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Gal Gadot gives birth to fourth child after secret pregnancy

<p>Gal Gadot is now a mum of four!</p> <p>The Wonder Woman star announced that she and her husband, Jaron Varsano, have welcomed a baby girl, after keeping the pregnancy under wraps. </p> <p>“My sweet girl, welcome,” she wrote on Instagram, with a photo of her cuddling her newborn. </p> <p>“The pregnancy was not easy and we made it through.”</p> <p>Gadot added that her baby girl, Ori, has brought them "so much light" and revealed the sweet meaning behind her name being "my light" in Hebrew. </p> <p>“Our hearts are full of gratitude. Welcome to the house of girls. daddy is pretty cool too️,” she concluded.</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/C4L5btqPutJ/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C4L5btqPutJ/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Gal Gadot (@gal_gadot)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>The actress received many congratulatory messages in the comments, while others were surprised at the announcement. </p> <p>"Wait she was pregnant?" wrote one confused fan. </p> <p>“Congratulations my love! May you raise her with peace and love to be a superhero,” wrote another. </p> <p>“Congratulations ️How exciting. With four children you are finally Wonder Woman,” added a third. </p> <p>“Welcome Ori. Best wishes and congrats,” said a fourth. </p> <p>“Big congrats! I suppose only a Wonder Woman can look that great after a delivery of the fourth child,” added another. </p> <p>Gadot and her husband kept her most recent pregnancy a secret from the public, but she was reportedly spotted with a baby bump while out in Los Angeles last December. </p> <p>The pair tied the knot in 2008 and are also parents to daughters Alma, 12, Maya, 6, and Daniella, 2.</p> <p><em>Images: Instagram</em></p> <p> </p>

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“Meant to be”: Twins give birth just 22 minutes apart

<p dir="ltr">Just days after sharing their 33rd birthday, twin sisters Nicole and Renee Baillie have given birth on the same day. </p> <p dir="ltr">The women, from Queensland’s Sunshine Coast, were shocked when they fell pregnant around the same time, with their due dates just two weeks apart. </p> <p dir="ltr">“We magically fell pregnant at the same time, which was crazy,” Nicole told <em><a href="https://7news.com.au/news/sunshine-coast-twins-give-birth-just-22-minutes-apart--c-13517897">7News</a></em>. </p> <p dir="ltr">Nicole was already at the hospital ready to give birth to her baby when Renee went into labour early. </p> <p dir="ltr">Renee rushed to the hospital just in time to give birth in the hospital foyer,  welcoming a baby girl named Ruby.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I was just about to have a bath when I heard someone had a baby in the corridor,” Nicole said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I couldn’t believe it,” Renee said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“When I got here, into this room after we had (the baby), I wasn’t sure how far along Nicole was. I didn’t want her (Nicole) to know I’d already had my baby, just in case it, like, threw her off.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Renee soon found out Nicole had given birth to a baby boy, named Zavian, only 22 minutes earlier.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I thought I had a few days left, but they decided they wanted to be born on the same day,” Renee said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“It was just meant to be, and I think everyone has just manifested this happening,” Nicole said.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credits: 7News</em></p>

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Twin sisters give birth on the same day

<p dir="ltr">Identical twins Gillianne Gogas and Nicole Patrikakos have lived their whole lives in synchronicity after being born together 36 years ago. </p> <p dir="ltr">Now, the women have welcomed their own children into the world on the same day, in the same hospital. </p> <p dir="ltr">The extraordinary coincidence happened in Melborune’s Epworth Freemasons hospital, with both Nicole and Gillianne welcoming healthy baby boys just hours apart. </p> <p dir="ltr">Gillianne said they both felt a mix of emotions over their matching maternity experience.</p> <p dir="ltr">"The timing, you just can't plan something like that. So yeah, disbelief, shock, excitement, all of those emotions," Gillianne told 9News.</p> <p dir="ltr">Gillianne's son, Alexander, arrived on August 22 at 1:20pm, followed by sister Nicole's baby boy, William, a mere five hours later.</p> <p dir="ltr">Nicole said the sisters had the same due date, so the duplicate deliveries were no surprise to the identical twin sisters.</p> <p dir="ltr">"(We were) very close growing up. We have always done everything together so this is just another example of that," she said.</p> <p dir="ltr">Gillianne said they had nine months of pregnancy to process their "tandem" due date.</p> <p dir="ltr">"And yet it is still quite unbelievable," she said.</p> <p dir="ltr">However, the synchronicity didn’t end there, as the babies were both delivered by the same obstetrician, Dr Joseph Sgroi, who said the births were a first for him during his time as a doctor. </p> <p dir="ltr">"It is not something that is common. It is not commonplace for even sisters to give birth on the same time or on the same day," he said.</p> <p dir="ltr">The newborns even had the same birth weight, a healthy 3.5 kilograms.</p> <p dir="ltr">"Oh yes that came as another surprise," Gillianne said.</p> <p dir="ltr">"Exactly the same," Nicole said.</p> <p dir="ltr">Dr Sgroi said the babies would biologically be closer to brothers than cousins, with Nicole and Gillianne hoping they would share the same special relationship as their mothers. </p> <p dir="ltr">"Hopefully they will be as close as we are because it really is a special bond that we have," Nicole said.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Nine News</em></p>

Family & Pets

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Iconic Dulux dog gives birth to adorable puppies

<p>The iconic Dulux dog has given birth to seven adorable Old English Sheepdog puppies. </p> <p>The heart-warming news was shared on X, formerly known as Twitter, by the global paint brand to celebrate International Dog Day. </p> <p>The pups can be seen running around on wobbly legs and playing with each other before resting on their mother, Olivia. </p> <p>Olivia, who lives in Lincolnshire in England, is the current the face of the Dulux ads, with the brand using Old English Sheepdogs in their advertisements for more than 60 years. </p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">This International Dog Day, we're introducing the next generation of Dulux puppies.... Say hello to our fluffy friends 🐶 <a href="https://t.co/NApCnZUHT3">pic.twitter.com/NApCnZUHT3</a></p> <p>— Dulux UK | Colour &amp; Inspiration (@duluxuk) <a href="https://twitter.com/duluxuk/status/1695346808568861170?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 26, 2023</a></p></blockquote> <p>Olivia's pups may already have their future in showbiz sorted, with Dulux calling the six-week-old puppies "stars in their own right", hinting they may appear in ads as they get older. </p> <p>Dulux Creative Director and Colour Expert Marianne Shillingford said, “As proud sponsors of the Old English Sheepdog Rescue &amp; Welfare Fund, we’re delighted to be able to finally share the exciting news of the irresistible puppy additions to the Dulux family.”</p> <p>“The pups are stars in their own right, and I’m sure we’ll be seeing more of them in the years to come.”</p> <p>The beloved breed of dog has been synonymous with the Dulux brand since first appearing in a Dulux ad in 1961 when the director’s Old English Sheepdog, Dash, crashed one of the adverts. </p> <p>The camera and cast loved Dash so much that he made it into the ad after the final edit. </p> <p>After Dash, pup Digby took the reins - and was perhaps the most famous Dulux dog after picking up a Hollywood film credit. </p> <p>Between 1995 and 2002, the position was held by Mash, followed by Willow and, most recently, two Old English Sheepdogs, Madison and Olivia.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Dulux</em></p>

