A woman whose womb was shrivelled by radiation has launched an online appeal for a surrogate.

After two years of debilitating symptoms, Olivia Rowlands, now 29, was diagnosed with bowel cancer in 2017 and needed targeted radiotherapy.

Olivia’s problems began when she experienced tummy trouble. She was diagnosed with a variety of problems, including irritable bowel syndrome and severe period pains.

When the pain intensified at the start of 2017, she asked her doctor if it could be bowel cancer.

She said: ‘The doctor told me not to worry, because it usually happens to people over 50.

‘The pain I was getting was so severe I couldn’t move and I was constantly having either constipation or diarrhoea. I was also seeing blood in my stools and I lost nearly two stone.

‘It came to a head when I started getting the pain during a doctor’s appointment in late October, and she realised just how bad it was. She told me that my husband needed to drive me to Ninewells hospital for examination.’

Referred to a specialist a few weeks later, doctors told Olivia that she had inflammatory bowel disease.

On 13 December, Olivia had a colonoscopy – when a camera is used to examine the lining of the large bowel – at Fernbrae hospital, Dundee.

‘They told me the procedure would take about 40 minutes, but they stopped after about five,’ she said. ‘I was pleased that it wasn’t as bad as I’d expected.

‘But afterwards, the consultant took me into a room and said they had found something. It took me a good few minutes to realise they meant cancer.

‘They’d found a tumour in my bowel and weren’t able to get past it to go any further.’

Six days later, with her mum and dad by her side, she was rushed to hospital.

She was diagnosed with sepsis – a potentially deadly complication of an infection – which doctors believe developed because of the colonoscopy.

With her cancer treatment put on hold, Olivia was taken for emergency surgery to drain out the infection. When she woke up she had a colostomy bag, which she was told would be permanent.

Olivia was also told the tumour in her bowel was too big to remove, and that she’d need radiotherapy and chemo to shrink it before surgery. Thanks to the location of the tumour, the targeted radiotherapy would damage the womb, meaning she would not be able to carry a baby.

Olivia desperately wanted a child. She and her husband Sam, 29, had been trying for eight months before she was diagnosed – although she says she is glad she didn’t fall pregnant, as the cancer treatment would have harmed the baby.

She continued: ‘Still, being told that saving my life would mean I might never have children was very hard. The doctors told me they could harvest my eggs, but they couldn’t save my womb and I would never be able to carry a child myself.’

After spending Christmas recovering in hospital, Olivia had 10 eggs harvested and the couple created four embryos.

She then started five weeks of radiotherapy and chemotherapy tablets, but on day four the sepsis had returned.

She said: ‘I was so upset at that stage. The doctors told me the treatment would have to stop and they would have to rethink what to do.

‘They needed my body to fight the sepsis and I had to take a course of antibiotics. It was too risky to continue treatment.’

Her consultant advised Olivia that although her tumour was large, they would try to remove some of it through surgery and could possibly fix her colostomy at the same time.

Olivia added: ‘It was a very complicated operation and we weren’t sure if it would be possible but, amazingly, after nine hours in surgery, I woke up and the doctors told me they had removed the entire tumour and reversed my colostomy to a temporary ileostomy. I was so delighted.’

After that, she faced six weeks of chemotherapy, followed by five weeks of radiotherapy and a second six-week course of chemo to remove any remaining cancer cells.

‘Finishing chemo was very emotional,’ she said. ‘I filmed the moment and I was just overcome with tears.

‘I was so glad it was over, but quite sad that I wasn’t going to see the amazing staff at Ninewells every day. They have been so incredible. I can’t thank them enough for everything they have done for me.’

Now, Olivia and Sam are desperate to become parents – and they have launched an online appeal, including a heartbreaking slideshow of their story, in hopes of finding a stranger willing to be their surrogate.

Olivia, who was told she was cancer-free in August, said: ‘I know I want to have a child as soon as I can.

‘I joined Surrogacy UK, but the waiting list for a surrogate is long – we would probably have to wait for at least a year – and most surrogates and parents are matched at socials.

