Latest news with #Izzy
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Health
- Yahoo
'We felt numb' - women share experiences of early motherhood
One word keeps coming up when these mothers describe their experience of new motherhood: numb. Deborah, Emma and Izzy - successful women and doting mums - had struggled with their mental wellbeing after giving birth. At a time so often portrayed as joyous, celebratory and brimming with love - they felt nothing. It can sometimes be our body's natural defence to shut down - a way of coping with the overwhelming rollercoaster of hormones, sleep deprivation and societal pressures. New research suggests one in two mothers found it hard to cope postpartum and 43% considered having therapy - but didn't. These women are telling their stories to encourage others to seek help. Strolling through Wimbledon Park in south-west London, five-year-old Zion is chatting about his first year at school, Pheonix, two, is telling funny fibs, and Trinity, who is six months old, grins and giggles. Their dad stays behind the camera, offering attentive support to his wife, Deborah. It's a vision of family serenity. But a few months ago, it was anything but that. Deborah Williams recalls a moment, days after the birth of her third child - her mother holding the newborn, the family laughing and dancing. And she felt numb. She remembers thinking, "I physically cannot do anything other than sit here with a blank stare on my face even though my kids are happy and I'm looking at them and I want to get involved. I need to do something to break this wall down. "What this could become is me not being emotionally available to my kids and I don't want that reality at all." Emma Ferguson-Gould experienced a similar sort of joyless paralysis after the birth of her second child. "I was unable to get out of my armchair, wasn't enjoying anything, felt very numb. Everything felt very bleak and heavy," she told me. "I wasn't well enough, I suppose, or strong enough - or in-the-know enough - to advocate more strongly for myself at that point," Emma says. "And it really took getting to a crisis point to be prescribed the anti-depressants and be put in touch with the talking therapist team - and it really made a big difference." She's curled on a blanket in the shade - her third child, six-month-old Flynn, sleeping peacefully in her arms. Flynn's birth was traumatic. Because of Emma's history of maternal mental health problems, the health visitors and community midwives had a plan in place. She is working through a course of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). "It's difficult, we're a work in progress," she says. "But I do feel very 'held' this time round - and more stable from that perspective." Both women are telling their stories as part of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP)'s Positive Steps campaign. For its launch, quotes from women who have had therapy have been spray-painted on to a path in Wimbledon Park, one well-trodden by exhausted new mothers. BACP research has revealed that half of women have found postnatal pressures to have had an impact on their mental health. And two-thirds of new mothers find the bombardment of advice - from social media, family, friends, health professionals or even well-meaning strangers - does nothing to alleviate the stress, adding to what it calls the "motherload". One in 10 women experience post-natal depression (PND), according the the NHS. Symptoms include persistent sadness, trouble sleeping and feeling unable to cope. Some women can develop postpartum psychosis, a rare but serious mental health illness. The Positive Steps campaign is supported by Izzy Judd - she and her husband, Harry, from the band McFly, have spoken about their experiences. "You go out for a walk, you're pushing your buggy but you feel so lonely," she says. And there is a distinct pressure to succeed. "There's a very glossy image of what new motherhood looks like online and I think that adds the extra pressure." 'Someone alongside with you' Georgina Sturmer, a BACP registered counsellor, says women often feel there are barriers to seeking help. "As a new mum we don't have much time or much energy or the resources to dedicate to maybe finding the support that we need and carving out that time - particularly if we need to get childcare. "There's also a more in-depth emotional barrier a lot of the time because so much has changed in our life and we're struggling with so many new things that it can be really hard to feel like we deserve to find the support," she adds. But she says therapy can be "transformative" because it involves "someone alongside with you - they're in your journey". She recommends searching for a qualified therapist through the BACP website. Emma, for whom therapy has been very beneficial, advises mums and dads to make a plan before the baby is born and compile a list of numbers or places to access help. She says to "be honest" at the six or eight-week health visitor check-up. Parents can also contact their GP to arrange therapy through the NHS. Deborah adds: "When you've got so much to deal with and you've got so many expectations that you're managing, the idea of sitting in a space talking, feels like: 'I could do something in that hour. I could be productive, I could work on my business.'" "I just want to encourage as many mums as possible - if you need the help, ask for it. I can honestly say I was one of those people that said, therapy's not for me - but it's helped me." If you have been affected by the issues in this story, help and information is available on the BBC Advice Line page. More on this story Postnatal depression Postpartum psychosis left mum fearing she was dead London charity helps young mums thrive Strategies for coping with stress as a parent – The Psychology Mum