Family & Pets

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Kate Middleton's strict post-birth rule

<p>As Prince George celebrated his 10th birthday, reports have emerged of a strict rule that Kate Middleton had to follow after she brought her first child into the world one decade ago. </p> <p>The Princess of Wales gave birth to Prince George at St. Mary's Hospital in London on July 22nd 2013, with the news of the future heir of the throne making waves around the world. </p> <p>When Prince George was born, centuries of royal tradition and protocol meant no one was allowed to know about the royal birth until the late Queen Elizabeth was told first. </p> <p>This strict rule meant that Kate had to wait to tell her parents, family and friends until it was confirmed that the Queen was aware of Prince George's birth. </p> <p>According to reports from <a href="https://www.marieclaire.com/celebrity/royals/queen-elizabeth-found-out-prince-george-birth/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>Marie Claire</em></a>, those in the delivery room were also sworn to secrecy to keep their lips sealed. </p> <p>They also reported the Royal protocol in full, which states that the current monarch should be the first call following the birth of a future monarch. </p> <p>In terms of how Queen Elizabeth found out, it was revealed that Prince William - the now next-in-line to the throne - called his grandmother from a specially encrypted phone to break the good news.</p> <p>This isn't the only rule involved in the birth of a royal either, with the huge news coming with a strict set of rules.</p> <p>As well as being the first to learn of the young prince's birth, Queen Elizabeth also had to approve his name due to the fact that he was a direct heir to the throne, and luckily, Prince George Alexander Louis was a hit!</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

Family & Pets

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Mum who gave birth during coma finally wakes

<p>A woman from the US has woken up from a coma to discover her baby had been born. </p> <p>Jackie Miller James, a 35-year-old beauty and lifestyle influencer, was found found unresponsive by her husband in June, after she suffered a brain aneurysm while heavily pregnant. </p> <p>Jackie fell into a coma following the traumatic event, with her sister posting a fundraiser to help her family through the difficult time. </p> <p>“We are deeply saddened to share that our sister, Jacqueline (Jackie), was nine months pregnant and one week from her due date, when she suffered an aneurysm rupture, leading to severe brain bleeding and injury,” she wrote. </p> <p>“Jackie was found immediately by her husband, Austin, and was rushed to the emergency room and into an operation where they performed an emergency C-section and brain surgery simultaneously.”</p> <p>In a heart-warming update, Jackie's family has confirmed that she is awake and has has an emotional reunion with her baby girl.</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CuNV3eDJP3-/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CuNV3eDJP3-/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Jackie Miller James (@jaxandrose)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>The family shared that Jackie's recovery is exceeding expectations, with medical professionals pleased with her most recent tests. </p> <p>“The doctors have been pleased upon her latest tests, numbers and evaluations, noting that Jackie is performing above expectations at this stage of her recovery and is progressing more with every passing day,” the post read.</p> <p>“Jackie and Austin’s baby girl is a constant source of light for the entire family and continues to grow into a happy, healthy, and animated little angel."</p> <p>“Despite James’s delicate state of health, her daughter was delivered safely, spending 12 days in the NICU before going home.”</p> <p>Since Jackie's incident, a <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-jackies-long-road-to-recovery" target="_blank" rel="noopener">GoFundMe</a> campaign to support her and her family has amassed an incredible $500,000, as the funds will be allocated to cover the costs of Ms James’ speech therapy, physical therapy, necessary home modifications, and alternative therapies to address any lasting impairments she may face.</p> <p>Jackie's family thanked those who have donated for their support, writing, "The resources raised from the GoFundMe will allow us to continue to give Jackie the very best care and every chance at recovery. We are so appreciative of your donations, every little bit continues to help.”</p> <p><em>Image credits: GoFundMe</em></p>

Family & Pets

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20 old words that have new meanings since the birth of the internet

