widely judged a highlight of the Platinum Party at the Palace in June.

The pair were seen sitting down together for a spot of tea, with Paddington swigging straight from the spout, before offering the Queen a bite of his marmalade sandwich, the one he keeps handy, he told her, “just in case”.

“So do I,” the Queen replied, before opening her famous black handbag to reveal the very same. “I keep mine in here,” she said. “For later.”

Now, mourners are leaving sandwich bags, bears and other bits of Paddington memorabilia outside Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle, Sandringham, Holyroodehouse and other royal residences around the country.

A Paddington bear with messages and flowers hangs at the gate of Buckingham Palace in London.

A Paddington Bear teapot is seen with floral tributes left outside the Sandringham Estate in Norfolk

Another Paddington Bear teddy in Green Park, near Buckingham Palace.

One well-wisher even handed a Paddington Bear directly to Prince William during his unexpected public walkabout with his wife and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex outside Windsor Castle on Saturday afternoon.

In fact, there are so many Paddingtons and sandwich bags piling up outside royal residences that The Royal Parks, which operates Green Park and St James’s Park, as well as six other royal parklands around London, has asked the public to stick to leaving flowers instead.

“The Royal Parks are suggesting that there are enough Paddingtons and marmalade sandwiches in the parks at the moment,” a BBC Breakfast presenter said outside Buckingham Palace on Monday morning.

“So please feel free to bring flowers, but maybe don’t bring anymore Paddingtons or marmalade sandwiches for now.”

The message echoed guidance issued on the Royal Parks website regarding floral tributes to the Queen.

“We would prefer visitors not to bring non-floral objects/artefacts such as teddy bears or balloons,” it reads. “Cards and labels will, however, be accepted and will be periodically removed by The Royal Parks’ staff and contractors for storage offsite. This process will be carried out with discretion and sensitivity.”

On Twitter, many commented on the very British nature of the situation.

But others have suggested that people’s time and money could be spent elsewhere, especially given the current cost of living crisis.

“Give a marmalade sandwich to a homeless person, donate the money you would’ve spent on a Paddington doll to a charity,” tweeted barrister and commentator Rupert Myers.

When the state propaganda works too well and you have mountains of uneaten sandwiches outside a literal palace while the food banks run on empty because of cost of living crisis. pic.twitter.com/0X4OMwg3ZP

— Uncle Trash (@UncleTrash) September 11, 2022

The whole Paddington/marmalade sandwiches left in tribute thing feels like when acquaintances know nothing about you, but you mention you like cheese or something, and suddenly “they like cheese” becomes your whole personality.

— WYH Games (@wyh_games) September 12, 2022

People leaving marmalade butties as a tribute to the queen are clearly a few sandwiches short of a picnic… definitely out of their rind!

— Stuart Rae (@Stu_Rob_Rae) September 12, 2022

Meanwhile, author Frank Cottrell-Boyce, who co-wrote Paddington’s Platinum Jubilee skit and also had a hand in the Queen’s unexpected cameo with James Bond at the Olympic Opening Ceremony in 2012, has been reflecting on why the meeting captured public imagination.

“It used to be said that millions of people had dreams in which they had tea with the Queen,” he wrote in the Observer. “Even our dream life is going to have to change. Watching her have tea with Paddington will have to do instead.”

Some have questioned whether the real Queen even starred in the skit, Cottrell-Boyce added.

“A conspiracy theory went round that the establishment had employed Paddington’s producers… to create a deep fake queen,” he added. “No one seemed to question the reality of the bear.”

The late Queen having tea with Paddington during the Platinum Party at the Palace.

For Parents, It’s A Summer Of Hardship And Impossible Choices

Posted on 13/08/2022 by Boris Clair

We’re at the half way point of the UK summer holidays, a time that is always testing to parents’ patience and bank balances. But when it comes to keeping children happy and occupied amid the escalating cost of living crisis, many families are feeling the pinch like never before this year.

Sally Worrall, 31, has seen a drastic change in her circumstances.