The National
3 days ago
- Business
- The National
How to explore Copenhagen for a lower cost with eco-friendly app
CopenPay, then, is a breath of fresh air – a new, innovative initiative that brings joy and real benefits for both locals and visitors; helping you literally clean up Copenhagen as you visit. 'CopenPay is something real that improves our city,' beams marine biologist Izzy Smith, as she guides me, my wife and our two teenage daughters around the Danish capital's spectacular waterways in our battery operated small boat. Izzy works for GoBoat, which offers free rentals if you fish out rubbish on your trip, as part of CopenPay, a scheme whose organisers stress rewards 'conscious actions'. READ MORE: 'Not in our name': Protests start in Aberdeen amidst Donald Trump visit As CopenPay develops, it's growing organic arms and legs. 'This summer, we're recording how much rubbish people pick up and what type,' explains Izzy. 'And then we're collating the data to measure trends and to learn more about the issues facing our city. We're also working with the WWF and other bodies on regeneration and biodiversity programmes.' We ease around the Frederiksholms Kanal and the Christianshavns Kanal, armed with wee fishing nets. I wasn't sure what my teens would make of this, but they buy in instantly, fishing out a crisp packet and a soft drink can as we slip along in the shadow of some of Scandinavia's most impressive architecture. 'Everyone wins as you get to have fun, save money and Copenhagen becomes cleaner. It's been really popular. I've got family in Aberdeen, so maybe you should try something like this in Scotland,' adds Izzy. Trying something like this in Scotland is a brilliant idea. In 30 years of travelling around more than 100 countries I've just not seen anything quite like CopenPay, with almost 70 businesses embracing it. Søren Tegen Pedersen, CEO at Wonderful Copenhagen, believes CopenPay can create wider ripples: 'Our long-term vision is included in our tourism strategy 'Copenhagen, all-inclusive'. Here, we adopt a holistic approach to tourism, which considers both its positive and negative impacts. Our vision is to make tourism in Copenhagen contribute positively, not only locally and nationally, but also globally.' I had worried that despite good intentions CopenPay – in its first full year after a successful pilot last summer – might crumble against the practicalities of the real world, but it couldn't start any better. As we arrive sustainably by train we're rewarded with vouchers at the station that, using the Too Good To Go app, give us a free meal made up of items 7-Eleven would have otherwise thrown out. It's enough for breakfast for us all. Our other three vouchers are similarly rewarding – one place giving us four heaving bags of pastries we passed on to some appreciative locals as 'a gift from Scotland'. One of the things that really impresses about CopenPay is that everyone seems to be embracing it; even our hotels. At the hip boutique 25 Hours Hotel Indre By ( in the city centre, we enjoy free iced coffees when we show on our phones that we've walked 5000 steps. At the swish, towering Crowne Plaza Copenhagen Towers by IHG ( – another great base, just five minutes by train from the airport, CopenPay gives us the option of a free yoga session, though I opt to peer instead over the sea to Sweden from our 23rd-floor room. You don't go to any Scandinavian city for a budget break, but CopenPay helps take the edge off. And while you're saving money you're travelling more sustainably. The Copenhagen Museum just ask us to show we've arrived using public transport to grab a free coffee. At the Danish Architecture Centre, you can get a free guide to go with your veggie lunch. Their Recycle! temporary exhibition (until September 10) chimes well with CopenPay. And over lunch at the excellent Bryggeriet Apollo at the landmark Tivoli Garden – where we'd planned to go anyway – we all get a free CopenPay drink, with beer an option. I enjoy delicious Skarsgard prawns washed down with a free fresh lemonade. Handily we also had a Copenhagen Card, which offers free use of public transport – including to and from the airport – and entry to a whole host of attractions. This award-winning app proves seriously easy to use and dovetails well with CopenPay – it allows us easy access to places, where we then enjoy the CopenPay rewards for our sustainable actions. Sustainability is a serious multi-faceted issue facing travel today and it's reassuring to see a city taking a stand and doing something about it in a practical way. As we handed those rubbish picking nets back at the end of our boat trip, my youngest Emma smiled: 'I didn't know going out picking up rubbish could be such fun. Maybe it's something we should try back home'. Well done Copenhagen and well done CopenPay, an innovative scheme that will hopefully inspire other cities. Further information at It's best to book CopenPay activities in advance as some are on specific dates and others have limited spaces.
