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Time of India
5 days ago
- Health
- Time of India
60% of women are scared of childbirth: Here's why some aren't
A recent study reveals that a woman's mental well-being and self-belief are key to managing childbirth fear. Researchers from Robert Gordon University and UniSA found that positive emotions, strong relationships, and confidence in coping strategies significantly reduce anxiety. The study emphasizes antenatal care that empowers women psychologically, fostering confidence and promoting healthier births by focusing on wellness and relaxation techniques. Fear of giving birth is common; about 60% of women experience some fear about childbirth, especially for the first time. Yes, you are not alone; however, certain things can help ease the fear. A new study has shown why some women are more likely to stay calm and confident in the lead-up to childbirth. A recent study led by researchers at the Robert Gordon University in Scotland and the University of South Australia (UniSA) explored the factors that contributed to the fear. The findings of the study are published in the Journal of Psychosomatic Obstetrics & Gynaecology . Childbirth and fear To understand how some women stay calm and confident during childbirth, the researchers surveyed 88 pregnant women who were in their third trimester of pregnancy before attending antenatal classes in north-east Scotland. Using the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale, the researcher measured the link between mental wellbeing, a woman's belief in her ability to manage the challenges of labour, and fear of childbirth. They found that 12% of expecting mothers had 'severe' fear of childbirth (FOC). People who were more positive, confident, and in meaningful relationships reported. Findings Dr Katrina Forbes-McKay, lead author of the study, said that antenatal care could be improved to foster confidence, enhance positive emotions, and ultimately support healthier births for mothers and babies. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like BITS Excellence, now online BITS Pilani Digital Apply Now Undo 'While many studies have explored the negative effects of childbirth fear, including prolonged labour, emergency caesareans, and postpartum mental health issues, there has been little research into what protects women from experiencing those fears. Our findings highlight the need for antenatal care that doesn't just teach women what to do during labour but also empowers them to believe they can do it,' Dr Forbes-McKay says. 'This includes having a sense of purpose, emotional positivity, and meaningful social relationships – all things that are often overlooked in maternity care. The second key predictor was childbirth self-efficacy – particularly whether women believed they could apply coping strategies when the time came,' co-author and UniSA Professor Tracy Humphrey says. The researchers also found that a woman's mental well-being was the strongest predictor of how fearful she felt about giving birth. The researchers emphasized the importance of antenatal programs to focus on building self-belief, rather than the medical model. Some of their recommendation include: Fosters confidence in the use of labour techniques such as breathing, visualisation, and relaxation Enhances psychological well-being by supporting social connection, purpose, and satisfaction Embraces an approach that focuses on wellness rather than the risks 'Women who incorporated these relaxation techniques reported 'significant improvements' in their mental wellbeing and confidence in approaching childbirth; improvements which remained stable until 4-8 weeks after birth. The findings align with global priorities from the World Health Organization to promote the mental and physical health of women during pregnancy,' Dr. Mo Tabib, a midwifery lecturer at Robert Gordon University, conducted the study as part of her PhD, under the supervision of Dr. Forbes-McKay and Professor Humphrey added. 'Kahin Bada, Kahin Chhota': Ravi Kishan Uses Samosa Analogy To Demand Regulation Of Food Prices 'By addressing fear of childbirth through psychological and educational interventions, we not only support women to have more positive birth experiences but potentially reduce medical interventions and improve outcomes for mothers and infants,' she added.