“I can’t get through the month now without borrowing money,” says the Hampshire-based mum of four.

As a single parent to Chester 11, Rory, eight and twins Jenson and Molly, six, the self-employed painter and decorator says that she has to borrow money from her mother each month just to get by.

“I don’t have an extravagant lifestyle, I don’t smoke, drink, or have Sky. I have the cheapest mobile package and the most basic broadband service. But I really struggle,” she tells HuffPost UK.

“Food is especially a big thing. It’s gone up by about £50 a week for me and the children. It’s really difficult. I try not to think about it because the reality is after a shop, I’ve only got about £20 a week to live on,” says Worrall.

Even before schools broke up for the summer this year, the national poverty charity, Turn2US, warned that the financial squeeze was having a stark impact on many families in the UK.

The charity surveyed 2,730 of its service users in June and found that soaring food costs were pushing many into debt as they struggled to put food on the table. Almost half of the charity’s users reported they were left with nothing to live on each week after weekly food costs.

The survey also found that that over half of respondents planned to use the first £326 instalment of the government’s cost-of-living rescue package to help pay a debt for utility bill arrears – and with food and fuel prices only set to rise this autumn and winter, there is concern for how many will be plunged into poverty.

Michael Clarke, head of information programmes at Turn2us, said: “Every day we see more people struggling to afford life’s absolute basics as the cost-of-living continues to push millions of people onto the edge of a financial crisis.”

He added: “We are hearing from parents who are skipping meals to try and keep their children fed, or who are making impossible choices between paying rocketing energy bills or rent. This isn’t right.

“Many people using our services come to us when they are at their most desperate and we fear the worst is yet to come over the coming months.”

These statistics don’t surprise mum of two Kelly Williams, who lives in east London with her husband Marcel and six-year old son Quincy.

“It’s the world in which we now live in,” she tells HuffPost UK. “Everything has gone up and it’s simply not sustainable. I don’t understand how there is such a high rate of inflation and the salaries have not risen to coincide with that.”

Williams, who works as an accountant, added: “It’s creating a huge gap in the cost of living and people have got to find ways to survive.”

“We fear the worst is yet to come over the coming months.”

– Michael Clarke, Turn2Us charity

Certainly, it’s affecting middle-income families, too. “Since the crisis my husband and I are much more conscious of what we do now in terms of managing our money and one of the biggest changes we found was that we don’t go out as often as we used to,” says Williams.

The family are trying to change spending habits with as little impact on their son as possible. “We are both aware of how important it is to our wellbeing that we go out as a family and spend quality time together,” she says.

Williams is focused on giving Quincy a good summer holiday while staying within budget – even if that means a major juggle with work.

“I’m taking advantage of my working from home days. By being at home, I will not have to pay out any extra money to summer camps,” says Williams, who is making the most of free activities and vouchers provided by her local council.

“Picnics and play dates!” she says, citing her summer mantra. “This will just allow me to let my money stretch further.”

When it comes to the food shop, Williams freely admits she’s no longer loyal to a particular supermarket and that her main quest is to get value for money.

“I’m loyal to brands, but not to supermarkets,” she tells HuffPost UK, adding that one of her biggest hacks is getting her petrol at supermarkets.

“When filling up, I tend to use supermarket petrol stations that offer loyalty rewards. Here you can transfer the reward points into vouchers for food. I’ve made huge savings by doing this,” she says.

Worrall, meanwhile, has started doing all her shopping at budget stores.

“I started shopping at B&M because it is so much cheaper than the larger supermarkets,” she says. “I’ve also had to shop at the Local Pantry.”

The Local Pantry, which operates in 70 neighbourhoods around the UK, sells on reduced items that supermarkets would normally throw in the bin. Shoppers using a branch pay £5 a trip, and receive £20 worth of food and groceries.

“Being in a single income household makes a hell of a difference to what we do when it comes to the summer holidays.”