‘Being in Scotland, it’s quite hard for me to get to any, as they are in the south of England. I decided to try some of the online surrogacy groups and created a video to tell our story.’

She added: ‘I hope there is a stranger out there who will connect with our story and give us the greatest gift. We just want a family together and we want to do that as soon as we can.’

‘It’s been a very hard year, but I am so glad to have come out the other side.

‘I am so thankful to the NHS for treating me so well, but also to my parents, especially my mum, who came for a few days last December and ended up staying for eight months.

‘My husband Sam has been by my side every step of the way, making me laugh and helping me when I struggled.

‘One of the things that’s really helped me is talking about my journey through my blog and Instagram page ‘Olivia’s got guts’. I hope that it will help someone else going through this.

‘I’m also speaking out as part of Bowel Cancer UK’s ‘Never Too Young’ campaign, because I want everyone to realise that this disease doesn’t just happen to people over 50.

‘I’m on the front cover of a book produced by the charity, called ‘Younger people with bowel cancer: a guide for the under 50s.’

‘It provides an introduction to how a diagnosis of bowel cancer at a younger age can affect the body, emotions, relationships and everyday life.

‘I am one of the lucky people, who was diagnosed in time. Now I’m looking forward to a positive future and finding a surrogate to have our baby would really make my life complete.’

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You can make the very same dip Meghan Markle whips up in her Kensington Palace kitchen for Prince Harry, thanks to a new cookbook from the Duchess of Sussex.

As her first solo project, Meghan has helped produce a cookbook with victims of the Grenfell Tower fire, which includes a variety of recipes from women helping in the Hubb Community Kitchen.

The Hubb Community Kitchen is open twice a week and sees women from the local community uniting to cook for the victims of June 2017’s fire.

Meghan had been making secret visits to the Hubb and decided to create the cookbook to help raise funds for the kitchen.

The cookbook is on sale now and features a foreword written by the Duchess, who has also narrated a video explaining the project, which aims to sue the sales of the cookbooks to support the kitchen opening seven days a week instead of just two.

In the foreword, she gets all gooey-eyed about a certain avocado and chilli dip, even admitting sh’es been making it at home for her and Harry.

Need we say more, here is the recipe so you can recreate if for a loved one (or a night in on your own with a bag of tortilla chips).

Green Chilli and Avocado Dip, by Munira Mahmud, from the Hubb Community Kitchen

My life-long dream has been to have a food van; I spend any free time I have thinking up dishes, and putting ingredients together in my mind. These dips are my own invention.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

2 green chillies, halved
and de-seeded
25g fresh coriander
3 tbsp natural yoghurt
grated zest and juice of
2 lemons
4 garlic cloves, peeled
flesh of 1 ripe avocado
4 tbsp mayonnaise
(optional)
salt and pepper

Method:

Put all the ingredients except the mayonnaise into a food processor and blend until smooth. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary.

Add mayonnaise (if you wish) and stir to combine, then transfer to a serving bowl.

Candid photos released on Monday by Kensington Palace show Meghan with her sleeves rolled up as she helps victims of the Grenfell tower fire four months before her wedding to Prince Harry.

In January 2018, Meghan visited a West London kitchen where she met women who had joined together to cook for their families and neighbours following the Grenfell fire on 14 June 2017.

A rarely-seen stripped-back Meghan gets struck straight in as she cooks with the women at the Hubb Community Kitchen at the Al Manaar Muslim Cultural Heritage Centre in West London.

Meghan visited the kitchens to see how they used food to help unite the community and she made a number of private visits thereafter, joining in with the cooking and watching their community thrive.

In the video produced, Meghan talks animatedly about the healing power of food in communities.

‘Together is a cookbook but it’s also the story of a West London community who gathered together in a kitchen and discovered the healing power of sharing food,’ Meghan says as she narrates the video.

Meghan launched the book today at Kensington Palace and was supported by her husband Harry and her mother, Doria Ragland, who was pictured at the weekend as she flew from Los Angeles to London to see her daughter and son-in-law.

