Latest news with #postnatal
The Sun
18 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Reality star rushed to hospital just days after giving birth and reveals she's been on a drip for three days
A REALITY TV star has been rushed back to hospital weeks after giving birth - and praised her partner as her "knight in shining armour." The Made In Chelsea personality, who is married to fellow E4 show alum Oliver Proudlock, 36, likened her second maternity journey to being "in the trenches." 7 7 7 7 Emma Connolly, 33, who appeared in the show briefly, and her spouse share two children - Levi who was born in March, and Bonnie Lou, three. Yet her post natal experience has suffered a setback three months after giving birth to her son and she took to Instagram to reveal she's in the medical ward. It comes just days after her kids were in A&E with a sickness bug. Emma captured an image of her spouse carrying two coffees to her hospital bed. He proved the perfect multi-tasker, carrying little Levi strapped to his front and offering a beaming, get-well smile. She wrote in her image caption: "My knight in shining armour," before adding a series of Emoji love heart icons. Emma then posted an image of her baby sleeping and outlined her medical ordeal in text on top. She told how she was admitted to hospital with "chronic pain" and "flu like symptoms" before she added: "I was diagnosed with acute mastitis and ended up spending three days on IV antibiotics." Have YOU got a story or an amazing picture or video? Email exclusive@ and you could even get PAID She told how "absolutely incredible" Oliver was left at home to look after their toddler and baby. Emma added: "It was honestly the hardest few days of my life and I really don't say that lightly. Made In Chelsea's Oliver Proudlock reveals wife is pregnant with their second baby as she shows off bump "But I'm so grateful for the amazing care I received and the amazing support from my Ol." Another social media slide showed her hugging a private midwife, dubbed The Post Natal Package, as she sat propped up on the pillows of her hospital bed. In a lengthy message, model Emma wrote: "I don't even know where to begin when it comes to this incredible woman. "She was by my side for the birth of my son, supported me at home in those raw, early days and scooped me up without hesitation this week. "I've called her more times than I can count, asking everything from 'is this poo the right colour?' to 'are my boobs going to blow off?' and never once did she make me feel silly or alone. "She made me feel seen, supported, capable and confident when I needed it most. "And she's made me laugh more times than I've cried, which is saying a lot. "I truly adore her. She's been nothing short of an angel in my life." Yet she rounded off her posts with an image showing her lying on the hospital bed, with her little boy resting on her stomach. Emma is now back at home recovering. BABY NO. 2 Emma and husband Proudlock welcomed Levi in March. Announcing the news, proud dad Proudlock said: "He's here. Our hearts are fuller, our home louder, and our arms forever occupied. "Levi Fox Proudlock, the perfect piece to complete our family of four." The couple are already parents to daughter Bonnie Lou, who was born in May 2022. Oliver and Emma began dating in 2014 when she messaged him on social media about his earring after he'd appeared on Made In Chelsea. They announced their engagemen t in August 2018 after Oliver got down on one knee during a romantic trip to Gothenburg, Sweden. The pair's wedding was postponed due to Covid lockdown regulations in 2020, with them eventually tying the knot during a small church ceremony in Fulham, London, on December 15 2020. 7 7
The Guardian
24-05-2025
- Lifestyle
- The Guardian
I'm feasting on the contents of hedgerows like a horse in plimsolls – and I've never felt so healthy
I had a daughter during one of the bone-cold early months of this year, which means that my full-time job is now to produce a yield. Between the hours of dawn and midnight, with a few lactic minutes in between, I am a feeding machine for a new person. And it is this, perhaps, that has led to my somewhat strange new eating habits. Pregnancy may traditionally be the time associated with cravings and aversions – the old cliches of sardines and jam, coal and creosote, bread and crackers. But here, in my postnatal feeding frenzy, I'm eating nettles by the handful. I am chomping on sticky weed. I have been biting the heads off dandelions (bitter – like really serious dark chocolate) and sucking the nectar from inside honeysuckle. This recent chlorophyll gala has, of course, coincided with England's greatest month: May. Some of us love the look of May, some of us enjoy the smells. But for me, this year, the greatest heady, verdant, leaf-rich pleasure of my life is to eat May by the bushel. The sheer amount of dilute dog pee I'm ingesting must be through the roof, I suppose, but I don't really care. The number of edible plants and flowers in Britain right now is dazzling. My latest love is a plant called hedge garlic. Or, if you're in the Midlands like me, Jack by the hedge (he sounds like the villain from a Grimms' fairytale, or the kind of singer-songwriter we all regrettably slept with in our twenties). Alliaria petiolata, to give it its Latin name, is a wild member of the brassica family and has a thin, whitish taproot scented like horseradish, triangular-to-heart-shaped leaves and small white flowers. Friends, once you see it, it's everywhere. You can eat it from towpaths and bike lanes and public parks if, like me, you're not embarrassed to be seen bending down beside a lamp-post and pulling up your lunch. If you don't live in the sort of lush, woodland world where wild garlic covers the ground like concrete then hedge garlic is a fantastic alternative; the taste is oniony, garlicky and even a little mustardy. Of course, like absolutely everything that grows wild, it has a toxic lookalike in the form of lily of the valley. In fact, once you start Googling, pretty much everything edible seems to have a potentially dangerous twin, from mushrooms to flowers to roots. Buttercups are extremely poisonous, as are daffodils. So