– Catherine

“They have a coloured sticker policy,” explains Williams. “You get five red item stickers, which are meat and cheese and frozen fish. Then you get ten blue items, which is your pasta and tins of beans, etc, and toiletries. Then you get three items that are fruit, vegetables and bread.

“It’s a really good thing, but for a first world country nobody should be in this situation.”

Single parent Catherine Gilmore, who is mum to Arthur, six, says she’s been obsessing about how to stay within budget and keep her son occupied for the length of the summer holidays – and the worry starts earlier each year.

“Being in a single income household makes a hell of a difference to what we do when it comes to the summer holidays,” says the publishing assistant from Leyton, east London.

“Because of the financial squeeze, what I have had to do to ensure that Arthur gets to enjoy the summer is to save all year round, because, come July, financially it hits you hard.”

Meanwhile, hybrid worker Catherine, who preferred not to give her surname, says that in order to save money she is splitting the summer between her home in London and Derbyshire, where her mother lives.

“I get six weeks of holiday and I need to find childcare for four weeks of that time. So to keep costs down. I spend three weeks in London and then it’s up to Derbyshire for two weeks.”

Even factoring in travel costs, this hack makes life a lot easier, she says. “It’s cheaper up there, I pay between £35-£55 per week [on summer clubs] in London and in Derbyshire it’s between £20-£25 per week.”

One of the biggest problems Catherine found when looking for clubs in London was how quickly spaces got filled. In applying for cheaper camps and council-run activities, she said her son was often overlooked in favour of families in receipt of Universal Credit.

“It’s definitely is not a bad thing that families on benefits get priority, but there should be more available for middle-income families who are struggling to keep their families occupied during the summer,” she tells HuffPost UK.

Sally Worrall says she has taken advantage of similar provision in Hampshire to keep costs down and her kids occupied and happy throughout the holidays.

Her children’s school offers means-tested pupils the chance to attend a free summer camp, which runs during school hours. Each pupil enrolled on the camp is also given a free lunch and snacks throughout the day.

“I’ll only be using it three times a week to help me with food more than anything,” she says. “It also means I can work and I won’t have to worry about paying for childcare costs.”

Worrall has also been in touch with Gingerbread, a nationwide charity that offers support and help to single parent families. She says their team has been extremely helpful to families like hers, who are also struggling in the crisis.

“They have been great at bringing people together,” she says. “It has been nice to connect with families who are in similar situations. They have really great groups that you can lock in with.”

And despite all the challenges facing her family of five, she’s intent on giving her children a great summer. “I’m lucky because I live near the sea and near woodland. The days that I am not working we will spend them either on the beach or in the woods exploring and enjoying natural resources,” she says.

“We’ve just moved into a house from a flat so we will be spending a lot of time outside and taking advantage of the outdoor space. The garden is definitely a huge plus!”

Gingerbread runs a dedicated support service for single parents families – visit its website or call 0808 802 0925.

For further information on support and resources, visit the Turn2us website.

Stillbirths Increased Last Year. Why Is Nobody Talking About It?

Posted on 10/08/2022 by Boris Clair

After years of progress, the number of stillbirths increased across England and Wales in 2021 – but it’s not the story you’ll read about elsewhere.

When the new ONS data was released this week, most newspapers focused on a jolly little fact: last year, more babies were born out of wedlock than among married couples for the first time since records began.

But the figures also show there were 2,597 stillbirths in 2021, an increase of 226 from 2020.

These statistics were barely a footnote in most national newspapers, something the baby loss charity, Tommy’s, was disappointed by.

Kath Abrahams, chief executive at the charity says the latest figures are “unacceptable”. She believes they reflect the “direct and indirect” impact Covid-19 had on pregnant women and people in 2021.

“Indirectly, the pandemic had a significant impact on maternity services, putting them under greater pressure,” she tells HuffPost UK. “There were higher rates of stillbirth in January 2021, which coincided with the peak of the second wave of Covid-19.”