<p><a href="../Dictionary.com"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Dictionary.com</strong></span></a> has revealed a list of commonly used words that have seen their definition change considerably in the last couple of decades.</p> <p>The changes have been primarily driven by the increased use of social media. While 1995 may seem like it was just yesterday to some of us, 20 years is actually a really long time. The world has change from dial-up modems and VCRs to unlimited broadband and Netflix streaming.</p> <p>Check out the list of 20 words with new meanings below:</p> <p><strong>1. Bump</strong></p> <p>Then: “to come more or less heavily in contact with.”</p> <p>Now: “to move an online post or thread to the top of the reverse chronological list by adding a new comment or post to the thread.”</p> <p><strong>2. Cloud</strong></p> <p>Then: “a visible collection of particles of water or ice suspended in the air.”</p> <p>Now: “any of several parts of the Internet that allow online processing and storage of documents and data as well as electronic access to software and other resources.”</p> <p><strong>3. Core</strong></p> <p>Then: “the central part of a fleshy fruit, containing the seeds.”</p> <p>Now: “the muscles of the torso, which provide support for the spine and pelvis.”</p> <p><strong>4. Fail</strong></p> <p>Then: “to come short or be wanting in action.”</p> <p>Now: “to make an embarrassing or humorous mistake, be in a humiliating situation, etc., and be subject to ridicule.”</p> <p><strong>5. Footprint</strong></p> <p>Then: “a mark left by the foot.”</p> <p>Now: “a unique set of characteristics, actions, etc., that leave a trace and serve as a means of identification.”</p> <p><strong>6. Friend</strong></p> <p>Then: “someone attached to another by feelings of affection or personal regard.”</p> <p>Now: “to add a person to one’s list of contacts on a social-networking website.”</p> <p><strong>7. Glance</strong></p> <p>Then: “to look quickly or briefly.”</p> <p>Now: “Information on an electronic screen that can be understood quickly or at a glance.”</p> <p><strong>8. Goldilocks</strong></p> <p>Then: “a person with golden hair.”</p> <p>Now: “Not being extreme or not varying drastically between extremes, especially between hot and cold.”</p> <p><strong>9. Like</strong></p> <p>Then: “having the same or similar qualities or characteristics.”</p> <p>Now: “to indicate one’s enjoyment of, agreement with, or interest in website content, especially in social media.”</p> <p><strong>10. Meme</strong></p> <p>Then: “a cultural element, as a custom or concept.”</p> <p>Now: “A cultural item in the form of an image, video, phrase, etc., that is spread via the Internet and often altered in a creative or humorous way.”</p> <p><strong>11. Ping:</strong></p> <p>Then: “to produce a sharp, ringing, high-pitched sound.”</p> <p>Now: “to make contact with someone by sending a brief electronic message, as a text message.”</p> <p><strong>12. Profile:</strong></p> <p>Then: “the outline or contour of the human face, especially as seen from the side.”</p> <p>Now: “the personal details, images, user statistics, social-media timeline, etc., that an individual creates and associates with a username or online account.”</p> <p><strong>13. Sandbox:</strong></p> <p>Then: “a container holding sand, usually located in an outdoors area.”</p> <p>Now: “an environment in which software developers or editors can create and test new content, separate from other content in the project.”</p> <p><strong>14. Swipe</strong></p> <p>Then: “a stroke with full swing of the arms.”</p> <p>Now: “to move the fingers across a touchscreen.”</p> <p><strong>15. Takeaway</strong></p> <p>Then: “food or beverage purchased for consumption elsewhere.”</p> <p>Now: “conclusions, impressions, or action points resulting from a meeting, discussion, roundtable, or the like.”</p> <p><strong>16. Text</strong></p> <p>Then: “the main body of matter in a book or manuscript.”</p> <p>Now: “to send a text message.”</p> <p><strong>17. Timeline</strong></p> <p>Then: “a representation of historical events in the form of a line.”</p> <p>Now:  “a collection of online posts or updates associated with a specific social-media account, in reverse chronological order.”</p> <p><strong>18. Tweet</strong></p> <p>Then: “the weak chirp of a young or small bird.”</p> <p>Now: “a very short message posted on the Twitter website.”</p> <p><strong>19. Unplug</strong></p> <p>Then: “to disconnect by pulling the plug from it or from a power socket.”</p> <p>Now: “to refrain from using digital or electronic devices for a period of time.”</p> <p><strong>20. Viral</strong></p> <p>Then: “relating to or caused by a virus.”</p> <p>Now: “becoming very popular by circulating quickly from person to person, especially through the Internet.”</p> <p><em>Image credit: Shutterstock</em></p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong> </p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><em><a href="../lifestyle/family-pets/2016/01/inside-a-1950s-tea-factory/">Inside a tea factory from the 50s</a></em></strong></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><em><a href="../lifestyle/family-pets/2015/12/vintage-beach-photos/">Vintage beach photos to get you in the summer mood</a></em></strong></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><em><a href="../lifestyle/family-pets/2016/01/grandparents-make-grandchildren-happy-study/">Why the grandparent grandchild relationship is important for happiness</a></em></strong></span></p>

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Hilary Swank shares stunning photos post-birth

<p>Hilary Swank gave birth to twins in April 2023, and despite <a href="https://www.oversixty.co.nz/lifestyle/family-pets/sour-note-spoils-hilary-swank-s-double-delight" target="_blank" rel="noopener">nasty trolls taking aim </a>at her, she has shared a gorgeous series of photos reflecting on her pregnancy journey.</p> <p>The star and her husband Phillip Schneider welcomed a baby boy and girl, taking to Instagram to share the exciting news.</p> <p>The new mum is now celebrating her pregnancy body on Instagram by posting one of her “favourite” moments.</p> <p>"One of my favorite moments in time, being pregnant,” she wrote alongside the image, which was captured by celebrity photographer Brian Bowen Smith.</p> <p>"I was 27 1/2 weeks here," the actress revealed in her post, a snap of her cradling her bump.</p> <p>She said being pregnant has been one of her favourite experiences, alongside meeting and marrying her husband and meeting her twins for the first time.</p> <p>Bowen Smith later shared an image from the shoot, an artistic shot of Swank grasping her hair with closed eyes.</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CrLqsmmryrQ/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CrLqsmmryrQ/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by 📷: BRIANBOWENSMITH (@brianbowensmith)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p> Her photographer applauded the actress for being such an incredible woman, writing, "Now you have two more awards to add to your collection. Thank you for choosing me to photograph what I'm sure will be an unforgettable moment in all of your lives.”</p> <p>Swank previously hinted that the birth of her twins was challenging, when she initially shared the news with her followers, she captioned her post, "It wasn't easy. But boy (and girl!) was it worth it.”</p> <p>The star shared several moments during her pregnancy with fans online after revealing she was expecting back in October 2022.</p> <p>She documented ultrasound scans, workout sessions and celebrating Halloween and Christmas while pregnant.</p> <p>In the midst of all her excitement, she took the time to mourn her late father on what would have been his 75th birthday.</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CrHNrLTPbFT/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CrHNrLTPbFT/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Hilary Swank (@hilaryswank)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>"You would be a Great Papa to two more extraordinary souls," she wrote, on Instagram alongside a series of photos with her father.</p> <p>"Thank you for being my guiding light. I love you, Dad. Always and forever through every lifetime."</p> <p><em>Image credit: Instagram</em></p>

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New NASA images capture birth of a star