please make sure you are referring either to an expert or a very well illustrated book before you start to chow down on your local undergrowth, and it's a good idea to wash anything you pick in salt water to get rid of insects, as well as dog wee. But to be extra safe you could stick to these few, extremely identifiable friends: nettles (both the leaves and the seeds), dandelions, clover, sticky weed (that plant that people squished against your school jumper when you were little and is sometimes known as cleavers) and daisies. A friend of mine serves up slices of bread and butter topped with daisies to her small children as a mind-bending treat. She is yet to be burned as a witch. Of course, I am in the incredibly privileged position of living somewhere in which food is, to a greater or lesser degree, widely available. I am able to boil rice and buy eggs and stock up on strawberries because I am a relatively wealthy woman living in a country that has not quite, as yet, cut itself off entirely from global food markets. I am not eating undergrowth out of necessity, and for this I am grateful every day. Am I worried about the sewage in our rivers and the microplastics in our soil and the pesticides leaking into our ponds? Of course I am. But it is also true that Britain right now is a lush and emerald salad bar that I cannot hold back from. Pesto, bhajis, soups, salads, pizzas, pakoras, fritters, sauces – I'm putting these plants in everything. I'm literally mowing down the greenery around my house, munching through the stalks and leaves like a small, pink horse in a pair of plimsolls and I don't care who sees. Because my iron levels are up, my skin is good and it's all gloriously free. Just imagine what I'll be like when the apples and blackberries arrive. Nell Frizzell is a journalist and author
ABC News
15-05-2025
- Health
- ABC News
The NT's only private maternity ward is about to shut. Here's what we know about the new care options
The Northern Territory health minister has released the details of a replacement service for expectant Top End parents seeking private maternity healthcare. It comes after Darwin Private Hospital operator Healthscope announced it would be closing the facility's birthing ward from June 6, a move that will leave expectant parents with no other option but to give birth at the public Royal Darwin Hospital (RDH). The NT government previously flagged plans to offer two new options for private postnatal care for affected families — a "luxury retreat" at a "boutique" Darwin hotel and an at-home service. With more details now released, here's what we know about the new care options. Private maternity patients will first give birth at RDH before receiving postnatal care at a hotel or in their own home. The Mercure Darwin Airport Resort has been announced as the Darwin hotel that will provide expectant parents with a private postnatal stay option from June 1. NT Health Minister Steve Edgington says private maternity patients will be reserved a "deluxe king suite" room, where they will be able to stay for up to four nights post-birth and receive postnatal care by visiting RDH midwives. The midwives will assist patients with wounds, postnatal assessments, feeding, baby weighing and general newborn care. Mr Edgington says NT Health eventually hopes to secure a private midwifery provider to take over this service from RDH midwives. NT Health general manager of corporate strategy and performance, Alison Jeanne, says there will be a "ring-fence" around rooms reserved for postnatal care to ensure they remain available for eligible patients. Private patients who face complications during or after birth will need to remain at RDH until it's safe for them to be discharged. The "return home sooner package" is the alternative postnatal care option available to private maternity patients as of June 1. The government says this service will allow parents and their newborn to receive support in their own home, after being discharged from hospital. Support provided for families will include meal preparation and cleaning, and the same midwifery support offered to those who choose the hotel option. The government has not specified how many days after birth this service will be provided for. The NT government is promising all patients with private health insurance covering pregnancy and birth hospital care will have access to the private postnatal packages. 'I have been advised by NT Health that all insurers have agreed to support care options for women and families post-birth,' Mr Edgington said on Thursday. He also said NT Health had been in regular discussions with major insurers Medibank, Bupa and the Australian Health Service Alliance, which "represent around 93 per cent of the women affected". The government says all of the private services provided will not be "costing taxpayers anything" because all costs will be covered by private health insurers. NT Health-led information sessions will be held next week at the Mercure Darwin Airport Resort, for expectant families to view the accommodation and discuss their care with RDH specialist staff. NT Health says small group and one-on-one sessions will be made available to families the week starting May 26, so they can discuss with staff "the services, models of care and discharge support, as well as what to expect during birth, staying in the hospital and postnatal care". At a press conference on Thursday, Mr Edgington said he had written to the federal Health Minister, Mark Butler, requesting $35 million to help the NT government make "some modifications" to RDH's maternity ward. The Tasmanian government in February successfully secured $6 million from the Commonwealth to expand maternity services in Hobart hospitals, after Healthscope also announced the closure of its birthing ward there. Mr Edgington flip-flopped on whether RDH could manage the extra patients from the private system long-term, saying at first the government had requested the $35 million because it was looking at how to "cope with the additional 250 births per year". He later said: "We've made it very clear that 250 additional births can be consumed within the current arrangements at the Royal Darwin Hospital".