Press and Journal
02-08-2025
- Business
- Press and Journal
How Aberdeen offshore worker turned beer boffin to make queuing for a pint at events a thing of the past
Aberdeen businessman Nick Beeson describes himself as 'an accidental entrepreneur'. After spending nearly three decades in the oil and gas industry he decided it was time for a change. The 58-year-old embarked on a management course at Robert Gordon University not knowing what would lie ahead in his career. Fast forward nine years and Nick is now running faster drinks firm EBar, helping to reshape the UK's live event experience. His patented self-serve Beerwall technology — capable of pouring up to 200 pints an hour — is now installed at stadiums and racecourses across the country. His innovative dispensing technology has achieved more than £1 million turnover and £4m platform sales. Nick, who grew up in Barnet, North London, left school at the age of 17 with no real idea of what profession he'd like to go into. After graduating from Cambridge University with a degree in natural sciences in 1989 he discovered engineering. He said: 'I would say the only work experience I had done was working in a bank, so I knew that's what I didn't want to do. 'I actually did a paper round for five years. But, I went to university and from that discovered engineering which took me to Aberdeen and I started working offshore.' Nick spent five years as a wireline field engineer for Atlas Wirelines Services, now known as Baker Hughes. He then spent a further 23 years working around the globe before returning to the Granite City in 2015. By then he had become disillusioned with oil and gas and decided it was time for a change. This led to him going to Robert Gordon University to do a master of business administration. It was there he met his fellow co-founder Sam Pettipher and the idea of EBar started to come to life. Nick said: 'My co-founder missed a vital try during an international rugby match because he was stuck waiting for a pint. We both thought — there has to be a better way… 'We pitched it to the university as part of the course and they said that's a really good idea. You should try it. So we did. And the rest is history. 'I really wasn't sure whether to get back into the oil field. I thought, you know what? Let's just give this a try. 'Let's see if this crazy idea in an industry that I know nothing about, can happen.' The pair first developed the mobile EBar with its first deployment to Perth Racecourse in August 2021. There are now 45 of the mobile kiosks across the country. A combination of the patented dispenser and rapid payment technologies allows beer to reach customers in less than 30 seconds, meaning people attending major events spend less time waiting in queues. Nick, who lives in Hatton of Fintray, said: 'It took us five years to have a commercial product. 'It wasn't helped by Covid, which probably knocked us back 18 months. But we find ourselves right now with a lot of the hospitality industry starting to think, oh, this would be a really good idea, automation.' EBar, based in Marischal Square, also created its built-in Beerwall, which is used by eight English Premier League clubs including Brighton & Hove Albion and West Ham United. The aim is to have more than 100 Beerwalls installed by the end of the year. Nick said: 'We operate cricket, stadia and racehorse racing meetings around the country. 'The core business really fits in around football, not just Premier League. 'We work in all the divisions down through the English Football League. 'We've got the mobile EBar, which is the ones that we, wheel into a stadium. 'What then happened was that several of our customers said, this is great, but we really don't want to be bringing them in, taking them out. 'We want to have them installed. We want them branded. Can we buy them from you? 'That was when we developed the Beerwall.' Nick highlighted queues at the recent Deacon Blue Tall Ships concert held in Aberdeen. He said: 'I estimate that queue would have been 300 metres long. And it's that kind of problem we looked at nine years ago and said there's got to be a better way of doing it. 'Now we're here and just starting to get traction with not just the earliest adopters, like Brighton, but also now some of the big Premier League clubs, whose fans are very engaged, and love what we do. 'How many people now choose to stand in line at the supermarket checkout? Most people choose to go to the self-service and that's what we're finding in these venues. 'It's because we're quicker and we give our customers a better pint. EBar has just extended its manufacturing partnership with PP Control & Automation (PP C&A) who took over the complete electronics and mechanical build earlier this year. A dedicated team of eight engineers at its West Midlands factory has created a specialist production cell that has the potential to build up to five units every week, a 200% increase on the previous capacity. Nick said: 'We built the very first EBar units in-house in Aberdeen. 'But we knew that wasn't sustainable. We're a tech company and don't want to be a manufacturing company. 'We wanted to source a manufacturing partner that offered us repeatable quality and, importantly, the ability to scale-up quickly and that's where PP C&A has really come into its own.' Looking back on his time as a business owner Nick said: 'I'm very proud of what we've achieved. It has been very challenging at times and rewarding. 'This is a very, very different business. And it's taken a while to establish, to really understand how the hospitality industry works. 'I spent a lot of my time in large oilfield service companies. And working in a startup is a very, very different life. 'You get involved in absolutely everything. That can be good and fun, and sometimes it can be tedious. That's just the way it is. 'But I think when you consider, only one in ten startups survive five years? I mean, by that metric, we've done well.'