The Guardian
7 days ago
- Sport
- The Guardian
‘A lot of emotions': England fans head to Zurich after Euro 2025 semi-final drama
For those among England's travelling support whose energy had not been entirely sapped by yet another night of knife-edge drama at Euro 2025, the victory against Italy was an excuse to power through and party. Geneva is hardly known for its booming midweek nightlife but more than a dozen fans found a way to celebrate before boarding the first train north at 4.45am on Wednesday. Among them was a group of five who had taken the plunge and travelled without overnight accommodation, eventually returning to their campsite in Lucerne. The tournament has reached that heady stage where plans are excitedly patched together on the hoof; there is something about the logistical dilemmas behind plotting routes to a major final that clears tired minds and bleary eyes. Others with more carefully laid itineraries were still trying to make sense of it all. 'A lot of emotions,' said 15-year-old Izzy, who was travelling with her mother, Emma. 'It was so nerve-wracking. Then Michelle Agyemang scored and we just flipped.' The pair were sitting two rows from the pitch at Stade de Genève, level with the halfway line, offering an intense picture of those frantic final moments when England pulled it out of the fire again. From their home in Hethersett, near Norwich, Izzy and Emma had forged tentative plans to attend the competition's latter stages. But they had to wait until England had beaten Sweden on penalties, prevailing in an extraordinary shootout last Thursday, until they could push the button on their trip. For Emma, an English teacher who has seen interest at her school surge with the Lionesses' progress, there was particular pride in watching Lauren Hemp star for Sarina Wiegman's side. She hails from the Norfolk town, North Walsham, where the Manchester City forward grew up and cut her footballing teeth. But it was the 19-year-old Agyemang, little known to the wider world before her extraordinary impact from the bench this month, who captured imaginations on Tuesday evening. 'A gamechanger,' said Izzy, who wore a shirt bearing the name of the England midfielder Jess Park. Next comes the scramble for final tickets, which they were optimistic of securing upon arriving in Zurich for a few days' sightseeing before England's showdown. This tournament's friendly, inclusive feel has left fans impatient to sample the big-game experience on foreign soil again. 'It's been so nice,' Izzy said. 'Not that many of my friends follow the women's game so it's been great to be around everyone here, where we can talk about everything.' On an afternoon train to Zurich, Adie and Amy relieved Chloe Kelly's penalty-rebound winner through a video taken from their position a matter of yards away behind the goal. The phone camera shook wildly as wild celebrations unfolded. They were among a group of friends who had played football together at the University of Leeds and frequently travel to support England's women at tournaments. 'It's great to see how much bigger the games have become,' Amy said. 'We were in Nice for the World Cup in 2019 and you would barely have known there were matches on. Now you see people out and about everywhere in England shirts.' Sign up to Moving the Goalposts No topic is too small or too big for us to cover as we deliver a twice-weekly roundup of the wonderful world of women's football after newsletter promotion Their party have tickets to the final secured and were pleased, during the journey, to learn two friends will be able to join them. First they were due to attend the second semi-final, between Spain and Germany, whose outcome would have a huge bearing on perceptions of England's chances. A Spain victory would revive memories of the 2023 World Cup final, where La Roja beat them 1-0 in a dominant display. 'We're staying positive, we're manifesting,' Amy said. 'Our motto has been: 'No fear.' And as we've seen, it only takes one second to score.' England may need a few more seconds than that if their final opponents are on song. But Basel will pulsate to the jubilation of even more tired, ecstatic supporters if they pull through and complete the job on Sunday night.
