A daycare worker has shared why she never lets parents and carers drop off babies while they’re asleep.

She claims that a sleeping child can be a sign of abuse, explaining that parents can hurt then drug the child so they can blame babysitters or daycare workers for injuries.

One particular incident with a grandmother made the daycare change its rules about accepting sleeping children into the establishment.

The unnamed babysitter, who goes by the username 56149, posted on Reddit about their experiences.

‘I worked at a daycare and was told to never accept babies sleeping in carseats or sleeping children at all. So if a mum or dad brought a kid asleep, I immediately woke them up and pulled them out of their car seat,’ they wrote.

‘This made so many parents displeased with me but it’s policy.

‘I used to think it was to help the kid be on a schedule then one day a grandma brought a baby asleep and he was not waking up at all, he would just raise his head, whimper and go back to sleep. Immediately my boss called 911 and the grandma was trying to down play “he had a rough night, he’s just tired”.

‘I knew this baby, he wouldn’t sleep if he thought he was going to miss out, we had music playing and kids loudly singing and dancing. In the chaos, grandma slipped out and at some point, someone called the parents.

‘Turns out granny had a history of giving kids stuff to knock them out when she babysat but this time she did it to a six-month-old and that’s why he wouldn’t wake up. I think they pumped the kid’s stomach and he had a stay at the hospital. Legal actions were taken and the family moved away.

‘To clarify, the policy was put in place because my boss knew abusers have been known to do this,’ they added.

‘They’d break the kid’s arm, dose them, dump them with the sitter who lets the baby asleep all morning then because the kid was with the sitter all day, it’s easy to blame them for the baby’s injury. Or worse, the baby died and they do this to blame the sitter.

‘So, to this day if I’m babysitting, I don’t accept sleeping children. I flat out refuse to watch kids at their home while they’re sleeping for the same reason. I’ve pretty much stopped doing any child care because as much as I love kids, watching parents make bad decisions on purpose when they know better, was killing my soul.’

Commenters on Reddit were horrified by the account and said they’d now look more carefully at sleeping children dropped off for care.

‘Crazy knowing this is a common thing. Happened to me as a kid,’ wrote one person.

One pointed out that a tot who’s dozed off may be a sign of shaken baby syndrome whereby a brain injury is caused by forcefully and violently shaking a baby. Symptoms of the condition include drowsiness, shakes, vomiting, and breathing issues.

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Gwyneth Paltrow has this week launched her first Goop pop-up store in London, celebrating with a celeb-filled launch party on Monday night.

The store is in Notting Hill and sells clothing and lifestyle accessories.

Gwyneth, who launched Goop in 2008, is over in the UK directly after honeymooning across Europe following her wedding on 29 September.

The Hollywood actress married her second husband last month, Brad Falchuk, who she met while working on TV series Glee.

But who is Brad and what else do we know about him?

Gwyneth confirmed she has wed Brad Falchuk, sharing a sweet image of their entwined hands, both adorned with wedding bands

She didn’t caption the post but simply let the image do the talking, a day after the pair celebrated their big day during a private ceremony at their own property in the Hamptons.

Gwyneth and Brad announced their engagement earlier this year as they posed on the cover of Goop mag – three years after they first started dating.

Talking about their big day, the 46-year-old said: ‘I’m very busy so I’m actually not that involved in it. I have so much going on and I’m sort of outsourcing that. I’m probably the least bridezilla person probably to a fault that has ever come across my wedding planner’s office doors.’

Born 1 March 1971, the 47-year-old new husband of Paltrow’s is an American TV writer, producer and director.

He is best known for co-creating Glee, along with Ryan Murphy.

Other TV series he’s waved his magic wand at include Pose, American HOrror Story, Nip/Tuck, Scream Queens and

Brad has two children – Isabella, 14, and Brody, 12, with ex wife Suzannee Falchuk, who he was marred to from 1994 to 2013.

On Gwyneth and Brad’s special day, it is thought that Cameron Diaz arrived early to help the bride get ready for the day ahead, while guest Steven Spielberg acted as an unofficial videographer, with reports claiming he was happily walking around and filming the event with a handheld video camera.

Her Avengers co-stars including Robert Downey Jr were also at the bash, which began in the afternoon and continued as the sun started to set, with the the happy newlyweds partying on into the night with their pals, as a number of stars were seen leaving the venue at 2am the following day.

Downey Jr gave waiting paps his best Blue Steel impression as he passed the cameras, with his wife in the car as well as celebrity pal Rob Lowe.

Cameron and husband Benji Madden also made a swift exit together, while comedian Jerry Seinfeld appeared to be leaving the event solo.

Proving they’ve got a sense of humour (we think), it’s been claimed Gwyneth and Brad are now calling themselves The Faltrows, as a play on both of their surnames.

Goop was founded in September 2008 and while it’s now survive 10 years, it’s not been without its controversies.

The lifestyle website has come under harsh criticism for a number of articles it has published – from telling us to put stones in our vaginas and to steam our vaginas, that walking barefoot cures depression, to a guide to anal sex, to telling us to put ‘sex dust’ in our smoothies and a guide on how to make your bed properly.

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Elizabeth Hurley has revealed an incredibly easy way to donate $25 to breast cancer research – add two hashtags to your next Instagram post.

Liz is the global ambassador for Estee Lauder’s Pink Ribbon breast cancer awareness campaign, and from Tuesday 9 October $25 (£19) will be donated to Breast Cancer Research Foundation for every post that includes the hashtags #timetoendbreastcancer and #ELCdonates.

‘I joined the campaign because my grandmother had recently died of breast cancer,’ revealed Liz, speaking on This Morning.

‘It’s a different world for breast cancer now then it was 26 years ago… they have made great stride in diagnosis and treatment, so much more is known today than when I started with the campaign… but it’s 90% curable if found early so [diagnosis] links back to awareness – women should check their breasts every month and run to the doctor if there are any changes.’

Liz also revealed that $25 will pay for 30 minutes of research.