<p dir="ltr">The James Webb Space Telescope continues to stun with its images of the universe following the release of an image showing a “fiery hourglass” housing a newborn star.</p> <p dir="ltr">The image of the protostar (a young star that is still unstable and cocooned in a cloud of dust and gas) has offered scientists insight into what stars might look like “in their infancy”.</p> <p dir="ltr">With the star located in the dark cloud L1527 and only visible in infrared light, the image was captured using Webb’s Near-Infrared Camera (NIRCam).</p> <p dir="ltr">The protostar itself is hidden from view within the “neck” of the hourglass shape.</p> <p dir="ltr">"An edge-on proto-planetary disk is seen as a dark line across the middle of the neck," NASA said in <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2022/nasa-s-webb-catches-fiery-hourglass-as-new-star-forms/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a release</a>.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-5b29e609-7fff-75b1-1c05-9a8cee017e57"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">"Light from the protostar leaks above and below this disk, illuminating cavities within the surrounding gas and dust."</p> <p dir="ltr"><img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/11/star-birth1.jpg" alt="" /></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>The James Webb Space Telescope has captured a photo of a young star using its infrared camera. Image: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI. Image processing: Joseph DePasquale (STScI), Alyssa Pagan (STScI), Anton M. Koekemoer (STScI)</em></p> <p dir="ltr">Blue and orange clouds forming above, below and around the protostar that form the hourglass represent empty spaces created as material shoots away from the protostar and collides with surrounding matter, with the colours being caused by layers of dust between the camera and the clouds.</p> <p dir="ltr">The thicker the dust, the more orange the clouds appear, since blue light is unable to escape and be perceived by our eyes.</p> <p dir="ltr">While it may appear small, the disk in the middle of the hourglass is about the size of our solar system.</p> <p dir="ltr">According to NASA, the protostar is relatively young at about 100,000 years old and considered a class 0 protostar, “the earliest stage of star formation”.</p> <p dir="ltr">‘Protostars like these, which are still cocooned in a dark cloud of dust and gas, have a long way to go before they become full-fledged stars,” NASA said.</p> <p dir="ltr">"L1527 doesn't generate its own energy through nuclear fusion of hydrogen yet, an essential characteristic of stars.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-83fc6d66-7fff-9fca-4c7e-d55b846fada4"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">"Its shape, while mostly spherical, is also unstable, taking the form of a small, hot and puffy clump of gas, somewhere between 20 and 40 percent the mass of our Sun."</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">Our universe is beautiful. <a href="https://twitter.com/NASAWebb?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NASAWebb</a> captured a stellar birth which is so poetically nestled in this hourglass shape. A truly stunning marker of time. <a href="https://t.co/8UflbFPdid">pic.twitter.com/8UflbFPdid</a></p> <p>— Shannon Stirone 💀 (@shannonmstirone) <a href="https://twitter.com/shannonmstirone/status/1593026314310934528?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 16, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <p dir="ltr">The protostar will get closer to stable nuclear fusion (the requirement to be a star) as it gathers more mass and its core compresses.</p> <p dir="ltr">"The scene shown in this image reveals L1527 doing just that," NASA said.</p> <p dir="ltr">"The surrounding molecular cloud is made up of dense dust and gas being drawn to the centre, where the protostar resides.</p> <p dir="ltr">“As the material falls in, it spirals around the centre.</p> <p dir="ltr">"This creates a dense disk of material, known as an accretion disk, which feeds material to the protostar.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“Ultimately, this view of L1527 provides a window into what our Sun and solar system looked like in their infancy.”</p> <p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><em>Image: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI. Image processing: Joseph DePasquale (STScI), Alyssa Pagan (STScI), Anton M. Koekemoer (STScI)</em></p>

Technology

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Grandma gives birth to her own grandchild

<p dir="ltr">While it might be her fifth time welcoming a grandchild, the way this US woman has done so is a first for her and her family.</p> <p dir="ltr">Nancy Hauck gave birth to her granddaughter Hannah last week, according to the <em>New York Post</em>, and did so for a special reason.</p> <p dir="ltr">The 56-year-old from Utah offered to be a surrogate for her son Jeff and his wife Cambria after her daughter-in-law experienced a traumatic birth and underwent a life-saving hysterectomy.</p> <p dir="ltr">Speaking to <a href="https://people.com/human-interest/utah-grandmother-gives-birth-son-daughter-in-law-baby-feeling-so-blessed/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>People</em></a> magazine, Ms Hauck said giving birth to her granddaughter “went perfectly” and that they are feeling “so blessed to have her in our family”.</p> <p dir="ltr">She said the nine-hour labour was a “remarkable and spiritual experience”, but admitted to feeling “some sadness” since the birth.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Even though I know that the baby’s going to my son, I know there’ll be a little bit of that empty feeling,” she said.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-8b8cb539-7fff-98da-9dd5-146942999604"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">Now, the grandmother plans to take a break from work and write a book about her experience.</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CkihR3cMu-0/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CkihR3cMu-0/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Cambria Hauck (@cambriairene)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">Her son and daughter-in-law were high school sweethearts and always knew they wanted a big family.</p> <p dir="ltr">“From the time I was a teenager, I knew that if I could only be one thing, I wanted to be a dad,” Jeff told <em>People</em>.</p> <p dir="ltr">"We always had in our mind that we wanted four to six — whatever the Lord would bless us with, is what we would always say," Cambria added.</p> <p dir="ltr">But, the couple struggled to fall pregnant for six years before having two sets of twins, four-year-old Vera and Ayva and 13-month-old Diesel and Luca, through IVF.</p> <p dir="ltr">After giving birth the second time in 2021, Cambria was advised to have a hysterectomy and was unable to safely carry more children - which is when Ms Hauck stepped in.</p> <p dir="ltr">Starting hormone treatments in January this year, Ms Hauck injected herself every day for 12 weeks with the help of her husband Jason.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-e9b25e37-7fff-f21e-015b-b8223b6704d8"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">A month later, a fertilised embryo created by Jeff and Cambria through IVF was transferred to Ms Hauck and she became pregnant with her grandchild.</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CgvWEb_LtM2/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CgvWEb_LtM2/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Cambria Hauck (@cambriairene)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">According to the couple, baby Hannah’s name has a special meaning and is a tribute to her grandmother.</p> <p dir="ltr">Jeff said that six days after the transfer, when his mother tested positive on a pregnancy test, she was “woken up in the middle of the night, and she heard a little voice that said, ‘My name is Hannah’”.</p> <p dir="ltr">Ms Hauck was also convinced her grandchild was a girl even before testing, and soon convinced Jeff and Cambria as well.</p> <p dir="ltr">Cambria explained that they discovered that “the name Nancy comes from Hannah” and that “they both mean grace”.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I knew instantly that that was her name,” the 30-year-old added.</p> <p dir="ltr">Since Hannah’s birth, Ms Hauck and her husband have been adjusting to the idea of being her grandparents.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I hope that we won’t treat Hannah any differently,” Jason said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“But we’ll always have that connection — that Nancy carried her for nine months. Just the magic of the whole experience will always be unique in our eyes.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Ms Hauck added that she wants all of her grandchildren to know that they’re equally loved and she “would’ve done it for any of them”.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-fa4cd013-7fff-2175-632c-b33d2ecaa8ce"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: @cambriairene (Instagram)</em></p>

Family & Pets

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Why is newborn baby skin-to-skin contact with dads and non-birthing parents important? Here’s what the science says