Newsweek
15-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Newsweek
Millennial Mom Panics Kids Will Turn Out Like Her—Then She Sees Teenage Son
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. A Wisconsin mom who was concerned her teenager would end up in the wrong crowd soon realized she had nothing to worry about. Shannon O'Donahue (@shannonsayss) posted a clip on TikTok pulling up next to her 16-year-old son, Izzy, wearing a wizard hat and carrying a wizard box. His friend, 15-year-old Wyatt, gives her a casual wave, clad in full medieval-style armor. View of the parking lot from O'Donahue's driver's seat. View of the parking lot from O'Donahue's driver's seat. @shannonsayss "I was always worried my kids would compromise who they are to fit in the way I did or that they would feel a desire to rebel," O'Donahue told Newsweek. "But, as you can see, and I'm happy to know, my son is himself 100 percent of the time." Coming from a background of abuse and neglect, sneaking out of the home and skipping school were regular things for O'Donahue. She said that, as a teen, she was always in trouble. Being bullied made it "impossible" to attend school, so she eventually left in her junior year. "I was just a kid in survival mode looking for love, connection and acceptance in all the wrong places, so I ended up in trouble a lot," O'Donahue added. She later returned to education in her 20s, enrolling at a community college before transferring to the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. She earned her bachelor's in communications in her 30s, while her children watched her walk across the graduation stage. "I didn't get to walk the stage in high school, but my kids got to watch me … [graduate] college," O'Donahue said. "I wouldn't change a thing." Still, the memories of her own difficult adolescence lingered when it came to raising her kids. "Having teens of my own scared me because of that past," O'Donahue said. "I know what teens are capable of and what pressures they face." She was concerned that her children may follow in her footsteps, but she really had nothing to worry about. According to Izzy, the TikTok video captured a relatively normal day for him and Wyatt. "We walk around in these outfits a lot," Izzy told Newsweek. "We went to walk a few miles to our favorite bench on the side of the road in these outfits for fun. "We also put some trinkets, like Shakespeare books, in a big wizard's chest," he continued. "Our ride took a while, so we went to get a coconut at Woodman's. We were on a quest." "Him and [Wyatt] don't care what people think of them," O'Donahue said. "They're happy being their creative silly selves, and the world seems to respond well to that." Her clip has gone viral on TikTok, amassing more than 1.9 million views and over 387,000 likes. Thousands of users became obsessed with the duo. "Just walking around lost for 4 hours not a care in the world. They were on an adventure," one user wrote. "I'm so sorry but the way his friend waved at you when you rolled up, made me die of laughter. Like it's was a regular occurrence," another added. A third user commented: "You realize they're like this because YOU're a good mom, right?" O'Donahue said that the reaction online has been heartwarming. "I think it's a testament to the fact that we all wish we could be ourselves a little more and not worry about what people think," she added. "These kids give me hope for a more-exciting and accepting world."
San Francisco Chronicle
10-07-2025
- Business
- San Francisco Chronicle
S.F.'s newest dining trend? Old restaurants
In her March 1987 review of Izzy's Steaks and Chops, Chronicle critic Patricia Unterman described the transformation of an Irish pub in the Marina into 'an elaborate stage set' inspired by prolific bootlegger Izzy Gomez's North Beach saloon. She wrote, 'The place projects a history, a resonance, even though it's only a couple months old. The ambiance makes you want to have a shot of whiskey and a steak.' Those sentences could have been written by me a few months ago, although I'm more of a whiskey sipper than a shooter. After an extensive renovation overseen by the late owner Sam DuVall 's daughter, Samantha Bechtel, Izzy's is back slinging steaks, and the projected history and resonance is as thick as the house creamed spinach. If the original Izzy's was a late '80s simulacrum of a Prohibition Era speakeasy, the new Izzy's is a 2025 interpretation of a luxurious late '80s steakhouse inspired by a Prohibition Era speakeasy. This year, at least as far as dining is concerned, what's old is new again. Izzy's is one of a handful of legacy San Francisco restaurants that have recently been given a fresh lease on life. Old standbys like Turtle Tower, Wayfare Tavern and Crustacean have reopened in sparkling new locations. Others have overhauled their interiors and given menus the spit shine. But the house specialty is reliably the same — nostalgia. The current economic climate is an arduous one for independent restaurateurs, especially those looking to launch their first business. My colleague Cesar Hernandez and I recently introduced the Now List, a quarterly round-up of the best new restaurants in the