So ladies and gents – get Instagramming.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and to support the campaign various beauty brands are donating part of their profits to breast cancer research.

Brands such as Bobbi Brown and BECCA have dressed up their most-loved beauty products in pink, to support breast cancer charities, like Breast Cancer Care and The Breast Cancer Research Foundation, while H&M have introduced a collection of bras for breast cancer survivors.

The ‘Close to My Heart’ range was inspired by a member of the H&M team who was diagnosed with the disease.

After having breast removal surgery, she realised how difficult it was to find underwear. When she returned to work, she decided to do something to change that.

The team created a collection which includes a basic bra, a lace bra and a front closure bra, all with mesh pockets to support a prostheses.

A spokesperson for H&M said: ‘The difference between an ordinary bra and one for prostheses is that it covers more of the breast and that it has pockets for the protheses.’

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On 4th March 2015, Antonia, my wife, mentioned that she had not felt our unborn baby, Shoshana, move.

I thought everything was fine, that she was probably worrying unnecessarily, but we went to the hospital anyway.

The reality was that our darling daughter had gone. Shosh was stillborn, under 48 hours before she was due to be born. There was no indication our pregnancy would end this way. One minute Shosh was there, the next she was not.

The initial shock of losing our child was deeply traumatic – it was a reality so different to my expectations that it was difficult to comprehend.

Antonia needed more medical treatment: she had carried Shosh for nine months with all the strain involved and went through a caesarean to deliver her, so she had clear physical needs.

It goes without saying that her grief was unbearable. She was once asked to describe the hurt of losing a child, and she said, ‘It feels like you are going to break in two. I honestly thought that my rib cage was going to snap, that something was wrong with me, the pain was almost unbearable, and I realised that this was true heartbreak.’

Yet in the days and weeks after Shosh’s birth, I started to notice differences in the way Antonia and I were treated.

Quite rightly, people asked me how Antonia was, how she was feeling and if she was upset. But… what about me?

I had been in the operating theatre; I held Antonia in my arms as the epidural was administered; I comforted her through the surgery and my wife and I met our silent daughter together. Just one week later, I carried our daughter at her funeral.

I had lost my daughter and I was grieving too. The loss of a child may not be as visual for men but my experience has shown me that the loss is no less real.

I stopped being able to sleep, I became haggard by the pain and struggled to do even the most basic tasks.

I am someone who is normally decisive and proactive, but I was thrown into a world of confusion and stagnation. That loss of self, of purpose, is something that I struggled greatly with, and am still hit with at times now.

Antonia and I threw ourselves into counseling, which was our saviour, but the post-traumatic stress is something that has revisited me at times over the last three years.

A lot of people, particularly fathers, do not have the opportunity to grieve or seek help, only to get hit heavily by it months or even years later.

All too soon it was time for me to return to work and that unleashed a new level of stress. Antonia was still on maternity leave and we had not been apart since losing Shosh.

Trying to re-engage with the ‘mundane’, meet people’s expectation and make decisions – every minute felt like a marathon. This was topped off by an overburdening feeling of deserting my wife when she needed me the most.

Neither of us could have predicted that we’d have to fight for Shosh’s place in the lives of those around us – it was acceptable to talk about my dog but not my daughter.

We had friends who would grimace if we said our daughter’s name. We tried to help people understand we both wanted to talk, we begged people to engage; many took our lead and went through hell for us and without their support this journey would have been impossible, others we have not spoken to since.

At times, the last three years have been tough, often to the point of breaking. Over time I got back in the flow, and it has given me a real appreciation of the need to maintain a healthy work/life balance and remember what is actually important.

I believe more research is needed on the impact of still birth and baby loss, for mothers, of course, but particularly into the effect on fathers.

According to Professor Phillip Bennett of the Genesis Research Trust, a charity that conducts leading-edge research into why and how things can go wrong with conception, pregnancy and birth, men can often be the forgotten mourners.

There needs to be more training and awareness across the frontline profession and while a lot of positive training is coming from charities, it should be something the NHS takes on and drives forward.

I love the NHS: the level of care you get free of charge is something you don’t get access to in any other system. But there has to be more awareness of the softer skills and the impact that getting it wrong has on patients, and I think if there was, that would go a long way to reducing the impact that loss has for people.

As a society, we’ve got to take a lead from the people going through baby loss, and if people are asking for help, be there.

You don’t need to know what to say, you often don’t need to say anything, just a ‘how are you today’ will give them an opportunity to engage if they want to.

To lose a child, to lose that hope and dream and expectation, and then to be shunned as a pariah, is just absolutely breaking. Be there, for mothers and fathers equally. Just be there.

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The days of lager tops are officially over – especially if you live in the capital.

You’ve probably noticed the craft beer revolution if you’ve entered literally any pub in the last few years, but you may have held the misconception that it was a small clique of beanie-wearing hipsters frequenting the taps – not so.

According to a study by pub chain Brewhouse and Kitchen of thousands of drinkers across the UK, 69% (nice) of beer-loving Londoners now prefer craft to more mainstream brews.

For the country as a whole, the figure is 49%, which certainly proves that this is no fleeting craze.

CAMRA’s best pubs list came out last week, and the selection of pints on offer was a deciding factor in choosing the winners.

Similarly, microbreweries and bigger purveyors like BrewDog are harnessing the cool beer market, making you look like a right melt if you turn up to a house party with a four-pack of generic tinnies.

There’s a way to get in on the act and branch out with your choices without growing an ironic moustache and exclusively hanging out in Peckham, though. Here’s how to get into craft beer without becoming a ‘craft beer w*nker’.

Craft beer dos

Ask the staff

Any pub worth their salt will have staff who know what they’re talking about when it comes to what’s on offer.

Tell them a couple of things you already like (brands or general flavours) and they should be able to point you in the right direction.

Failing that, any pale ale is a good start for beginners.

Try a session beer

Some craft ales and porters can pack a huge punch percentage-wise, which isn’t ideal for day drinks on a Sunday.