<p>Soon after a baby is born, it’s getting more common these days for the father or non-birthing parent to be encouraged to put the newborn directly on their chest. This skin-to-skin contact is often termed “kangaroo care”, as it mimics the way kangaroos provide warmth and security to babies.</p> <p>Mothers have been encouraged to give kangaroo care for decades now and many do so instinctively after giving birth; it has been <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27552521/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">shown</a> to help mum and baby <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0882596316000531?casa_token=QBk4MOx7VIMAAAAA:3DIH_RF_PdsZDqHkKSYgbM37Tgsau5GpTBPqUowy4kDN3tOwtnnPvpXCGkpBI8lJEQIqSorp" target="_blank" rel="noopener">connect</a> and with <a href="https://connect.springerpub.com/content/sgrnn/27/3/151.abstract" target="_blank" rel="noopener">breastfeeding</a>.</p> <p>So what does the evidence say about kangaroo care for other parents?</p> <p><strong>A growing body of research</strong></p> <p>A growing body of <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/361591701_Fathers_providing_kangaroo_care_in_neonatal_intensive_care_units_a_scoping_review" target="_blank" rel="noopener">research</a> shows kangaroo care brings benefits for both baby and parent.</p> <p>One <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/apa.14184" target="_blank" rel="noopener">study</a> that measured cortisol (a stress hormone) levels and blood pressure in new fathers found:</p> <blockquote> <p>Fathers who held their baby in skin-to-skin contact for the first time showed a significant reduction in physiological stress responses.</p> </blockquote> <p>Another <a href="https://www.hindawi.com/journals/nrp/2017/8612024/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">study</a> in Taiwan involving fathers and neonates (newborn babies) found benefits to bonding and attachment:</p> <blockquote> <p>These study results confirm the positive effects of skin-to-skin contact interventions on the infant care behaviour of fathers in terms of exploring, talking, touching, and caring and on the enhancing of the father-neonate attachment.</p> </blockquote> <p>A <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/361591701_Fathers_providing_kangaroo_care_in_neonatal_intensive_care_units_a_scoping_review" target="_blank" rel="noopener">paper</a> I co-authored with the University of South Australia’s Qiuxia Dong found:</p> <blockquote> <p>Studies reported several positive kangaroo care benefits for fathers such as reduced stress, promotion of paternal role and enhanced father–infant bond.</p> </blockquote> <p>Qiuxia Dong also led a <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/jocn.16405" target="_blank" rel="noopener">study</a> (on which I was a co-author) exploring the experiences of fathers who had a baby in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Women’s and Children’s Hospital in Adelaide.</p> <p>This study found kangaroo care helps fathers connect and bond with their baby in an intensive care environment. This had a positive impact on fathers’ confidence and self-esteem. As one father told us:</p> <blockquote> <p>I think after all the stress, when I have skin-to-skin I can actually calm down a little bit. I sit down and relax, I can cuddle my child and it’s just a little bit of a happy place for me as well as him to calm down, not to do any work all the time, not to be stressed out. There’s other things on my mind all the time but it’s time to relax and turn off a little bit.</p> </blockquote> <p>Another told us:</p> <blockquote> <p>She nuzzled around a bit, kind of got my smell I guess and then literally fell asleep. It was great. It was very comforting for both I guess for her and myself.</p> </blockquote> <p>As one father put it:</p> <blockquote> <p>Of course, they can hear your heartbeat and all that kind of stuff, of course warmth […] it’s being close with your baby, I think that would be the best way of building a relationship early.</p> </blockquote> <p>However, this study also reported that some dads found giving kangaroo care challenging as it can be time-consuming. It is not always easy to juggle with commitments such as caring for other children and work.</p> <p><strong>Involving both parents</strong></p> <p>One study noted <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21820778/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">dads</a> can sometimes feel like a bystander on the periphery when a newborn arrives.</p> <p>Encouraging and educating all non-birthing parents, including fathers, to give kangaroo care is a <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21820778/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">valuable way</a> to get them involved. And if a caesarean birth makes it difficult for the mother to give kangaroo care while still in theatre, the father or non-birthing parent is the next best person to do it while the mother or birthing parent is not able.</p> <figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/480777/original/file-20220824-22-j9lpxl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/480777/original/file-20220824-22-j9lpxl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/480777/original/file-20220824-22-j9lpxl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=401&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/480777/original/file-20220824-22-j9lpxl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=401&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/480777/original/file-20220824-22-j9lpxl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=401&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/480777/original/file-20220824-22-j9lpxl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=504&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/480777/original/file-20220824-22-j9lpxl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=504&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/480777/original/file-20220824-22-j9lpxl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=504&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 2262w" alt="" /></a><figcaption><em><span class="caption">A caesarean birth sometimes makes it difficult for the mother to give kangaroo care while still in the theatre.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Isaac Hermar/Pexels</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CC BY</a></span></em></figcaption></figure> <p><strong>More research needed</strong></p> <p>There is a need for broader research on these issues, especially around the experiences of fathers from culturally diverse backgrounds and other non-birthing parents.</p> <p>But the research literature on kangaroo care shows there is good reason for dads and non-birthing parents to do some kangaroo care when a baby is born. As we concluded in our <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/jocn.16405">study</a>, in the challenging neonatal intensive care unit environment, kangaroo care can serve:</p> <blockquote> <p>as a silent language of love.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/188927/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /></p> </blockquote> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/mary-steen-970055" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mary Steen</a>, Adjunct professor of Maternal and Family Health, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-south-australia-1180" target="_blank" rel="noopener">University of South Australia</a></em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-is-newborn-baby-skin-to-skin-contact-with-dads-and-non-birthing-parents-important-heres-what-the-science-says-188927" target="_blank" rel="noopener">original article</a>.</em></p> <p><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p>

Family & Pets

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"We are all hurting": Toddler dies of rare disease days before baby brother's birth

<p dir="ltr">An Australian toddler who died two weeks before her second birthday is being remembered as a “loving, caring little girl”.</p> <p dir="ltr">Twenty-three-month-old Ruby Edwards is the youngest victim of COVID-19 in Queensland, after the virus triggered Acute Hemorrhagic Leukoencephalitis, a rare neurological disease that usually follows viral or bacterial infections.</p> <p dir="ltr">The aggressive disease caused damage to her myelin - the insulating layer that covers nerves - after she suffered intense inflammation to her brain and spinal cord.</p> <p dir="ltr">Ruby passed away on July 24 at Brisbane Children’s Hospital, just ten days after she tested positive to Covid.</p> <p dir="ltr">Her father, Steven Edwards, broke the news in a heartbreaking Facebook post on Monday.</p> <p dir="ltr">"It is with great sadness that we announce our beautiful baby girl, Ruby Grace Edwards grew her angel wings and passed peacefully yesterday, 24/07/2022 at 4:21pm just two weeks before her 2nd birthday, surrounded by her family," he wrote.</p> <p dir="ltr">"She fought long and hard but unfortunately, the condition was too aggressive, ruthless and relentless. Thanks to her treatment, we don't believe she suffered any pain during her fight and was able to leave this world peacefully.</p> <p dir="ltr">"The hard working medical team of experts at both Logan Hospital and QLD Children's Hospital, did their very best and we are eternally grateful and thankful for their effort and care."</p> <p dir="ltr">Edwards and his wife, Krystal, are grieving their young daughter at the same time as they prepare to welcome another child into the world on Friday, with Edwards saying their family feels “broken” during what should be a “happy time”.</p> <p dir="ltr">"It feels like the world is falling apart for us right now, as we prepare for the arrival of our son this Friday, 29/07/2022. This is supposed to be such a happy time where our family would become complete but is now so broken," he shared.</p> <p dir="ltr">"We, all of us, need to love and support each other through this unimaginably tough time. We are all hurting, we are all in pain, please be kind and be there for each other and cherish Ruby's memory and the joy she brought to all of our lives.</p> <p dir="ltr">"All Krystal and I know right now is that we need to be strong as we embrace our arriving son. He will need us and we will need him."</p> <p dir="ltr">Sarah Watton, a friend of the Edwards, said they are dealing with a “mix of emotions” while grieving their “caring little girl” and preparing for the arrival of their newborn son.</p> <p dir="ltr">"What makes this incredibly tough time even more challenging is that Krystal &amp; Steven are expecting the arrival of their son on Friday. What a mix of emotions for anyone to try to deal with," she said</p> <p dir="ltr">"Ruby was only in this world for a short time. However, she made the most of every second. such a loving, caring little girl, always smiling. She touched the hearts of everyone she met &amp; will be sadly missed by everyone who met her."</p> <p dir="ltr">A <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/beautiful-little-ruby?qid=5c29c885cef0dd42a3d60cd1aed627c2" target="_blank" rel="noopener">GoFundMe page</a> set up by Watton to help the Edwards family has raised $26,560 as of publication, far exceeding its goal of $15,000.</p> <p dir="ltr">"I know there are no words to comfort Ruby's mum &amp; dad right now as they try their best to navigate through this incredibly tough time so I was hoping to try &amp; help them financially," she said.</p> <p dir="ltr">"Any donations, no matter how large or small, would be greatly appreciated; if you aren't in a position to donate, could you please share this with your family &amp; friends."</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-b6716380-7fff-0868-c92c-890ea6802edc"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: GoFundMe</em></p>