Bay Area. Of the 25 entries, 15 are either an additional location of an existing concept or are operated by groups that have at least one other restaurant. Like Marvel franchises and the Polly Pocket movie, restaurants that can trade on existing IP have an advantage. Sam DuVall was wise to that in 1987, when San Franciscans would still have remembered Gomez's Barbary Coast gin joint. Well, maybe not all San Franciscans, but certainly Herb Caen, who described 'the long climb to the second floor, where the bar was jammed with winners, losers, beauties and beastly bohemians' in a column that year. DuVall crammed the walls with Gomez-related memorabilia, old-timey advertisements and sepia-toned photographs. Much of that ephemera, together with memorabilia from Izzy's Steak and Chops, remains on gallery walls on the second floor, but the downstairs is dominated by a new mural by artist Matthew Benedict depicting the characters from William Saroyan's 'The Time of Your Life,' a play inspired by Izzy Gomez's clientele. Saroyan himself looks approvingly down at the refurbished dining room, with its long soapstone bar, milk glass pendants and checkerboard floors. Design firm Gachot Studios understood the assignment. North Beach Restaurant, which served Tuscan fare from its opening in 1970 until it closed in 2023, reopened under new ownership late last year. Its dining rooms, spread across two floors, have received a similarly respectful treatment courtesy of local designer Maria Quiros, melding the old — a black-and-white photo of former ownerLorenzo Petroni mugging for the camera, a mirror so weathered it's more Rorschach Test than reflective surface — with the new. Booths have been upholstered in a sumptuous mossy green. Arresting canvases from Robert De Niro, Sr., brighten up walls. I don't know whether the glassware and china are holdovers from North Beach's previous incarnation, but their heft and quality are unusual for a contemporary restaurant. It takes very little to make the nostalgia flow at North Beach. One evening, seated downstairs next to the Willie Brown room, which boasts its own private entrance, I asked our server about the mayors, governors and other political players who did their deals at the restaurant during the Petroni years. Our server needed but the gentlest encouragement to dish. It would be unseemly to repeat his ranking of the least gracious political clientele, but apparently Arnold Schwarzenegger is a real gent. And the food at these establishments? Generally solid, but somewhat besides the point. You're not going to the latest Superman film for the dialogue, but rather to visit old friends and see what the new director has done with the joint. At Izzy's, stick to steaks and the dynamite potatoes au gratin, saving room for the warm cruellers, fried and glazed to order. At North Beach, the tweaked menu features more dishes reflective of the new chef's roots in Emilia-Romagna. Pastas and braised meats are a good bet. The caveat here is that I was not a patron of Izzy's or North Beach 1.0, and I therefore have no basis for comparison. I called up my uncle, who dined at Izzy's with some regularity during his bachelor days in the '90s. His voice took on the aural equivalent of a Vaseline-lens flashback as he recounted the cocktails he and his pals would throw back before dinner, the skirt steak that they definitively decided was the best cut on offer, the hot sauce bar with dozens of selections. He'd been back post-remodel, and I asked him how it measured up. 'Well I don't drink anymore, so that probably doesn't help,' he admitted, 'but it's never as good as you remember.' Nostalgia — and alluring new interiors — will get people in the door. If superhero movies are any indication, these historic restaurants have a bright future ahead of them. Izzy's Steaks and Chops 3345 Steiner St., San Francisco. Noise level: Moderate Meal for two, without drinks: $100-$150 What to order: Drinks: A martini would be an excellent place to start, but with any classic cocktail, you're in good hands here. Wines by the glass, including Coravin pours, draught and bottled beers, and a few N/A cocktails. Best practices: If you don't have a res, the bar is a beautiful place to dine. If you prefer something more secluded, angle for one of the private booths in back. Upstairs, there are club chairs by the fireplace for lingering over a nightcap. Skip the appetizers and the burger. North Beach Restaurant 1512 Stockton St., San Francisco. Hours: 11:30 a.m.-10 p.m. Sunday-Thursday, 11:30 a.m.-11 p.m. Friday and Saturday Noise level: Quiet to moderate Meal for two, without drinks: $90-130 What to order: Tagliatelle Bolognese ($31); osso bucco ($36) Drinks: Cocktails are excellent and all the better for being served in weighty, high quality glassware. N/A options are available. The lengthy wine-by-the-glass list is exclusively Italian and Californian. Best practices: North Beach Restaurant is popular with large groups; on one visit, a party brought their own accordion player, so… be aware that that could happen. The main floor is light-filled during the day, while the basement level reminded me of 'The Cask of Amontillado,' but in a cozy sort of way.