RNZ News
15-05-2025
- Health
- RNZ News
New mothers embracing Ayurvedic remedies
Ayurveda is a traditional form of Indian medicine based on herbs and massage. Photo: An increasing number of women in New Zealand's Indian community are embracing ayurvedic massages as part of their postnatal recovery, blending traditional cultural practices with modern motherhood. Ayurveda is a traditional form of Indian medicine based on herbs and massage. While the wholistic medical system has been practised for many years in India, it is now seeing a resurgence in use among migrant families in New Zealand. "It is a complete, wholistic approach to well-being," said Ajit Singh, an Ayurvedic doctor who has been practising in New Zealand for more than 30 years. Singh said Ayurveda focused on identifying the root cause of an issue - physical, mental or emotional - rather than treating symptoms in isolation. "Our main focus is to identify the causes of the problem than masking the symptoms," he said. He said many people did not fully understand the depth and authenticity of Ayurvedic practices. Last year, Medsafe issued a warning after several cases of lead poisoning were reported in Auckland and Bay of Plenty linked to the use of certain Ayurvedic remedies. Singh acknowledged the safety concerns but said not all products contained harmful substances. "Not every Ayurvedic medicine contains heavy metals, but that issue is definitely important and needs to be addressed," he said. Ajit Singh has been practicing Ayurveda in New Zealand for more than 30 years. Photo: Supplied Singh said Ayurvedic medicine included a range of treatment levels, and some products should only be used under the supervision of a trained practitioner. "Unfortunately, due to a lack of specific regulations, people often buy these medicines online or bring them from India. This has become quite common," he said. "The problem arises when people choose substandard brands. The prices vary greatly. Strangely, people are willing to buy the most expensive alcohol or wine, but when it comes to medicine they look for the cheapest options, which leads to issues," he said. He advised consumers to find medicine that had been certified by the Therapeutic Goods Administration, which regulates therapeutic products in Australasia. "The problem is people still buy from Indian grocery shops or online stores where regulation is lacking," Singh said. "That's something I hope will change, though I'm not sure when." He said rigorous training was required to become a qualified Ayurvedic doctor in India. "In India, you need to [study for] six years in a university and practise in an Ayurvedic hospital for a year as an intern before you start practising," he said. Singh said Ayurveda placed significant emphasis on women's health, especially during and after pregnancy. "Forty days after giving birth, a woman's body needs strength and Ayurveda has a specific diet that gives nourishment which helps rebuild her body and at the same time to the little one too," he said. He said Ayurvedic postnatal massages are designed to alleviate body pain and aid recovery after childbirth. Anju Philips, who gave birth a few years ago, received Ayurvedic treatment at a clinic in Hamilton. "I went for a short treatment and the massages actually helped me relieve neck pain and muscle pain after my pregnancy and childbirth," she said. "It's a common practice back in India and most of us are aware of its benefits," she said. Anjana Aravind, who had a baby last year, took postnatal treatments while visiting India. "I had an opportunity to visit India and used that time to get some postnatal care," she said. "It is said to rejuvenate our body after childbirth, and I had [received] massages and other treatments for five days." She said treatments typically varied depending on whether a woman had experienced a normal birth or a caesarean section. Ayurvedic postnatal massages are designed to alleviate body pain and aid recovery after childbirth. Photo: 123rf Nina Mitchell said she hadn't considered an Ayurvedic massage until a friend gave her a voucher as a gift. "The massage was so much more than I expected," she said. "It wasn't just a physical treatment, it was a moment of true care for my body and mind." Mitchell said the aches she experienced from caring for her baby eased and she began sleeping better. Rachel Dunlop also gave the treatment a go. "I had a couple of massages during my pregnancy and even postbirth," she said. "I felt grounded and rejuvenated." Health New Zealand - Te Whatu Ora does not have specific guidelines relating to Ayurvedic treatments in postnatal care. "We understand traditions and practices from a woman's culture will have an influence and impact on her childbirth experience," said Laura Aileone, national chief midwife at Health NZ. "Maternity providers in Aotearoa are expected to demonstrate cultural safety and competency as part of their core professional competencies," she said. "This includes acknowledging and respecting culturally specific treatment, while ensuring safety and alignment with evidence-based practice." A Medsafe spokesperson said Ayurvedic products fell under the Medicines Act 1981 if they claimed a therapeutic purpose or contained certain ingredients that were believed to have a therapeutic purpose. "Medsafe does not directly regulate Ayurvedic practitioners or their practices," the spokesperson said. "If a product is considered unsafe and concerns are raised with Medsafe, then we can look into these and undertake regulatory actions if it falls within the scope of the Medicines Act." Medsafe published reports around concerns on products such as Ayurvedic medicines on its website to keep the public and health practitioners informed, the spokesperson said.