Together – Our Community Cookbook, Foreword by HRH The Duchess of Sussex, is published by Ebury Press and is out now, costing £9.99. Buy it here.

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When Smarties McFlurries were removed from the McDonald’s menu back in 2015, people were so upset that they wrote letters to the fast food restaurant begging for its return.

If you were one of those people, you’ll be happy to know the Smarties McFlurry is making a comeback this month – and it’ll be available in a regular size and also in a mini version.

As you likely know, the Smarties McFlurry is made up of vanilla ice cream topped with Smarties and chocolate sauce.

It will be available from 26 September – however, it won’t be staying around long. We know, terrible news.

As it’s limited edition, it’ll only be on the menus until 17 November.

The full-sized McFlurries cost £1.29, while the miniature versions are 89p.

Alongside the return of the ice cream, other new items will be appearing on the menu, as the Great Tastes of the World promotion has just been launched.

Over the next month, a selection of burgers will be available – including a French Stack, which features ‘two 100% British and Irish beef patties, bacon, cheese, slivered onions, lettuce and garlic mayo in a toasted garlic bun’.

There’s also going to be the Swiss Stack – ‘two 100% British and Irish beef patties, bacon, cheese, crispy onions, lettuce and an Emmental cheese sauce in a toasted lattice topped bun – and finally, the Brazilian Stack, the Big Tasty and the Big Tasty Bacon will also be returning.

So, basically, September, October and November are good months to head to McDonald’s.

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We’re now nearing the end of September, which means it’s entirely acceptable to start getting excited about Christmas – even though we have Halloween and Bonfire Night to get through first.

Helping us get excited is Aldi, as the supermarket is going to be launching foot-long pigs in blankets as part of its Christmas range.

The supersize pigs in blankets will be available to buy as part of the range from 6 December.

There’s still a while until we can actually get our hands on them, but the news is making us look forward to Christmas dinner more than ever.

Oh, and in true Aldi fashion, the foot-long pigs in blankets are super cheap.

It’ll set you back just £2.99 for two of the 12-inch sausages, which come wrapped in streaky bacon.

They’re meant to be great for sharing – but let’s face it, Christmas is for indulging on the best foods.

A photo of the new product was shared to Facebook by Hot UK Deals, and so far the post has already had 11,000 comments – mostly from people tagging their friends to get them just as excited as they are.

One person called the pigs in blankets ‘the dream’, while another said: ‘I’ll just have a plate full of these’.

And honestly, that’s what we’ll be doing, too.

Who needs turkey, anyway?

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People constantly talk about ‘guilt’ and ‘sinfulness’ around food. However, sometimes you might hear someone talking about ‘syns’.

These are a unit of measurement for those following the Slimming World diet plan, and aren’t supposed to denote badness but ‘synergy’.

As part of the plan there are a certain amount of free foods, which members can eat as much of as they want (although it is advised that you fill your plate with mostly veg, some protein, and a smaller amount of carbs).

Then you have healthy extras, which are specific foods you’re supposed to have every day to ensure you get the right nutrients, but within limits.

After that are syns.

Those following the plan allow themselves five to 15 of these per day depending on how quickly they want to shed the pounds.

There’s a whole booklet full of syn values, and you also have an app on hand to help you calculate on the go.

The idea is that it’s not supposed to make people feel bad, just give them a framework with which to make choices about what they eat and drink in a day.

So, if you want to have a drink, a double vodka with slimline tonic is four syns, whereas a large red wine could be as much as 12.5.

Syns are calculated by Slimming World not just by calorie content but by how filling they are and whether they contain free foods.

If you can’t find a syn value online you can round it to one syn per 20 calories, but this isn’t an exact science.

The controversy around syns recently came from the fact that Muller Light yoghurts – which used to be considered a free food – are now synned at 1 per pot.