A session beer is a low-strength IPA or lager suitable for drinking socially that won’t leave you slumped over your table and calling your ex crying.

It’ll still afford you a more complex flavour than a more mainstream brew, but without the hangover of a 9% one.

Don’t be afraid of half pints

That said, plenty of pubs offer their craft beers in smaller iterations so you can drink the stronger stuff responsibly.

A half or third-pint of something that is especially alcoholic, gives you the taste without the hefty and often overwhelming quantity.

Forget the faux-macho notion that pints are the only acceptable glass sizes, and work out what you like one taste at a time.

Pair with food

Craft beer doesn’t just have to be for long days and nights in the local watering hole.

In the same way you’d usually select a decent bottle of red or white to have with dinner, you can pair an IPA or stout just the same.

Craft beer don’ts

Stop hogging the bar

Lots of places will let you have a taste of a beer before buying, which is a nice touch. What’s not a nice touch, though are punters who insist on tasting eight different offerings while there are 25 people behind them at the bar.

There’s a time and place to be inquisitive, and during half time or after last orders isn’t it.

Don’t make it your whole personality

Much like wine people, craft beer people can be a little blinkered when it comes to their tastes.

Try not to forget that it’s just a drink, and beyond going ‘cor, mate, have a taste of this it’s amazing’, your friends don’t really want to hear you recite your tasting notes.

Don’t pretend to like it

If you genuinely feel no need to explore the wider world of beer, then don’t feel like you need to.

A frothy pint of anything cold doesn’t need to be complicated, and if that’s what you’re after then peer pressure from beer snobs is not going to change that.

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A teenager born with a cleft lip and palate says that growing up with a birth defect is the best thing that ever happened to her.

Bobby-Ella Futter faced vicious bullies throughout her childhood, who teased her about her appearance and even told her to kill herself. But now she’s got her confidence back and is learning to love how she looks.

The 19-year-old has been through countless surgeries to try and improve her condition, and now she’s able to say that she’s proud of her scars.

Just two years ago, cruel bullies targeted Bobby-Ella again, painting an image of a girl hanging and encouraging her to commit suicide. It featured the words, ‘you are so ugly, kill yourself’. The graffiti was painted near her home in Telford, and her nine-year-old brother spotted it on the way to school.

And it hasn’t just been other children who have treated her badly, Bobby-Ella also had a number of tough experiences with teachers at school. One teacher moved her to a table for children with severe learning difficulties, despite having the same abilities as other kids in her class.

A cleft is a gap or spilt in the upper lip or roof of the mouth which is present from birth. It’s the most common facial birth defect in the UK and affects one in every 700 babies born.

Cleft lips and palates can cause a whole range of issues if they’re not corrected with surgery; difficulty feeding, hearing problems and ear infections, dental problems and sometimes speech problems, which often improve after treatment.

Some of Bobby’s earliest memories are waking up in a hospital bed. ‘My first surgery wasn’t long after I was born, and it was to close my lip up. The following ones were right up until I was 18,’ she explains.

‘My last one was a rhinoplasty, which also included shaping and creating me a new nose with a kind of plastic substance they use to make debit cards. I’ve had a bone graft when I was about 11 – they took cartilage out of my hip and put it in my jaw. I’ve had so many I can’t even estimate.

‘The biggest surgery I had was my rhinoplasty last year. It was mad, like they completely gave me a new nose, and it’s hard now, it’s so funny. I really don’t know how the surgeons have got me from where I was to where I am now.’

For Bobby, accepting her appearance has been a long journey – but she wouldn’t change anything about her life.

‘Growing up with my lip has been the best thing that could have ever happened. I sometimes feel as if I was put on the Earth for a reason. I have changed lots of people’s opinions of judging a book by its cover,’ she said.

‘I feel as though it is better to be striking than to blend in. I’ve made my siblings and my parents, friends and relatives more accepting of other people with scars etc as they have watched me grow up into the person I am today.

‘I am a normal person, there is nothing different about me apart from the way I look.

‘The media and people such as Kylie Jenner have started to really normalise “perfect” lips, but that kind of thing just doesn’t exist.’

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Halloween creeps up on you every year at the same time and yet you don’t start thinking about costumes till the very last minute.

We get the struggle.

All the good stuff has been taken in the shops and it’s too late to make any online orders.

So what’s a girl to do? Go as a pumpkin, of course.

If you don’t fancy getting creative with some glitter and body paint to draw a round pumpkin on your a*s then no fear, you’ve got other body parts to doodle on.

Time to draw the orange stuff on your boobs then. A natural conclusion.

And what’s better than one pumpkin? Two.

Butts might have the perfect shape to recreate the festive vegetable, but so do boobs.

If you’re doing it on yourself then you’ll need a large mirror, a paintbrush, and some orange and black paint.

If you’re lucky (and not ticklish) you might even be able to enlist someone’s help.

All-things-sparkly-enthusiasts Go Get Glitter has shared the look on Instagram, which is yet to take off (we can probably imagine why).

After the success of the pumpkin bum which inspired others to recreate the festive look, they tried to start the boob trend.

But who knows, people might just come through on the special day. Many a commenter left an enthusiastic ‘yaas’ on the Instagram page while others tagged their friends who would look good in it.

Some worried about not having the perfect perky boobs to pull off the look.

But to that, we say, boobs are boobs and they’ll do what they’re supposed to do. Not all pumpkins are round anyway. If anything, you’re representing the diversity of the vegetable.

Real pumpkins have curves.

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There is a type of sushi for everyone.

First there was breakfast sushi, then sushi tacos and now there’s sushi made entirely from chocolate.

And now luxury chocolatier Choc on Choc and Yo! Sushi have teamed up to create chocoalte maki rolls.

The sweet snacks, which are only available during national chocolate week from 15-21 October, will be sold in YO! Sushi branches inside Selfridges stores in London, Manchester and Birmingham.