Scotsman
19-07-2025
- Politics
- Scotsman
Why Donald Trump's mother's birthplace has a lesson for Scotland in dealing with US President
Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... For anyone requiring a shorthand guide to the character of Donald John Trump, nothing has improved on Anthony Baxter's superb 2011 documentary film 'You've Been Trumped' about how he secured the land and consents required to build his golf course on Menie Estate. It's all there – ruthlessness, vanity, venality, bullying, bombast, contempt for the rights of those he perceives as lesser mortals... None of that is open to dispute. Neither, at the time, was the sycophancy of the Scottish Government or Robert Gordon University, which gave him an honorary degree and then made itself look even dafter by taking it away again. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad That was then and this is now. The personal characteristics show no sign of having changed. Like it or not, however, the same Donald John Trump is now President of the United States, elected for the second time with the votes of 77 million people. We might deplore it from afar but we also have to lump it. The American people have spoken. A rare sign of protest against Donald Trump in Stornoway, Lewis, in April. He is usually just ignored (Picture: Andy Buchanan) | AFP via Getty Images Trump loves denunciations As ever, it is necessary to separate the office from the person and righteous indignation from diplomacy. Self-interest as well as common courtesy dictates that Trump should be treated with the respect his office commands and also that his 'personal visit' should be taken at face value. If we wonder why he is back in Scotland, we should not forget the zeal with which his investment and brand were pursued in the first place. And if he wants to dedicate a memorial garden to his mother, then maybe he should be allowed to do just that with as little politicisation as is realistically possible. Respect, of course, does not mean acquiescence. It just means civility. I suspect that only a pretty small minority of Scots want to see next week's visit turned into a circus and for anyone who plans to make it one, the relevant question is: 'Who gains?' Trump is well accustomed to demonstrations and denunciations. He loves them. What he's much less used to is being ignored. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad I am not naïve enough to think that is going to happen and everyone has a right to protest. There are myriad grounds for not liking Trump or his policies. However, there also many reasons why it is the interests of Scotland and the UK to maintain a decent relationship, as events of the past few months have confirmed. Donald Trump is due to visit Scotland next week (Picture: Tasos Katopodis) | Getty Images Jobs depend on diplomacy When Keir Starmer had his initial meeting with Trump in the Oval Office, John Swinney was straight out the traps to denounce the offer of a state visit, a treat for poor old King Charles which is yet in store. That's the difference between grandstanding without responsibility and the realpolitik which diplomacy demands. Starmer was, of course, right to play every diplomatic card in the interests of establishing a relationship which would protect the UK from Trump's trade jingoism at that time. It is greatly to the benefit of Scottish industries that he did so, rather than following more excitable advice, and the trade deal which followed seems to mean that we will escape the worst of tariffs. Not a bad trade-off for the flummery of a state visit. People's jobs depend on diplomacy, not denunciation. There is also the difficulty that if policies could be separated from personality, Scotland's views on Trump might be more nuanced than assumed. For example, the 'Stop Trump Coalition' is 'encouraging all those who can to come to Aberdeen to show Trump exactly what we in Scotland think of him'. But who are these 'we in Scotland' – or more specifically in Aberdeen? Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad There are probably far more in the north-east who agree, than disagree, with Trump's insistence that there is life left in the North Sea, which it makes no sense to abandon for as long as we are gas dependent (ie, the Norwegian policy). The fact Trump is saying that does not make it wrong and if his meetings encourage both Scottish and UK Governments to think again, it would be no bad thing. While that does not need to be linked to his irrational hatred of 'windmills', there is no shortage of doubters about whether the 'just transition' which was promised is actually happening. The beneficiaries of failing to acknowledge any of that will be exactly the forces which Trump has aligned himself to in this country, in the person of Nigel Farage, which would doubtless fill the 'Stop Trump Coalition' with equal horror. Learning from Lewis Maybe the rest of Scotland has a lesson to learn from Lewis which has had to deal with the Trump enigma for longer than anyone else. With any less divisive figure than Trump, it would be a matter of great pride that the President of the United States is the son of an economic migrant who followed the American dream while always maintaining her links with the island. The politics of Trump – and not least his treatment of economic migrants – have long since made that impossible. There are no Trump Trails in Lewis, as there might be in Ireland. Cruise liners full of American tourists arrive and leave without any knowledge of the close connection to the White House. It is something that exists but is neither celebrated nor denounced. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Similarly, nobody can deny the authenticity of Trump's connection to Scotland or the possibility that it is something, however deeply concealed, which actually matters to him. The primary purpose of his visit is to dedicate a second golf course and a garden to the memory of his Macleod mother. Maybe just this once, we should cut Domhnall Iain Trump a bit of slack and let the occasion pass.