These are a mainstay for slimmers looking for a sweet treat without eating into their daily allowance, so people really weren’t happy. Danone Activia yoghurts have also been affected by the change and will now be half a syn per pot.

Slimming World said in a statement: ‘This is because some of these foods are often eaten in large amounts, as a ‘snack’ rather than being enjoyed as part of a meal, or because they’re less satisfying than alternatives.’

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Women don’t want to be caretakers of badly raised, ill-mannered or generally troubled men. Essentially, women don’t want to raise men, we want to grow together.

After years of trying to help Mac Miller sober up, ex-girlfriend Ariana Grande left him and was soon accused of abandoning him after his death by overdose.

Earlier in the month Donald Glover also used animation in his work portraying Michelle Obama as Kanye West’s saviour. According to the rapper and actor, Kanye needs a strong powerful black woman to fix him.

But who’s going to save black women or any woman from their issues? Issues like addiction, mental health, family troubles. Why do we not have the same expectation of men to be emotional caretakers of women?

If a man leaves a woman dealing with issues, he is said to have ‘dodged the bullet’ but a woman who endures his financial problems, violence, mental health issues, is praised, or encouraged to stay and help him turn his life around.

In this way, female endurance – a woman who stays with her man through his troubled years – is romanticised; she is seen as loyal. And that loyalty seems to be expected of women.

The idea is that she’s proved her worth; she’s not a golddigger, she didn’t just abandon him while he was making something of himself. And rarely is it reciprocated. Men staying with women who are finding themselves is not commonplace. Men staying with women who are ‘troubled’ is a rarity.

Especially when it comes to addiction, women are expected to stay. This can be extremely challenging for a partner like it was for Ariana. And yet when she left, she was vilified for it, so much so that she had to disable comments on her Instagram after hateful messages poured in.

Courtney Love famously shared a similar fate of being vilified when her partner Kurt Cobain took his own life – a time in which she was in rehab herself.

One of the most high profile breakups – the demise of Branjelina – also showed how society views female responsibility.

The tabloids speculated that it was Angelina’s lifestyle choices, her devotion to humanitarian work, her jealousy, she was too unattentive, while the media made excuses for Brad Pitt.

In doing so, they showed they prescribed to the idea that marriage, like relationships, is a woman’s responsibility to maintain.

Why do we not push men to be more nurturing of relationships?

Even in non-romantic contexts, like in Childish Gambino’s music video Feels Like Summer, a troubled Kanye West has his spirits lifted by Michelle Obama – one of the biggest black female icons.

Whether it’s by virtue of being a mum, a grandmother, or agony aunt, women are expected to do the emotional heavy lifting and help men become better. Women are expected to be fixers, to keep it together, even when they’re filling from an empty cup.

Why do we not encourage men to be better caretakers of their own emotional well-being – to speak openly about their problems, to be in touch with their feelings?

Why is it left to a woman to coax those feelings out of him, to nurture him, to help him grow?

Marzana Rahman, a south Asian divorcee, was a victim of domestic violence. She told Metro.co.uk that despite the horrible circumstances she found herself in, some people still expected her to try to work through their tumultuous relationship.

‘He (my ex, his family), expected me to stay and emotionally blackmailed me because he was “broken”,’ she said.

‘It’s an absurd tactic that perpetrators use in making victims feel guilty and, as a result, stay.’

So if women are the caretakers, then who takes care of women? Society has conditioned and commodified us in such a way that we are pitted against one another. The patriarchy further perpetuates the idea that women are bitchy or catty and inherently don’t get along.

It feels like a divisive tactic to prevent us from uniting against the patriarchy. So who exactly are we supposed to turn to? Because men are clearly not rehabilitation centres for women, neither are they willing to be.

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You might not consider poverty to be fashionable nor art, but fashion brand Golden Goose has taken inspiration from it by creating worn out and taped up trainers.

The high-end company is selling white sneakers with ‘crumply, hold-it-all-together tape’ for an astonishing $530 (£399).

The trainers were spotted on Twitter where people have expressed their astonishment at the company for ‘glamourising’ poverty.