Handmade with the finest Belgian chocolate, white chocolate replicates the sushi rice and each maki roll has a delicious dark chocolate centre.

The sushi is created using Choc on Choc’s patented production method that layers chocolate on top of chocolate and allows the brand’s master chocolatiers to produce any design imaginable.

They can be picked up from the conveyor belt for £3.80.

Flo Broughton, Co-Founder of Choc on Choc said it is a ‘sweet sushi experience we’ve never had before.’

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A traditional chip shop, Sutton and Sons, in Hackney, London has had a revamp; it’s introduced an all-vegan menu.

The plant-based menu boasts everything from hipster craft beers, ‘Japanese potato prawns’, to fish burgers made out of tofish – a cruelty-free, plant-based alternative.

So instead of the usual fish and chips, you’ll get fried banana parts.

It’s said to be pretty delicious as it’s the joint’s best selling item.

The ‘fish’ is made from the banana blossom, the leaves of the hanging part of the banana plant.

The artichoke-like blossom resembles a fish texture when fried, and is marinated in a special sauce to create a distinct flavour.

A fish taste is created by spicing the plant with cumin and garlic powder and then frying the blossom in an egg-free batter.

‘It started as a joke addition to the menus – and then it got out of control and here we are,’ said manager Arianna Bonesso.

‘This is part of a vegan revolution in food – I can feel a change is coming.

‘Our food is lower in calories and it is good for the environment – this was part of the idea behind it.

‘Many people use tofu as a replacement for fish, but you see this is too squidgy. We tried 100 recipes before we decided on one to go with for the ‘fish’. People can’t tell the difference – even if they’re experts, it has converted some of them.’

The menu includes an item known as the Joe Blake – a mushroom and ale ‘steak’ pie served with chips.

Some customers go for the fried ‘prawn’ – dubbed ‘vampi’ – that resembles the texture of a real one.

It comes with home-made dairy free tartar sauce, and is commonly served with ‘Bohemian Pilsner.’

Other items on Sutton and Sons vegan menu include battered sausages and ‘vish burgers’ using soy protein and homemade sauces.

The menu change has gone down well with loyal customers and has even attracted attention from people all over the capital.

According to PETA (The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals), Sutton and Sons is also one of the best vegan fish and chips spots in the UK.

If you fancy a taste, you can head on down to the family restaurant on 218 Graham Road, Hackney Central.

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Cheating is always a topic of conversation, because while it happens all the time, it still manages to feel like a shocking heartbreak.

Either it’s happened to you, or you’ve cheated on someone, or your friend’s wanker ex cheated on them, or your entire office is chatting about the Seann Walsh and Katya Jones kiss (have you seen Rebecca Humphries’ response, though?).

Every time it happens, there’s usually one big question: Why?

Why do people cheat? Why don’t they just end their relationship if they’re miserable? Why do they stay with people they can’t stop cheating on? Why? Why? Why?

Sheela Mackintosh-Stewart is a matrimonial consultant and a divorce lawyer, so she’s heard more than her fair share of cheating stories.

She’s noticed that there are certain triggers that can lead to infidelity. It’s not that there’s something wrong with a person’s partner so they look elsewhere, but that they don’t know how to deal with an unmet emotional need.

‘Modern relationships undergo constant pressures, whether that’s handling the demands of everyday life, having to constantly juggle a hefty work-life balance or dealing with pressures on social media,’ Sheela tells Metro.co.uk. ‘It is these stresses that can sometimes accumulate and lead to a relationship breakdown, and in some cases, infidelity.

‘For Strictly Come Dancing’s Shann and Katya – who are both in serious long-term relationships – their kiss has been a result of intense stress, increased proximity and of course going by the telling of events, alcohol.

‘In general, though, cheating encompasses a wide range of relationship-straying, from emotional cheating (surreptitious texting of an intimate nature) to sexual cheating (casual one night stands to prolonged sexual affairs).

‘Common triggers I have seen include boredom, loneliness, depression, marital unhappiness, the need to spice it up’and escape from the ordered predictability and humdrum of daily life, and domestic routine with the intoxicating edge of danger and thrill.’

Sheela notes that many cheaters are looking for validation, often out of a place of insecurity and anger. Often infidelity will occur when a person is feeling particularly vulnerable and doesn’t feel their additional emotional needs are being met – such as when a parent dies, when work becomes stressful, or a midlife crisis.

‘Cheating is often just a symptom of a much greater underlying rot that has set into relationships which haven’t been properly communicated or dealt with by the couple, including feeling neglected, trapped, unsupported or having needs unmet,’ she tells us.

Makes sense.

But while an outside expert can look at cheating and say ‘yep, that’s all down to insecurity’, it’s tricky to keep that distanced, rational view when it comes to encountering cheating firsthand.

You might not get a neatly packaged explanation tied up with a bow. You might cheat and not really understand why.

Amy*, who’s cheated on her current partner multiple times, recognises that her behaviour isn’t healthy, and is working to understand why she cheats.

‘Largely it’s meeting up for a drink and then going to their place/a hotel. It fizzles out a few months later but the odd text, then one night it will start back up again,’ Amy tells us.

‘I knew it was awful of me and that I was risking everything, but I was bored and sad and wanted attention. I think at the time I thought “well if my boyfriend’s not interested maybe somebody else will be”.

‘It’s definitely because I’m depressed and I do it for a distraction. When someone new and exciting (and usually European so with a sexy accent) is interested in me then it’s lighting up a different part of my brain and distracting me from how shit I feel otherwise.

‘The shame and guilt the next day is the worst comedown, but I still go back for more. It’s like MDMA or something.

‘Also I think because my mental health is bad and I’m feeling worthless, I don’t care if they treat me horribly because it’s what I deserve.’

Amy has spoken with her therapist to look into why she keeps cheating. She feels intense guilt, but that hasn’t taken her out of the cheating and self-hating cycle.

‘My therapist says it’s because I don’t feel like I’m good enough for my boyfriend, so am trying to sabotage the relationship so that it can come down to a “well you cheated” and not “you’re not good enough”,’ she says.