Family & Pets

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No link found between caesarean birth and food allergies

<p>While babies born through caesareans may lack some gut bacteria that would otherwise be gained through vaginal births, recent research has consistently shown that there is little evidence for caesarean births being responsible for asthma and allergies. A recent study by the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute (MCRI) in Melbourne, confirmed no link between caesarean births and food allergies during the first year of life.</p> <p>This research, published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: In Practice, looked at 2,045 infants who underwent skin prick testing and an oral food challenge to test for allergy status. In this group, of the 30% that were born by caesarean, 12.7 % had a food allergy, compared to 13.2% born vaginally, meaning there was no statistically significant difference between birthing methods.</p> <p>“We found no meaningful differences in food allergy for infants born by caesarean delivery compared to those born by vaginal delivery,” says Rachel Peters, who led the study. “Additionally, there was no difference in likelihood of food allergy if the caesarean was performed before or after the onset of labour, or whether it was an emergency or elective caesarean.”</p> <p>A potential link between caesarean births and allergies had long been suspected because of the difference in early microbial exposure compared to vaginal delivery.</p> <p>“The infant immune system undergoes rapid development during the neonatal period,” says Peters. “The mode of delivery may interfere with the normal development of the immune system. Babies born by caesarean have less exposure to the bacteria from the mother’s gut and vagina, which influences the composition of the baby’s microbiome and immune system development. However, this doesn’t appear to play a major role in the development of food allergy.”</p> <p>These findings will assist caregivers to better evaluate risks and benefits of caesarean birth, and provide reassurance to parents that such interventions do not lead to an increased risk of food allergy in their babies.</p> <p>One in 10 infants, and one in 20 children over the age of five years in Australia, have a food allergy, one of the highest rates in the world. This research provides further good news to parents and children: 30% of peanut allergies and 90% of egg allergies naturally resolved by six years of age. These infants should be targeted for early intervention trials, such as oral immunotherapy.</p> <p>“Prioritising research of these and future interventions for infants less likely to naturally outgrow their allergy would yield the most benefit for healthcare resources and research funding,” says Peters.</p> <p><em><strong>This article originally appeared on <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/health/caesarean-no-food-allergy-link/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cosmosmagazine.com</a> and was written by Qamariya Nasrullah.</strong></em></p> <p><em>Image: Shutterstock</em></p>

Caring

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“Above and beyond”: Mum gives baby unusual name after mid-flight birth

<p dir="ltr">A mother has gone into early labor and delivered her healthy baby on board a flight with the help of an attendant. </p> <p dir="ltr">The passenger was on board a Frontier Airline flight on May 17 from Denver (DEN) to Orlando (MCO) when she went into labor. </p> <p dir="ltr">Flight attendant Diana Giraldo helped the mother to the bathroom where she assisted in delivering the healthy baby. </p> <p dir="ltr">The airline shared the incredible news on Facebook commending Ms Giraldo’s quick thinking during delivery.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Diana again went above and beyond after the completion of the flight to coordinate our return to Orlando,” Captain Chris Nye said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“The whole crew really did a great job. I transferred controls and flying duties to my First Officer as I coordinated the diversion. </p> <p dir="ltr">“Dispatch did a great job as well by suggesting Pensacola Airport and getting a gate and paramedics ready for us. </p> <p dir="ltr">“This was a job well done, and I was happy to see everyone working together to successfully deliver a newborn on an aircraft!”</p> <p dir="ltr">The airline revealed that the mother named the baby’s middle name “Sky” because she was born on the “mother and daughter plane tail, Luna and Lilly the Wolves”. </p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Frontier Airline</em></p>

International Travel

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Women discover after 55 years that they were switched at birth

<p>Two women are suing the hospital where they were both born in 1964, after they discovered they were switched at birth.</p> <p>Jill Lopez and Tina Ennis, both 57, discovered the mix-up at the hands of the Oklahoma hospital after learning the truth from an at-home DNA test through Ancestry.com.</p> <p>The women were both born at Duncan Physicians and Surgeons Hospital on May 18th 1964, but somehow claim they were each handed off to the other's biological parents.</p> <p>Jill and Tina went 55 years without knowing the truth, until Tina sent her DNA off to Ancestry.com and received confusing results.</p> <p>With the help of her daughter and extensive internet research, Tina tracked down Jill, who took her own DNA test and confirmed that she is the actual biological daughter of Ennis' mother, Kathryn Jones.</p> <p>The two women are now suing the hospital they were switched in for recklessness and negligent infliction of emotional distress.</p> <p>Both families had no idea about the devastating mix-up until recently, and are now left struggling with the revelation.</p> <p>Kathryn Jones said one of the worst parts of the discovery was realising her grandchildren were not biologically hers either.</p> <p>"It was like somebody had ripped out a part of my heart,' Jones said. 'I just couldn't deal with it."</p> <p>Since the news broke, Jill has been spending time with her biological mother, leaving Tina heartbroken when she realised her biological parents, Joyce and John, had both passed away.</p> <p>"Jill got to be with my real parents, and now she gets to be with my parents I grew up with," Tina said.</p> <p>"I didn’t know what to think about it at first, but the more I think about it, it makes me really sad."</p> <p>Together with Kathryn Jones, Tina and Jill have filed their suit against the hospital, who are fighting back.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Facebook</em></p>