Throughout the pandemic, HuffPost UK reported on the disproportionate impact on maternity services, with pregnant women saying they felt “forgotten” as lockdown restrictions eased. While pubs reopened, mums-to-be reported having routine antenatal appointments cancelled or conducted over the phone.

Though there’s no research to link these practices directly to stillbirth rates, the individual stories paint a picture of incomplete care, at a time of high-anxiety for pregnant women.

Pregnant women also faced misinformation regarding vaccine safety, with some even mistakingly told not to take the jab at vaccine centres. Data from October 2021 found just 15% of pregnant women were fully vaccinated amidst the fear and confusion.

Because of this, Tommy’s says Covid-19 infection is likely to have had a direct impact on the 2021 stillbirth rate.

“Our research has shown that getting Covid-19 during pregnancy could cause problems in the placenta, increasing the risk of pregnancy complications, which is why it’s important pregnant women and people get vaccinated if they can,” Abrahams says.

“Rates of stillbirth had been following a consistent decline over recent years, and we believe 2021’s increase is unacceptable. It highlights exactly why we need to increase efforts to meet NHS England’s aim of reducing stillbirth rates by 50% by 2025.”

The data also uncovered that stillbirth rates differed across the country last year, with more deprived areas, including the North East and Yorkshire, experiencing higher rates than the most affluent regions.

“It is unacceptable that who you are and where you live continues to have an impact on whether your baby is born healthy – and it’s vital that our government and health services continue to focus on tackling these inequalities,” Abrahams adds.

“Action to reduce stillbirth must be a national priority as health services recover following the Covid-19 pandemic, and more work must be done to understand the reasons for the increase in stillbirths and help improve care for pregnant women and people at risk.”

Commenting on the latest figures, Professor Asma Khalil, spokesperson for the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, said every stillbirth “is a tragedy for the families affected as well as the maternity staff involved”.

“Stillbirth rates are still higher in the UK than many other high-income countries and vary widely across the UK,” she said. “We continue to advise women who have concerns or worries about their or their baby’s health – including the baby’s movements – to seek medical advice from their midwife or hospital as soon as possible. We also advise pregnant women to ensure they are fully vaccinated against Covid as this can increase the risk of stillbirth.”

HuffPost UK contacted the Department of Health and Social Care about the increased stillbirth rates, sharing the concerns raised by Tommy’s about stretched maternity services.

In response, a DHSC spokesperson told us: “We are committed to making the NHS the best place in the world to give birth through personalised, high-quality support.

“Since 2010, the rate of stillbirths has reduced by 20.9%, the rate of neonatal mortality for babies born over 24 weeks has reduced by 36% and maternal mortality has reduced by 17%.

“The NHS is investing £127m into the maternity system in the next year to support the workforce and improve neonatal care – which is on top of £95m to recruit 1,200 more midwives and 100 more consultant obstetricians.”

Nicola Adams And Partner Ella Baig Welcome First Child

Posted on 11/07/2022 by Boris Clair

Nicola Adams and her girlfriend Ella Baig have welcomed their first child.

The couple previously announced they were expecting a baby boy, and said they “felt and instant love and the strongest bond” after his arrival.

On Monday, the Olympic boxer posted a photo of her and Ella in the delivery room and a picture of their son’s feet.

Nicola wrote: “We are so excited to announce to the world that baby adams has arrived. The first moment we laid eyes on you we felt an instant love and the strongest bond.

“We went to the moon and back to get you and we can’t wait to spend the rest of our lives watching you grow.”

Nicola and Ella announced they were expecting a baby in February after four rounds of IVF starting in 2019.

The pair began dating after meeting on a night out in the Olympian’s hometown of Leeds.

In addition to her illustrious boxing career, Nicola made TV history in 2020 when she became the first celebrity to compete in Strictly Come Dancing as part of a same-sex pairing.

Unfortunately, she and Katya Jones had their Strictly journey cut short when the professional dancer tested positive for Covid.