‘I feel guilt all the time, and it’s definitely even more damaging to my self esteem. I probably let my boyfriend get away with stuff (nothing bad, just like, watching eleven hours of football) that I wouldn’t if I was faithful, but because I cheated I end up thinking “oh it’s fine, let him have that, you cheated on him you heinous woman”.’

Like many people who have cheated, Amy is beginning to wonder whether a monogamous relationship is right for her.

‘I don’t think monogamy is realistic in a very long term relationship,’ she says. ‘If he cheated and it was just sex, I wouldn’t mind. If it was an affair with emotional connection then I’d be devastated.’

For Adam*, who’s cheated on past partners and his current significant other, repeated infidelity has brought him to the realisation that he doesn’t want to be in a monogamous relationship. He’s now working towards polyamory with his partner.

‘I deeply love my current partner, yet I also feel romantic and sexual attraction to other people,’ he tells Metro.co.uk. ‘I’m currently on a journey to make an open relationship work for us.’

But that discovery took a lot of time, communication, and pain.

‘I didn’t come clean with the past relationships, and I was not found out,’ Adam explains. ‘With my current relationship she found out before I could come clean about it.

‘At a personal level it affected deeply my relationship, and we even considered breaking up after 7 years. I felt bad for the pain that cheating gave to my partner.

‘I found that we’re now both more engaged than ever, and I am hopeful that this will work. I find that many times we put unrealistic expectations on our partners, and even though monogamy works for many, we should be more open to a wider variety of relationship configurations.’

Of course, not everyone who cheats will cheat again. Contrary to the ‘once a cheat, always a cheat’ belief, there are people who make a one time mistake, feel awful about what they’ve done, and vow to never do it again.

Take Sarah*. She cheated, and then her boyfriend cheated on her right back. It was brutal, but it’s made their relationship stronger.

‘I was on an intense course with a handful of other people – we all became best friends, siblings almost, so we spent a lot of time together,’ Sarah explains. ‘And where there’s hard work, there’s partying.

‘I was doing this while my boyfriend of about 18 months was living in London, we’d been long-distance right from the start and saw each other every six weeks.

‘One night I was partying with them, and I was so drunk, horny, and missed my boyfriend so much I kissed some random guy. I don’t even remember what he looked like.

‘I immediately felt so, so guilty. I’d been really badly cheated on before and remember the heartbreak I felt from it, and couldn’t bear the thought of hurting the person I loved.

‘I came clean the next day and we cried, a lot. He ignored me for a few days, then we soon saw each other and worked it out.

‘I don’t think I can justify the cheating really. It was a stupid moment in which I was blackout drunk and really missed that feeling of being loved and wanted. My friends were getting it all around me, and my boyfriend was hundreds of miles away. It was easy.

‘Being cheated on affected me to the point where I still suffer with anxiety, depression. My boyfriend cheated on me a few months later, probably because the cheating really affected him on an emotional level, not because he wanted to get back at me. I was lucky the guilt consumed him and he told me the same night, he was so, so upset – he even threw all his clothes away that he was wearing on the night.

‘Cheating has made me realise that you need to work for your relationships, and sometimes people f*** up but that’s okay.

‘I’m getting married to him now, and I really believe those drunken kisses have been the making of us. We’re brutally honest with each other, which he made me trust and love him even more.’

People cheat for all kinds of reasons. They’re upset with their partner, they’re trying to find a way to cope with stress, they want to end a relationship but don’t know how to do it, they’re unbearably horny, or they’re working out their own boundaries when it comes to monogamy. Just as each relationship is a unique set of people’s emotional baggage, timing, and circumstance, every cheating incident is different, too.

The key is talking through it, regardless of the outcome.

If you’ve been cheated on and need to know why, the best way to get answers is to ask the person who did it – just be prepared that they may not have the answers, or their answers might not make sense to you.

When you’ve been faithful it can be hard to get your head around using infidelity as a reaction to a stressful time or a different emotional trigger, which is why drawn out conversations about cheating can end up going round in circles.

The key thing to know is that people don’t get cheated on because there’s something objectively awful about them, or because they’re not good enough. There’s nearly always something deeper going on.

A person who cheats isn’t thinking rationally and without emotion. They’re dealing with conflicting, complicated emotions that they don’t know how to handle.

It’s up to you to decide if cheating in reaction to those emotions is acceptable, if it’s a one-time thing, and if it’s something you can move on from. But for both parties, honest, open communication and a proper think about why cheating has happened is essential.

*Names have been changed.

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An overprotective mother has gone viral after tweeting a syrupy tribute to her son while blaming ‘radical feminists’ for leaving him too scared to date.

Marla Reynolds, from Oklahoma, shared a snap of her son Pieter Hanson posing in his US Navy uniform, and wrote: ‘This is MY son.

‘He graduated #1 in boot camp.

‘He was awarded the USO (United Service Organizations) award. He was #1 in A school. He is a gentleman who respects women.

‘He won’t go on solo dates due to the current climate of false sexual accusations by radical feminists with an axe to grind.

‘I VOTE. #HimToo.’

Reynolds’ tweet appeared to be a reference to claims of attempted sexual assault made against new Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh by his old school classmate Dr Christine Blasey Ford.

But other Twitter users quickly mocked her tweet, which has since been deleted.

One woman calling herself @living_marble shared a snap of Norman Bates, the fictional motel owner from thriller Psycho, who is driven to murder by his overbearing mother.

She wrote: ‘This is MY son. He singlehandedly runs a small hotel.

‘He’s a homeowner. He knows a boy’s best friend is his mother.

‘He goes a little mad sometimes. He won’t go on solo dates due to the current climate of false accusations by radical anti-shower-stabbing feminists.’

Connor Daley shared a similarly-worded tribute to his cat ‘son,’ hailing him as #1 in snuggle school.

But Pieter Hanson himself had the last word – and shared a tweet gently disagreeing with his mother’s claims.