Family & Pets

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Vaginal birth after caesarean increases the risk of serious perineal tear by 20%, our large-scale review shows

<p>Pregnant women who previously birthed by caesarean section are presented with a choice: whether to try for a vaginal birth, or book in for a repeat caesar.</p> <p>Those mulling over a vaginal birth are counselled at length about the risk of a rare but nasty outcome – the uterus rupturing while labour is in full flight.</p> <p>But new research looking at 130,000 births over five years has uncovered an increased risk of another outcome women deserve information about: extensive tearing around the vaginal region during birth.</p> <p>Our new study, <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34913246/">published</a> in the British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, hones in on the risk of vaginal trauma for those who birth vaginally after a prior caesarean. This kind of birth trauma relates to significant injury to a woman’s perineum, the important region between the vagina and anus. The perineum anchors many pelvic floor muscles that help control the bladder and bowels.</p> <p>We defined serious birth injury as a tear in the perineum that <a href="https://www.thewomens.org.au/images/uploads/fact-sheets/Perineal-tears-third-and-fourth-degree.pdf">extends</a> into the anal sphincter – the delicate ring of muscle that helps us control our bowels. Damage to this muscle is called a third-degree perineal tear.</p> <h2>What we studied</h2> <p>The study looked at 130,000 births in Victoria and compared the risk of a third-degree perinatal tear among first-time mums with those who birth vaginally after a prior caesarean (sometimes referred to as a <a href="https://www.acog.org/womens-health/faqs/vaginal-birth-after-cesarean-delivery">VBAC</a>). In our study, vaginal birth included women birthed without any medical assistance, and births by forceps or the ventouse (vacuum birth). Anything but birth by caesarean.</p> <p>The results were clear: a vaginal birth after a previous caesarean increases the chance of significant vaginal trauma (third-degree tear) by 21% (albeit from a low baseline rate).</p> <p>A potential reason for this increased risk might include a mismatch between a uterus that has birthed before and a perineum that has not. If this is the case, the labour progresses quickly, which does not allow enough time for the perineum to stretch naturally. However, the real reason for this risk is unknown and further research is needed.</p> <h2>Lifelong impacts</h2> <p>Once a vaginal birth injury occurs, the tears are immediately repaired by obstetricians. Many women heal fully – but some who sustain a third-degree tear during birth develop distressing issues that never disappear, despite expert care, including from specialist physiotherapists.</p> <p>Symptoms can include an ongoing dragging sensation in the pelvic floor, or true prolapse of the vaginal walls. Sometimes, coughing or sneezing can cause urine leakage. And for some, jogging becomes too hard due to leaking of urine and pelvic discomfort. Others might suffer from reduced faecal control and even the odd episode of faecal soiling. Sex can be painful.</p> <p><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/442177/original/file-20220124-13-zzb927.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/442177/original/file-20220124-13-zzb927.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt="woman with caesar scar holds baby" /></a> <span class="caption">Women who had a caesarean birth the first time around are at greater risk of serious birth injury from a subsequent vaginal birth.</span> <span class="attribution"><a href="https://image.shutterstock.com/image-photo/closeup-woman-belly-scar-cesarean-600w-1883782888.jpg" class="source">Shutterstock</a></span></p> <h2>This doesn’t mean women shouldn’t consider VBAC</h2> <p>This increased risk of injury does not make it unsafe for women who have had a caesarean before to try for a vaginal birth. But our results should be incorporated into counselling of these women about their choices.</p> <p>Since the risk of vaginal birth injury including the anal sphincter sits at <a href="https://www.safetyandquality.gov.au/sites/default/files/2021-04/perineal_tears_ccs_v3.pdf">around 5-7%</a> in Victoria for first-time mothers, the increase of 21% raises the overall likelihood to around 6–8.5%. It’s a modest rise that will bother some, but not others.</p> <p>Still, women deserve to be given this information so they can judge for themselves whether it worries them enough to ask for a repeat caesarean, or try for a vaginal birth.</p> <p><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/442432/original/file-20220125-23-f3cuam.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/442432/original/file-20220125-23-f3cuam.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt="pregnant woman in waiting room" /></a> <span class="caption">Birth counselling should fully explain the risks.</span> <span class="attribution"><a href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/pregnant-woman-courses-expectant-mothers-1185645562" class="source">Shutterstock</a></span></p> <p>Counselling is not just about cautioning women of the risks. As midwives and obstetricians, we talk with these women about what will happen when they go into labour, when to come into hospital, and what their chance (and definition) of “successful” vaginal birth might be.</p> <p>We also mention the most enticing advantage for those whose destiny is an uncomplicated vaginal birth – they sidestep another caesar. Often, this means a <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17181678/">shorter recovery time</a> and <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23186385/">improved likelihood of breastfeeding</a>.</p> <p>After these discussions, some women will feel the very small risk of serious vaginal trauma (or <a href="https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1001184">uterine rupture</a>) is one well worth taking and opt to try for a vaginal birth. Others will opt for the certainty of a repeat caesarean.</p> <p>Women deserve full support in their birth choices. And they deserve to be fully informed about possible risks. It’s time we broaden our discussions with women planning a vaginal birth after caesarean section to include the increased risk of vaginal birth trauma.<!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/173249/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p> <p><span><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/anthea-lindquist-1296574">Anthea Lindquist</a>, Obstetrician and Perinatal Epidemiologist, <em><a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-melbourne-722">The University of Melbourne</a></em> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/stephen-tong-1310350">Stephen Tong</a>, Professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, <em><a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-melbourne-722">The University of Melbourne</a></em></span></p> <p>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/vaginal-birth-after-caesarean-increases-the-risk-of-serious-perineal-tear-by-20-our-large-scale-review-shows-173249">original article</a>.</p> <p><em>Image: Shutterstock</em></p>

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Australian woman gives birth to own grandchild