How To Check If You (Or Your Children) Have Had The Polio Vaccine

Posted on 23/06/2022 by Boris Clair

Polio, which was officially eradicated in the UK in 2003, can cause paralysis in rare cases and can be life-threatening. Public health officials have declared a national incident while the latest traces are being investigated.

Polio is caused by a virus that spreads easily when an infected person coughs or sneezes, according to the NHS. It can also be caught from food or water that’s been in contact with the poo of someone who has the virus.

So far, it’s unclear how many people may be affected by the new outbreak, but being fully vaccinated will protect you. Here’s how to check if you (and your kids) are up to date with jabs.

When do people usually receive the polio vaccine?

The polio vaccine is given on the NHS when a child is eight, 12 and 16 weeks old as part of the 6-in-1 vaccine. It is given again at three years and four months old as part of the 4-in-1 (DTaP/IPV) pre-school booster, and at 14 as part of the 3-in-1 (Td/IPV) teenage booster. The teenage vaccine is given routinely in secondary schools.

All of these vaccines need to have been given for a person to be fully vaccinated, though babies who have had two or three doses will have substantial protection.

Latest figures show that by the age of two in the UK, almost 95% of children have had the correct number of doses. However, this drops to just under 90% in London. When it comes to the pre-school booster, just 71% of children in London have had it by the age of five.

How to check if you’ve had the polio vaccine

All immunisation records are linked to your unique NHS number, which is assigned to you at birth.

You may be able to see your full health records (including your immunisation history) via the NHS app or NHS online portal, if you’ve already registered for full online access.

You’ll need to register with your GP surgery for online access to see your full record. If you only downloaded the NHS app to see your Covid travel pass, for example, the basic profile only shows your Covid vaccines, medicines and allergies – not your full medical history.

There’s a portal on the NHS website which details further instructions on how to register for full online access to your records. But something to note: this service works alongside GP surgeries and is not yet available in all areas of the UK.

If you’re having trouble accessing your records online, or your surgery does not offer this service, you’ll need to contact your GP to enquire about your polio records via email or telephone.

A polio vaccine will not be labelled as ‘polio’

When you do access your records, don’t panic: a polio vaccine is rarely labelled with the name ‘polio’.

On Twitter, GP and broadcaster Dr Ellie Cannon shared the labels to look out for:

Empowered, Indifferent, Old: This Is How Men Feel About Turning 40

Posted on 21/06/2022 by Boris Clair

“Am I where I expected to be at 40?”

This is probably not a question Prince William is asking himself as enters his fifth decade. But the Duke of Cambridge’s birthday has got us thinking about milestone ages, and why some of us place so much significance on certain numbers.

For women, approaching ‘The Big Four O’ often means discussions of fertility and the biological clock intensify (whether or not you want children and even though a woman doesn’t suddenly wake up on her birthday unable to conceive).

But what’s at the forefront of men’s minds as they approach this age? We asked a bunch of guys aged 39 and over to find out.

‘I get a lot of stick for being single still’

“I’m almost 40, single, with no permanent long-term job. I still love travelling and exploring and totally lack any sort of plan. But I’m kind of okay with that.

“At 40, you’re expected to have job security, a demonstration of some sort of career progression, where you’ve ended up with a bigger salary, a nicer suit and a nicer house.

“I get a lot of stick for being single still. All my friends are in marriages or second marriages in some cases, people say: ‘you’re not going to get sorted are you?’ Every now and then, you do question your life choices. There are always going to be periods in a 12 month calendar where you’re going to have a couple of phases of self-doubt, where you might question the way you’ve done things. You might feel a bit sorry for yourself and have a bit of a pity party. But on the whole I’m quite content with where things are – I’ve seen a lot of the world, I’ve met a lot of great people. I’ve been very, very fortunate in that sense.” – Stephen Boyd, 39, Lincolnshire

‘I was fine with turning 40, but turning 41 hit me hard’

“Turning 40 didn’t phase me, but when I turned 41 I began to obsess over the fact that my life was in a type of descent towards the inevitable end, and that my best experiences were behind me. I was also worried that if I had a child I’d have a limited amount of time to be in their life. My dad was 53 when I was born and I was teased about it at school, so I didn’t want to be an ‘old dad’.