He wrote: ‘That was my Mom. Sometimes the people we love do things that hurt us without realizing it.

‘Let’s turn this around. I respect and #BelieveWomen .

‘I never have and never will support #HimToo .

‘I’m a proud Navy vet, Cat Dad and Ally. Also, Twitter, your meme game is on point.’

You’ve probably heard of charcoal skincare, but the latest rock-based facial products to captivate the beauty world are brimming with volcanic ash.

Beauty experts across the globe are now harnessing the power of volcanoes with products that claim to unclog your pores and leave you glowing. But can volcanic ash really put a stop to those pesky skin eruptions? Or is it yet another beauty buzzword that doesn’t quite live up to expectations?

The idea is that volcanic ash, rock or clay can help to re-minerlise the skin, detoxify and draw away any impurities. It is also said to be rich in minerals and to hold collagen synthesising properties to leave your skin feeling bouncy and rejuvenated.

For those who suffer from acne or breakouts, volcanic ash is thought to be a miracle ingredient for cleansing and unclogging polluted skin.

But the skeptical beauty buffs among us may think this all sounds slightly too good to be true. Wellness expert from Procoal, Clarissa Bloom, thinks you should look a little closer at the research before smearing ash all over your face.

‘Depending on how volcanic ash is used, it can have a number of exfoliating benefits. However the talks of it being “mystical and the new fad to break the market” might be a bit steep,’ she explains.

‘Bentonite clay – another name for volcanic ash – is vastly cheaper than activated charcoal, and is therefore normally used as a filler in products. It is much cheaper, however the results are less effective.

‘I strongly recommend consumers look into the breakdown on ingredients or enquire further, as many activated charcoal brands only have around 2 per cent of activated charcoal and then pack out their product with the cheaper bentonite clay.’

But Clarissa does think that the right volcanic ash products can have benefits for your skin.

‘It is amazing at removing impurities on the skin, helping to create a glowing skin and reducing acne. It extracts impurities in much the same way as activated charcoal, easily clearing pores.

‘Clever marketing is in place however to oversell the effect of bentonite clay, highlighting that it is from volcanic ash, offering a more exciting image.

‘It works, but it is certainly a lower quality ingredient to plenty of other options on the market and may not offer the results people are hoping to see.’

There are a range of products to try out if you want to get involved with the latest volcanic trend. The masks are said to hydrate and replump the skin, with the added benefit of terrifying your housemates if they happen to spot you.

For something a bit quicker try a natural exfoliator for extra unclogging power, or a soothing moisturiser if you can’t handle anything too abrasive on your skin.

But, as Clarissa suggests, they key to embracing any new beauty trend is to do your own research and take a closer look at the ingredients.

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The world’s cutest sheep have become a worldwide sensation after being imported from Scotland and bred in New Zealand.

Several years ago, Sally Strathdee spotted an adorable picture online of a Valais Blacknose sheep and decided she wanted to start breeding them.

At the time it was impossible, as sheep imports to New Zealand had remained closed from the UK and Europe for years, but they later contacted Christine Reed, after moving from Christchurch city to live in the countryside near Motueka, to explore imports further.

Christine had worked in biosecurity for many years and was aware of a rule change that would finally allow sheep embryos and semen into New Zealand from the UK.

Christine explains: ‘Having never heard of the breed but having bred dorper sheep for a decade, I googled Valais Blacknose sheep to find the cutest sheep in the world peeking back. And so the partnership that became Valais Blacknose New Zealand was formed.’

Christine set off to the first ever National Valais Blacknose show in Carlisle, England in August 2016 to check out the best breeders and the availability of animals for embryo collection.

‘Right from our first encounters with this breed we had decided to focus on the best possible genetics available in the UK to establish in New Zealand,’ she continued.

‘The supreme champion sheep in 2016 and again in 2017 went to Highland Breeze owned by Raymond Irvine and Jenni McAllister from Valais Blacknose Sheep Scotland, based in Tomintoul.

‘A visit to their farm in Tomintoul Scotland started a conversation that was to result in ten embryos from their top ewes coming to New Zealand in May 2017. And one of those ewes was Supreme Champion Highland Breeze herself.

‘We implanted in June 2017 and later in October had the most gorgeous 16 lambs on the ground – 9 girls and 7 boys.

‘Miraculously, one of the embryos implanted in Sally and Lindsay’s flock resulted in twin girls. A very unusual event but very welcome.

‘One of the most wonderful surprises for us though, was that not only were these the cutest sheep in the world, but they had friendly inquisitive natures unlike any other sheep breed, more like your family dog following you around the fields.’

‘Valais Blacknose NZ has gone from strength to strength since then. Our Facebook page now has almost 12,000 followers and we are receiving daily emails from all over the world.

‘We have visitors willing to jump off cruise ships and rent cars just so they can see the sheep.

‘Some visitors are also wanting to come to New Zealand just to see them and one photo quickly taken on a cell phone in January 2018 has now had 2.3 million views.’

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Andrey Gurin, 34, has always been into having unusual pets.

In a previous marriage, he wanted to own a fox but his wife refused and he insisted that was grounds for divorce.

Andrey, from Minsk, Belarus, was inspired after hearing a story of a goose that was trained and taken around the USSR on show by his owner.

So naturally, Andrey bought a goose egg from a seller, set up an incubator and hatched it at home.

Now, finally, he’s the proud owner of a pet goose called Harvister and the two are best mates.

‘I had been thinking about getting a pet goose for two years; what apartment to rent? What would people think and say?’ he said.

‘Then I finally said to myself “this is cool, I just need to try”.

‘I had read about geese and they are quite clever, smarter than other birds. It is so interesting and funny to watch Harvister’s behaviour as he grows, seeing what he likes and does not like.

‘My friends and family were shocked but when we go to events together all of them are stunned as the goose is very sociable. He loves my friends.

‘Harvister sleeps everywhere – on my rucksack or my shoes. He even sleeps in my bed sometimes because he starts pinching me if I do not let him.’