Daily Record
05-07-2025
- Health
- Daily Record
Scots student devastated after brain tumour returned during exams
Abbie Coull was in her second year studying to be a lawyer when she received the heartbreaking news. A young Scots woman who battled a brain tumour while studying for a law degree has defied the odds to graduate with distinction. Abbie Coull, 23, from Aberdeenshire, has completed her Diploma in Professional Legal Practice at the University of Aberdeen – the final step in her journey to becoming a qualified solicitor - despote her health battles. Her determination was tested just a year into her law studies at Robert Gordon University when she received the devastating news that a benign brain tumour, previously removed, had returned. 'I was only 17 when I was diagnosed with a tumour on the hearing and balance nerve just outside the brain,' Abbie explained. 'In 2021, during my second year at university, I found out it was growing back. I had to undergo radiation therapy at the same time as sitting my exams.' Despite undergoing intense treatment – and on three occasions completing exams on the very same day she received radiation – Abbie refused to give up on her goals, reports Aberdeen Live. 'I struggled with fatigue and side effects for a long time, but I was determined to keep going,' she said. Her hard work paid off, graduating with a first-class law degree before moving on to the University of Aberdeen to complete her diploma – a course she has now finished with distinction. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. Alongside her tumour battle, Abbie has also faced other serious health challenges. At the age of 12, she underwent major spinal fusion surgery to correct scoliosis, which meant missing school and giving up sports for two years. 'I've learned that things can and do get better,' she said. 'I knew I'd regret it if I didn't try my best, no matter how tough things got.' Abbie credits her family, university support services, and her own strong will for helping her through. 'My parents took time off work to drive me to and from radiation appointments in Edinburgh. I'd study or sleep in the car – their support meant everything. University counsellors were also a great help.' She also found that continuing with her studies helped her mentally. 'Knowing it would take three years to find out if the radiation had worked was incredibly hard. But focusing on my degree helped me stay positive – it was a great distraction.' Now in remission and with her health stable, Abbie is about to begin her first legal role at a local law firm this summer. 'The radiation did what it was supposed to do – the tumour has stopped growing. I still get an annual MRI scan, and while I always get a little nervous, the results have remained good.' Reflecting on her time in Aberdeen, Abbie said: 'The highlight has definitely been the people. From my first day, the atmosphere on campus was amazing – there was such a buzz.' As she prepares to begin life as a solicitor, Abbie has a message for others facing similar battles. 'Reach out and don't be afraid to ask for help. You don't have to go through tough times alone. I hope my story shows that even when life throws challenges at you, it's possible to push through and achieve your dreams.'
Press and Journal
03-07-2025
- General
- Press and Journal
RGU graduate who started uni at 16 begins career in law
Going to university is a big step towards adulthood, especially if you're also moving out of the family home. But while some of us (me) found it hard to make the move at 18, Katie Thomson already had two years under her belt by the time she was that age. The former Mintlaw Academy pupil had a clear plan in her mind from third year, knew what she needed to do, and went for it. And this week, at just 21, she graduated from Robert Gordon University and will now embark upon a career as a solicitor. Lockdown solved the problem of being two years too young to go to the pub with her new uni friends. But how was it moving into a flatshare and starting university at the tender age of 16? With Covid affecting her school years too, Katie nonetheless got five Highers in fifth year – English, maths, history, French and Spanish. After that, she went to university, skipping sixth year, which is not unusual in itself. But because she was young for her year, with a December birthday, she started aged just 16. Katie explained: 'I went into a flat when I was 16. 'I think I was quite a grown-up 16. It was a little bit scary, but not too bad. 'I don't think my parents were too worried – they knew I was only an hour away if anything happened.' And although the social side of things might have potentially been tricky – although not everything at uni revolves around the pub – Covid took care of that. Katie said: 'Because of Covid, no-one was really able to go out anyway, so I didn't really miss out on Freshers Week stuff. 'We got lectures to watch at home and then for the first semester, I was just in for one day every two weeks. 'I would say it was hard to try and get help with things and meet new people.' So in a way it was lucky for Katie that second year became the new first year socially. Lockdown eased then, pretty much when she turned 18. She added: 'Everyone met each other in second year.' Katie, the oldest of seven children, got a 2:1 Honours degree in law last year. And now, she has graduated with her Diploma in Professional Legal Practice. She attended the ceremony with her mum Lisa, dad Peter, step-parents and fiance Logan. Never one to waste time, she started a new job as a paralegal the day after she finished her diploma. And she has a little bit of advice for those planning their next steps. She said: 'I think it's different for me, because I was lucky enough to know what I wanted to do. 'If you know early what you want to so, then just go for it.'