“As it turned out I was 43 when my daughter was born so I beat him by 10 years! Now my life is all about watching her grow and develop (she’ll be three in August) and it has given me joy but also anxiety. I’m trying to live in the moment now because I don’t want to have more regrets than I already do, and I want my daughter to have the happiest and most secure childhood I can give her. So now I don’t obsess as much over my age or my past as I have a real focus on ensuring Flora is happy and loved.” – Peter McKerry, 45, Westcliff-on-Sea

‘Men get more of a free pass’

“I turn 44 this week and love it. I think 30 was more of hurdle for me psychologically, as it was the age where I felt you needed to knuckle down to some responsibilities and achievements personally and professionally, as well as resenting the fact I was no longer young and carefree. So by your 40s, you can enjoy all the new challenges and opportunities that come your way.

“There’s far more pressure on women at all ages but particularly 40s to have a great career and be a mum, I think. As far as media and peer pressure goes, men get more of a free pass. I’m lucky in the sense family and friends have never had any great competition between us to do well, some days are a grind, some days are easy. If you set yourself targets you lose sight of what’s important, which in my case is just trying to enjoy whatever it is I’m doing.” –Andy Dewar, 44, Hamilton, Scotland

‘I haven’t altered anything’

“I felt perfectly fine [approaching 40], with no pre-conceived thoughts of 40 being an issue and prohibiting me from what I can do physically and mentally. I look younger than my age so perhaps that played a fact in my mindset.

Has anything about being 40 surprised me? No not at all, why should it? I haven’t altered anything about my lifestyle to encompass my age or felt as if I had needed to.” – Michael Charles Grant, 40, Hertfordshire

‘Turning 40 made me re-evaluate my health and fitness’

″40… oh, that sounds old. Well, that was the thinking I had when I was in my mid 30s and heading towards 40. Society slots you into a category when your age starts with a four. I had just had my twin boys Alex and Lewis a few months before and dealing with them was really taxing on the mind and body. It was then also that I decided that ‘Dad Bod’ wasn’t something I liked and that I needed to do something about it. General fitness levels were poor and I found myself struggling with day to day tasks in dealing with two newborns. So I said to myself ‘Paul, you’re now 40, you’ve got the twins to think about, you don’t want two young boisterous boys growing up with a dad that can’t keep up… time to get into shape.’ It was a ‘If I don’t do this now, I never will’, moment.

“I’m in better shape now that I was in my 20s and 30s. Confident in how I look, with loads of energy for playing with the twins. My change in physique also motivated my wife to get back to the gym too, plus it has brought us closer with shared interest in fitness and just being better for our sons. Also, more body confident = more intimacy too.” – Paul McCaw, 46, Belfast Northern Ireland

‘Every decade has got better for me.’

“Every decade has got better for me so – despite the birthday itself not feeling like a big deal – I was really excited that my 40s would continue that trend.

“My 30s were where I started to put into action the stuff that I had discovered in my 20s. I left my really great job in the public service (which I totally loved) to start my own business in brewing. My wife and I started the business, had three kids, and then moved our business and family from New Zealand to UK. It was busy beyond belief, but we were both doing things we loved. Coming up for seven years into my 40s and despite the clusterfucks of Brexit and Covid, I’m having the time of my life!

“While there’s immense privilege in being a man – and that’s something far too few men understand – I think there’s a lot of pressure on men to achieve certain things by certain ages. I’m constantly aware of how, at certain stage in my life, I feel like I’ve still not grown up. And I wonder if my parents felt the same. I do remember my dad telling me that he didn’t actually feel safe and comfortable in his life until he was in his 50s. I totally get that. I guess a part of it is kids growing up and releasing that weight of expectation around looking after them.” – Stu McKinlay, 46, London

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