<p dir="ltr">54-year-old Tasmanian woman Maree Arnold has given birth to her own grandson after acting as a surrogate for her 28-year-old daughter Meagan White.</p> <p dir="ltr">Meagan has no uterus and was unable to conceive, so her mum suggested the idea of acting as a gestational carrier. Meagan was diagnosed with Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser syndrome at the age of 17 after not menstruating during puberty. MRKH is a rare disorder that affects one in 5000 women, and the syndrome means that while Meagan has no uterus, she does have working ovaries, so she is able to have a biological child with the help of a surrogate.</p> <p dir="ltr">The baby, named Winston, was safely delivered following a short two-hour labour on January 13th. Ms Arnold told<span> </span><em>Sunrise</em>, “We arrived at the hospital at 7 am and by 9 am he was born, it was so quick and organised.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I feel really well considering it’s only been a week, so it’s amazing.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Arnold, who had previously appeared on<span> </span><em>Sunrise<span> </span></em>last year while pregnant, told Kochie and Nat, “If I had my time again, I would do the same thing, it worked out perfectly.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Ms White said she was loving being a first-time mum to Winston, who is “not giving us too much grief” and sleeping well. Of his birth, she said, “It’s hard to describe the feeling of when he was born. It was definitely a pinching myself moment.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Experts say mother-daughter surrogacy is very rare and it’s recommended that gestational carriers are under 40 years of age. However, another older mum, 51-year-old Julie Loving from Chicago,<span> </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.oprahdaily.com/life/relationships-love/a33013266/mother-becomes-surrogate-for-daughter/" target="_blank">made headlines</a><span> </span>in 2020 after carrying her daughter’s baby.</p> <p dir="ltr">Loving volunteered after watching her daughter Breanna Lockwood struggle with fertility issues for four years. The family welcomed a daughter, Briar, in November 2020, with Lockwood writing on Instagram, “My mom was an absolute rockstar through a difficult delivery. The sacrifices she took to bring this little slice of heaven into our world takes my breath away. Holding my daughter in my arms my heart is bursting. The feeling of how I would do absolutely anything needed for this child is radiating through me when I look at her, and reflects back on what my mom did for me.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Channel 7</em></p>

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“Medical triumph”: Conjoined twin survivor gives birth

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Charity Lincoln Gutierrez-Vazquez, who was born attached to her twin sister from breastbone to pelvis, has had a “full circle” moment with the birth of her own child in the same hospital.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Charity and her sister Kathleen were separated by a team of nearly 30 doctors, nurses, and support staff in 2000, making national headlines when they were just seven months old.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Now, she has returned to the University of Washington Medical Centre in Seattle to give birth to her daughter, Alora.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“It feels like a full circle, since my mom had us here and everything,” Gutierrez-Vazquez said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Dr John Waldhausen was involved in the 31-hour surgery to separate the twins, who each had one leg and shared a second, fused leg, as well as sharing several internal organs.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“This is probably about as complex and as difficult as anything we do or have done,” Dr Waldhausen said at the time.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Dr Waldhausen’s involvement in saving her and Kathleen’s life has had an impact on Charity, and he was one of the first people she told when she found out she was pregnant.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“He’s been with me through the lot,” she said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“When you’re involved with an operation like that, you’re really hoping you can create a whole lifetime for somebody,” Dr Waldhausen said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">But, Dr Waldhausen admits he had some concerns.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I didn’t know if her uterus was going to allow her to carry a child,” he said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I didn’t know if her abdominal wall reconstruction was going to allow her abdomen to expand in such a way that a baby could grow.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">To oversee Gutierrez-Vazquez’s pregnancy and delivery, Dr Waldhausen reached out to a colleague, Dr Edith Cheng, for help.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Alora was born at nearly 34 weeks via C-section before being taken to NICU for supplemental oxygen, with doctors reporting that both the mother and newborn are healthy.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I wouldn’t call it a miracle,” Dr Waldhausen said. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I would call it a medical triumph.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Charity’s case really is the full obstetrical circle,” Dr Cheng said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“This howling girl this morning, at almost 34 weeks, that is a true triumph, to get this baby to almost term.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“This baby’s healthy.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Gutierrez-Vazquez’s twin, Kathleen, met Alora via Facetime.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“God’s really blessed me with all the doctors in my life and everything,” Gutierrez-Vazquez said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I think it’s important that people see we’re still doing good, and living the best life we can.”</span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image: Yahoo news</span></em></p>

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Harry and Meghan secretly purchased domain names for Lilibet before birth

<p>A spokesperson for Prince Harry and Meghan have confirmed that the couple purchased the internet domain names "Lilibet Diana" and "Lili Diana" before their daughter's name was approved by Queen Elizabeth.</p> <p>A spokesman for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex said they had purchased a "significant" number of domain names covering the different baby names they were soldiering, The Telegraph reports.</p> <p>After the admission, questions are being raised as to whether the couple asked for the Queen's approval for naming their child Lilibet, the monarch's own childhood nickname.</p> <p>The registering of several domain names suggest the couple had a Plan B if the Queen had not approved the name Lilibet Diana.</p> <p>The domain name lilibetdiana.com was registered in the US on June 4, The Telegraph reports.</p> <p>June 4 was the day baby Lilibet was born and two days before the announcement was made public.</p> <p>The domain name lilidiana.com was registered several days earlier on May 31 - indicating the baby girl’s name was well and truly settled on before her birth.</p> <p>It’s likely the domain names were bought to stop others from cashing in on the baby’s name, or to launch a foundation in her name later on.</p> <p>“Of course, as is often customary with public figures, a significant number of any potential names that were considered were purchased by their team to protect against the exploitation of the name once it was chosen and publicly shared," the spokesperson said.</p> <p>Lilbet Diana Mountbatten-Windsor was born at 11:40 am local time on June 4.</p>

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Meghan Markle appears in first interview since Lillibet’s birth

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Meghan Markle has used her first interview since the birth of her and Prince Harry’s daughter, Lillibet Diana, to promote her new book </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Bench</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Duchess of Sussex spoke with NPR’s </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Weekend Edition Sunday: Picture This</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> radio show and revealed that the book was inspired by a gift she gave her husband for his first Father’s Day - a garden bench.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“As most of us do, you go, what am I going to get them as a gift? And I thought I just wanted something sentimental and a place for him to have as a bit of a home base with our son,” she said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The 39-year-old said she made a plaque for the bench with a short poem she wrote on it, which sparked the initial idea for her book.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“This is your bench, Where life will begin, For you and our son, Our baby, our kin,” it reads.</span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Bench</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> depicts different types of fathers and sons bonding over activities on or near a bench.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I really hope that people can see this as a love story that transcends the story of my family,” she said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I often find, and especially in this past year, I think so many of us realised how much happens in the quiet.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“It was definitely moments like that, watching them from out of the window and watching [my husband] just, you know, rock him to sleep or carry him or, you know … those lived experiences, from my observation, are the things that I infused in this poem.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Meghan also said her and Harry’s son Archie is a “voracious” reader and “loves” the book.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I knew our son would notice all of those elements, and he loves the book, which is great because he has a voracious appetite for books and constantly when we read him a boko he goes ‘again, again, again’.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“But now the fact he loves </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Bench</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> and we can say ‘Mumm wrote this for you’ feels amazing,” the duchess said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Meghan also shared that the book contains several personal and family details hidden throughout the book, including Princess Diana’s favourite flower and the Sussexes’ rescue chickens.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I think you can find sweet little moments that we hid in there - of my favourite flower, even my husband’s mum’s favourite flower, forget-me-nots,” she said</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“We wanted to make sure those were included in there. There are many, many special details and love that went into this book.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image: Duke of Sussex / Instagram</span></p>

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