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This Morning star reveals heartbreaking secret miscarriages as Rebecca Adlington says she ‘hated body' after losing baby

This Morning star reveals heartbreaking secret miscarriages as Rebecca Adlington says she ‘hated body' after losing baby

The Sun2 days ago
THIS Morning star Dr Zoe Williams has revealed she suffered two secret miscarriages.
Appearing on today's show, Dr Zoe, 45, bravely shared her loss during a segment which saw Olympian Rebecca Adlington, 36, talking about her own miscarriages, alongside husband Andy Parsons.
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Opening up about her miscarriages for the first time, The Sun's Dr Zoe said: "I myself have had miscarriages as well, both very early on at 10 weeks.
"One was before I got pregnant with my little boy who's now four years old and one was after.
"The second one I was sat here on this sofa, bleeding, having a miscarriage. I say that because you will know people going through this. People often get on with it, they go to work, no one knows.
"I think we need to talk more and be more open. In some countries people share their pregnancy news as soon as they find out; the benefit of that is it normalises miscarriages."
Visibly moved, host Craig Doyle said: "I'm so sorry, it's such an awful thing you've had to go through."
Earlier in the segment, Rebecca discussed her reaction after losing daughter, Harper, who was delivered stillborn in 2023.
She said: "We were a mess. I could not stop crying for three days. I couldn't process it. As a woman you blame yourself.
"You cant help but feel it's your responsibility.
"I was angry at my body, my body let me down. I had no symptoms, that was really hard to get over.
"The fact you give birth and the baby isn't alive and you go home, look in the mirror and are still 20 weeks pregnant... I hated my body."
BBC Sports presenter Rebecca Adlington reveals she's been diagnosed with a life-changing disease
At the time, Becca shared the news on Instagram, writing: "I don't really have the words right now but unfortunately we went for our 20 week scan this week and they discovered no heartbeat.
"I gave birth to our angel, Harper on Friday at 7pm. We held her, and had time with her.
"We will forever love and remember her always."
Andy was just two days into a new job when the miscarriage happened and revealed how he broke down at work.
Rebecca is mum to daughter Summer, 10, from her relationship with ex-husband Harry Needs as well as son Albie, four, with Andy. Her first miscarriage happened in 2022 and required emergency surgery.
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What is miscarriage and why do pregnancies fail?
MISCARRIAGE is generally the death of an unborn baby in the first 24 weeks – approximately six months – of pregnancy.
Miscarriages may not be spoken about a lot but they are very common. Baby loss charity Tommy's estimates there are at least 250,000 per year in the UK and that one in every five pregnancies ends in miscarriage.
It may not be clear why a miscarriage happens but they are rarely caused by anything done by the mother or father. Usually the embryo has a random genetic defect that means it cannot develop properly.
Most women can go on to successfully have healthy babies in the future.
The NHS says most miscarriages cannot be prevented but avoiding smoking, alcohol and drugs while pregnant can reduce the risk.
Some of the other most common reasons for a pregnancy to fail in the first 24 weeks are ectopic pregnancy and molar pregnancy.
Ectopic pregnancy is where a fertilised egg implants somewhere outside of the womb, usually in a fallopian tube. It cannot survive and grow there so either dies naturally or must be terminated.
Molar pregnancy is rarer but happens when a fertilised egg and/or placenta does not develop properly at the start of a pregnancy. There is no single reason why it happens and cannot be prevented, though it may be more common in very young or old mothers.
A baby who dies after 24 weeks is considered a stillbirth.
Source: NHS
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Do these five things daily for 90 days to see a ‘profound difference' in your health, fitness and energy levels
Do these five things daily for 90 days to see a ‘profound difference' in your health, fitness and energy levels

The Independent

time32 minutes ago

  • The Independent

Do these five things daily for 90 days to see a ‘profound difference' in your health, fitness and energy levels