Andrey admitted Harvister’s place in the family has sparked arguments with his current girlfriend.

‘I think Harvister could be jealous of my current girlfriend. He tends to pinch her and once left a surprise on her shoes deliberately.’

Other than toilet problems with Harvister, Andrey has a whale of a time with him; the two go on neighbourhood walks together, watch TV, and dress up in costume. He’s achieved quite a bit of celebrity in the area too.

‘It’s quite hard to walk with him in the street, but not because of him but because of people around they all want to take photos and ask questions. Sometimes I want to stick a FAQs list on my back!’

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A bird owner sent a hilarious response to someone’s request for a ‘tit pic’ after he attempted to chat her up online.

22-year-old Shanna Marin, from Ontario, Canada, received an unsolicited message on Facebook at the beginning of this month, from a man calling her sexy and asking if she had a boyfriend.

After telling the man he shouldn’t come on so strongly in an opening message and wishing him a good night, the guy ignored Shanna’s wishes and asked her for a photo of her boobs.

Shanna, who owns nine birds of her own, said: ‘I was confused but not surprised, as I get these random people messaging me a lot.

‘When I was sent the messages I was having a bad day so I was a bit annoyed.

‘Usually I just delete and block them then move on but I thought “what the hell, I might as well have some fun”.’

Her post has gone viral since she shared screenshots of the interaction on her Instagram page, @birds_tails, where many people have praised her response.

Shanna, who is single, said the unnamed not-so-gentleman was not impressed by the photo she shared – and immediately blocked her.

Yes, he was the one to block her.

She said: ‘To be honest, I didn’t expect it to work as well as it did.

‘As for the man, his reaction was pretty expected, he blocked me immediately.

‘I guess my wit was too much for him.’

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A single Oxford University student who was sick of being asked when she was going to get married, decided to just marry herself.

Lulu Jemimah, 32, was fed up of her family lecturing her on the importance of settling down with the right man – especially as marriage was the last thing on her mind as she was busy studying.

And so, to get her parents off her back, she decided to stage a full mock wedding, and sent out formal invites to her friends.

She hired a dress, and walked through the venue and even gave a speech to her guests explaining her lack of a husband on August 27 – her 32nd birthday.

Lulu said her parents were obviously confused, but feels it was the ‘perfect commitment’ to herself and her studies.

Especially as the day only cost £2 for her taxi to Quepasa Bar in the Ugandan capital Kampala, where she is from.

She manged to get the rest of the ‘big day’ for free or as gifts from friends.

Lulu said: ‘I have a strong passion in life and I am committed to achieving my goals at becoming an academic.

‘But all my family wanted to ask me was when I planned to get married – which is very important back in Uganda – followed by when I would be having children and starting a family.

‘My father wrote my wedding speech when I turned 16.

‘Every birthday my mother prayed for me and in recent years this has included a plea for a good husband.

‘But I just didn’t want to think about walking up the aisle. It’s not the thing which keeps me up at night.’

The ceremony took place on 27 August, on her 32nd birthday, after her parents had been repeatedly on at her to get a boyfriend and tie the knot.

A friend who works as a web designer made and printed her invites, and her another friend paid to hire her dress, while her brother baked her cake.

Lulu added: ‘[As soon as] I sent these out I immediately received phone calls asking who the groom was. I told people it was a surprise.

‘It’s shocking the price of wedding gowns in Uganda but when I told them I was marrying myself they offered to find me their cheapest dress.

‘I did feel a bit crazy trying on the dress and explaining that I was marrying myself.

‘There was a kind of dismissive tolerance from the girls in the bridal shop.

‘I had to leave an ID card behind and when they saw my Oxford university card they screamed and were so impressed.

‘I tried a few on and I almost cried.

‘It really is a special moment and I understood more than I had the excitement around weddings.’

A friend did her makeup in the loos at the venue, and the bar owner – also a friend – played the wedding march as she exited the toilets and walked into the venue.

‘I then spent a few minutes talking to friends and awkwardly explaining that there was no groom – most of them knew by this point,’ she said.

Another friend played the role of the vicar as Lulu staged a mock exchanging of vows with herself in front of around 30 guests.

‘I was extremely happy,’ she said. ‘So many friends showed up, as well as international and local journalists, film directors and feminist entrepreneurs.

‘Marriage is an expression of love and commitment, however for many people back home, it is still considered the only way to guarantee a woman’s financial security.

‘I had worried about coming off as stupid but to have such a strong intellectual group of friends behind the idea, that was all the validation I needed for the choices I have made.’

Her parents didn’t attend the big day but she did go and see her mother to explain her choice.

‘When we talked the next day she was a bit confused and slightly hurt, but explained that by even wearing a wedding dress it proved I was ready for marriage,’ she said.

‘My father still maintains that he doesn’t know what to say.’

The wedding wasn’t legally binding – as you can’t legally marry yourself.

Lulu is currently crowdfunding to help pay for her tuition.

‘I constantly tried to look for scholarships, grants and even contacted embassies and government bodies.

‘I considered taking out a loan but was told, as an international student, I was not eligible.

‘From the generosity of 279 people (many friends, most strangers), I managed to secure the first year’s tuition.

‘I am now crowdfunding to pay for my full second-year tuition.’

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It’s not just Bear Grylls who drinks his own pee – ‘urine therapy’ is actually a growing trend.

So much so that BBC Three have had to urge people to stop drinking their urine, getting doctors in to discourage it.

Although it seems like an alien concept to most of us, it is a genuine thing, and people are reportedly seeing health benefits off the back of it.

It’s essentially when people use their pee as part of their daily routine, with some people washing with it, others drinking it, and some doing both.

People who practise this report clearer skin, weight loss, and all sorts of other positives.

Kieran ‘Raw Gong’ Hughes is one of those people.

He eats a fruitarian diet (fruit only), drinks his urine, and also uses it occasionally as a facial toner, ‘it has amazing moisturising effects’ and that it’s ‘the ‘elixir of youth.’

Kieran told Metro.co.uk, ‘I got into it as I love having high energy levels. So for the past four years, I’ve been analysing the effect of every drink and every piece of food I’ve eaten.

‘This has automatically pushed me to a fruitarian diet and drinking my own urine as my main water.’

To start his urine therapy journey, Kieran read a book called ‘Secrets To An Alkaline Body’ by Dr David Jubb.

From there, he began taking small sips, increasingly drinking more, which he says made him feel better and better.

Benefits for him include ‘hydration, clarity, higher energy levels, and all round better bodily function.’

The UK wellness YouTuber says he takes only a sip of urine in the evening, but drinks more of it first thing when he wakes up.

He says, ‘Morning urine is far more powerful as it is loaded with melatonin and can have much more noticeable effects, so I always recommend the morning urine as the first drink of the day.’

Sophie Prana, who runs yoga retreats and has her own lifestyle blog, says she began urine therapy when she wanted to give up coffee.

She told Metro.co.uk that it’s, ‘a great tool for any kind of gut healing, skin healing, fasting and detox support.’

Alongside drinking her pee, Sophie intermittently fasts, eating only every 15 hours. If she has rashes or pimples, she’ll also use the urine as a facial toner.

She says this has ‘energised [her], connected [her] more to [her] own body and cleared [her] skin and eyes.’

While people are absolutely free to do what they want with their own bodies, it’s worth noting that a number of doctors disagree with urine therapy.

Although the misconception is that pee is sterile, it can become contaminated with bacteria when it leaves the body.

Plus, despite the fact that urine is 95% water, the waste products in that other 5% could be detrimental to your health if consumed in large quantities.

It’s certainly not for the faint-hearted, and you should proceed with caution if you do want to practice urine therapy.

And make sure to avoid asparagus!

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Thankfully, it’s 2018 and we’re doing away with archaic attitudes to parenting (ICYMI, it’s not just a woman’s responsibility) but some facilities are still catching up.

We’re probably not aware of the way public spaces enforce gender norms but more often than not it’s women’s toilets that are equipped with baby changing tables.

Even the symbol shows a woman (in a dress) crouching over a baby as she changes the nappy.

Dad Donte Palmer, who runs Instagram account Three Boys One Goal, has started a campaign #Squatforchange after a picture of him changing his son’s nappy went viral.

Backed up against a wall, and kneeling down, he was spotted using his lap as a make-shift table. Not only is it uncomfortable (and risks getting poop on your trousers, not nice), he argues it reinforces the idea that caring for a child is a mum’s duty.

‘What’s the deal with not having changing tables in men’s bathroom as if we don’t exist,’ he wrote on the post. ‘Clearly we do this often because look how comfortable my son is. It’s routine to him! Let’s fix this problem!’

Donte has since started the hashtag on Instagram and other dads are submitting their own pictures of kneeling for their children.

‘Changing tables are important in men’s restrooms because fathers deserve the opportunity to be their best,’ Donte told Metro.co.uk.

‘I believe that fathers should be facilitated equally to mothers. Ultimately fathers need changing tables so babies can be changed in sanitary conditions. With the movement being in full force I do believe change will happen not only in the country but around the world.’

‘I believe we as fathers need resources to take care of our babies.’

Donte also said to those who say dads can just use disabled toilets which sometimes have tables that it still takes away from the issue.

If dads did begin to use disabled loos as changing room facilities, it may stop disabled people using the bathroom.

He also stressed that not all disabled toilets have changing tables anyway.

Some parents have used potentially dirty toilet floors or they’ve had to lay down their clothes on the floor to clean their babies.

In America, the concept has gained some footing as high profile actor Ashton Kutcher launched a petition to install changing tables in all bathrooms.

A year later, the Bathrooms Accessible in Every Situation Act was passed.

In the UK, no such law exists as yet. Let’s hope that changes soon.

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One of the best parts of the run up to Christmas is getting to eat a chocolate every single morning from your advent calendar.

But if your chocolate thing, you can stick to breakfast cereal, while still joining in with the calendar fun.

B&M has just launched a Kellogg’s cereal advent calendar for £8.99, and it features 24 cereal bars as well as two pop tarts so that you can have something different every day of December.

The calendar includes a variety of cereal bars including Coco Pops, Frosties, Rice Krispies and Squares, and is expected to sell out.

It’a already in stores, alongside the Twelve Gins of Christmas advent calendar, which includes 12 teeny bottles of gin.

The calendar contains various gin brands, such as Bombay Sapphire, Gordon’s Pink gin and JJ WHitely Elderflower gin for those wanting something a bit sweeter.

The calendar, which people have been getting super excited for on social media, is also pretty cheap for what it is – at just £29.99.

So basically, B&M is the place to go if you want to get your hands on a unique, but still affordable advent calendar.

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If you love Christmas dinner and you’re a fan of tea, you’ll either be delighted or repulsed that Sainsbury’s has just launched a range of Brussels sprouts and pigs in blankets flavour teas.

Yes, you can now drink meat or vegetable flavoured tea and we’re not quite sure what to think.

In hopes of helping anyone looking for unusual gifts, Sainsbury’s decided to create a green tea which is made using actual Brussels sprouts, as well as a tea which features the smoky flavour of sausages, sage and rosemary.

The supermarket says the tea will make the ultimate stocking filler for any foodie – especially as it’s only £1 for 20 teabags.

Despite the name of the pigs in blankets flavour, it is suitable for vegans and is totally calorie free, and is apparently best enjoyed without milk.

If you’re a true pigs in blankets lover, you could also accompany the tea with Aldi’s foot-long pigs in blankets, which are launching this Christmas.

The giant sausages will be available as part of the Christmas range from 6 December, and will be super cheap at just £2.99 for two 12-inch sausages, which come wrapped in streaky bacon.

They’re meant to be great for sharing – but there’s no harm in enjoying both to yourself.

Christmas is for indulging, after all.

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