Most days, we do things that aren't particularly good for us while actively avoiding others that are – shunning a post-work run in favour of a pint, for example. Such is life. But if you can establish a few beneficial daily behaviours, and gradually forge them into non-negotiable habits, you will have a considerable head start over most people when pursuing improved health and fitness. Dan Lawrence is an expert in this area. As the founder of performance coaching company Perform365, he is responsible for improving the health of everyone from chief executives to elite athletes. And, he reveals, the building blocks for this process are remarkably simple and similar across the board, no matter your fitness level. 'Non-negotiables are the glue that holds your health and performance system together. They make sure you show up, even when motivation isn't there,' he says. 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By making your non-negotiables accessible and autonomous, you can weather the many storms a hectic schedule will inevitably throw at you. 'We all face stress and unpredictable schedules,' says Lawrence. 'Non-negotiables ensure key habits aren't abandoned in these moments, keeping you on track amid the chaos. Following through, even when it's inconvenient, also trains discipline, which carries over to every other area of life. 'For example, if walking 10,000 steps per day is a non-negotiable for you, and you're at 6,000 by 8pm, you get up, walk and hit the target. It's not about steps – it's about keeping your word, reinforcing high-performance habits and staying aligned with your bigger goals.' Dan Lawrence's top daily non-negotiables for improving health and fitness Fitness is an incredibly individualised thing. In Lawrence's experience, the non-negotiables below offer the most bang for your buck for all-comers, but each one can be tailored to suit your specific needs. For example, if you currently average 3,000 steps per day, the industry standard target of walking 10,000 steps per day may be unattainable at first. Instead, try aiming for 5,000 then slowly build this figure up over time. You do not have to adopt all five behaviours immediately, either. To begin with, try picking one or two you feel confident you can stick to. Then, if this is successful, you can add more non-negotiables into your daily routine at a later date. You can also scroll down for Lawrence's guide to setting appropriate and effective daily non-negotiables – this will help you identify beneficial habits that work with your goals and lifestyle. 1. Move more 'NEAT stands for non-exercise activity thermogenesis – movement outside of your structured training window,' says Lawrence. This can include walking to the shops, swapping the escalator for the stairs, doing housework, gardening or carrying heavy shopping bags. 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The key is adopting habits that are both sustainable in the long term and successful in helping you hit your fitness goals. The three-step method for setting non-negotiables Identify your goal The first step in deciding what your daily non-negotiables will be is determining the direction you want them to take you. This does not need to be overly specific. 'For example, you could be looking to become more consciously aware of your health and improve your body composition – or reduce your body fat percentage,' Lawrence says. Select habits that align with this goal Step two is identifying a selection of daily behaviours that will take you closer to this goal. 'All of the above non-negotiables are linked to the goal of improving body composition and health,' says Lawrence. Moving more and exercising regularly can increase calorie burn, while pairing reduced liquid calories with drinking more water can reduce calorie consumption, increase feelings of fullness and improve how you feel. Protein also aids muscle protein synthesis – or muscle growth – when twinned with strength training, and improves satiety too. Track your progress It's easy to sink a significant chunk of your payslip into fitness trackers, app subscriptions and fancy exercise equipment nowadays – but sometimes a pen and paper will suffice. Lawrence's final piece of advice involves creating a chart of your daily non-negotiables, then ticking off each day you successfully stick to them. This will hold you accountable and reinforce the positive behaviours, encouraging you to keep them going. How long before you start to see the benefits? Lawrence recommends maintaining your chosen non-negotiable habits for 30 days to begin with, then checking in on your progress – 'Do you look or feel any better?' Positive impacts could include improved physical capacity and function, more mobility, increased strength, decreased body fat, boosted energy levels, increased confidence and a greater sense of wellbeing. If you notice the desired results, do not fall off the wagon, he urges. The key to continued success is to stay disciplined and keep the momentum going. 'Sir Dave Brailsford introduced the concept of marginal gains – more recently popularised by James Clear in Atomic Habits – which is the idea that becoming 1 per cent better each day can improve your life by 37 times over a 12-month period,' Lawrence says. 'If you do these non-negotiables for 90 to 120 days, you will see a profound difference in your health and fitness. And after one year? You can literally change your life.'

NHS to pilot AI prostate cancer tests
NHS to pilot AI prostate cancer tests

Telegraph

time33 minutes ago

  • Telegraph

NHS to pilot AI prostate cancer tests

An AI tool to spot prostate cancer earlier is being piloted by the NHS. The two-year scheme involving more than 3,000 men aims to speed up diagnosis of the disease, which is the most common form of cancer in men. Every year around 55,000 men in the UK are diagnosed with prostate cancer and 12,000 die from it. But just half of cases are caught at an early stage, when treatment is most effective. Trials suggest the technology can help radiologists detect around 11 per cent more early-stage cancers by highlighting suspicious regions in MRI scans. The software by Quibim uses advanced AI, trained on real pathology results, to segment the prostate into zones and highlight areas most likely to contain aggressive disease. The two-year pilot, backed by £2.6 million in NHS funding, will be rolled out to seven hospitals in England. Clinical trials suggest it can raise detection rates from 80 per cent to more than 90 per cent. Early detection dramatically improves survival rates. Almost all men who are diagnosed with stage one or two of the disease are alive five years later, compared with rates of less than 50 per cent for those with late-stage disease. As well as looking at detection rates, the pilot will examine the cost-effectiveness of the approach to see if the NHS can save money by catching the disease sooner. It will also examine the impact on inequalities in heath, with black men twice as likely to get prostate cancer. Prof Peter Johnson, national clinical director for cancer at NHS England, said: 'The NHS is funding and testing this exciting AI technology to help us diagnose and treat prostate cancer patients as quickly as possible and offer them the best chance of survival. 'As part of the 10-Year Health Plan, the NHS is taking advantage of our unique position to test state-of-the-art technology like this, and rolling it out as fast as we can to make the NHS fit for the future.' Dr. Ángel Alberich-Bayarri, chief executive of Quibim said: 'This NHS rollout is a major milestone in our mission to improve cancer diagnostics through AI. 'We're proud to support the NHS in advancing early detection and addressing health inequalities in prostate cancer care. By empowering radiologists with AI, we can help ensure more men are diagnosed earlier, when their chances of survival are highest.' Screening could cut deaths by 40 per cent The findings come as The Telegraph launches a campaign calling for the introduction of targeted screening for prostate cancer. Currently, men are not offered tests, even if they have a family history of the disease. Experts believe there is a growing case for targeted screening, meaning that PSA blood tests would be offered to those at heightened risk of the disease. Even though prostate cancer is the most-common male cancer in the UK, it is the only major cancer with no screening programme. The UK National Screening Committee (UKNSC) is currently considering whether to recommend the rollout of testing. In the past, it has rejected the idea because of concern that PSA tests are too unreliable, and would result in too many men undergoing needless procedures. In recent years, however, the back-up technology used to confirm a diagnosis has significantly improved, with hopes that further advances being tested, could mean that in the future, screening could cut deaths by 40 per cent. Prof Shonit Punwani, Professor of magnetic resonance and cancer imaging and consultant radiologist at UCLH, said: 'Initial studies have shown that the tool helps radiologists to enhance their diagnostic accuracy through identifying subtle early stage lesions that are sometimes not obvious on scans. 'Ultimately, QP-Prostate aims to improve patient outcomes by assisting radiologists in creating more accurate and reliable MRI reports.'

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