Others shared images of similar brands selling expensive designer shoes that are tattered.

Many felt that it was mocking poor people who are unable to afford better footwear and have to, at times, wear the same ones until they’re worn out.

Writer Joon Lee shared the images from the  Golden Goose website which called the trainers Superstar Taped Sneakers.

‘We’ve already got a problem if any clothing description says “crumply, hold-it-all tape details” but it’s even bigger when that sneaker costs $530!’ he wrote.

The thoughts were echoed by Christine Sydelko who wrote: ‘There are people in the world wearing plastic bags as shoes because they can’t afford any but these hideous things are selling for $500. The fashion industry is truly so f*cking stupid, it pisses me off, what the actual hell?’

People felt uncomfortable with the idea that poor and working-class people often have to hide worn out shoes, or get bullied in school for wearing them, so a brand selling them is not only inaccessible but makes a mockery of their situations.

‘I think peak capitalism is selling shoes characteristic of those who can’t afford new ones for $530,’ tweeted Jacob.

It’s not the first pair of trainers that Golden Goose has sold which look old and rugged.

Their Canvas Slide Sneakers, which cost £379.73 also look dirty and worn in.

Similarly, Parisian fashion label Maison Margiela is selling Fusion Low-Tops for men with a ‘deconstructed, worn-effect design accentuated with dripped dried glue, duct tape and cracked white paint on the midsole.’

‘The sneakers are crafted with leather and knitted uppers that have been melted and reshaped for a worn-effect finish,’ it says on the website.

And those are available for a whopping £1,065.

We’ve reached out to Golden Goose and Maison Margiela for comment and will update this article if they respond.

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Identical twins Angel and Fabian Griffin do everything together. They are both aspiring rappers, they train together at the gym, they wingman each other on a night out, and both drive trucks for a living.

And they also made the decision to transition from female to male together.

The 29-year-old brothers, from Atlanta, knew they’d have trouble as young black men in America and discussed in depth the difficulties that would come with it.

But they knew they were in the wrong bodies since they were 10 and decided to go through with the transition many years later.

The Mississippi-born twins moved to Atlanta with their mother and were always dressed in matching clothes when they were growing up.

One of the twins, Angel, tried to be in a relationship with a man in high school but knew it wouldn’t work out.

‘We only dated for a short period of time,’ he said. ‘I knew I was not comfortable dating men after that. I was like okay this is not for me. And I broke up with him and then maybe about three months later I had sickness and I was pregnant. So that’s how I ended up with my son Carlos.

After having Carlos, Angel, went to Iraq with the military. When he turned 21, Angel realised transitioning was a possibility.

‘I was in Iraq and I don’t even know how it happened or what made me do a search, I immediately called Fabian and I said “I’m changing my gender, you can change your gender” and he was like ‘I’m doing it too”.’

Fabian added: ‘When we finally came to the decision to move forward with our transition the first person we talked to was mum, we told her what we were gonna do.

‘I wasn’t nervous about it! I felt happy, I felt relieved! Actually telling her after I felt like I lost 10 pounds off my shoulder just by telling her, so yeah it felt good telling her.

‘Being transgender and being somebody of colour, I definitely want to knock down the stereotypes.’

Angel echoed Fabian’s thoughts about being introduced to new stereotypes as a black man.

‘Probably the hardest thing being trans male is the whole police situation,’ he said. ‘It was kind of a nerve-wracking thing to be driving or going out walking, you don’t know if you are gonna get pulled over by the cops, which we have.

‘We also got followed in a store and I was like “this is what black men go through”.’

They said their closeness helped them through the journey, as they understood from a young age they both felt the same way.

‘We knew that we were somehow different but we didn’t know what it was,’ said Angel.

‘We didn’t question each other why we felt that way we just knew to talk to each other about it. It was almost natural.’

Both attracted to girls, the twins tried to keep their sexuality hidden during high school.

After speaking to their mother about it and Angel’s son Carlos, they travelled to Las Vegas where they had surgery a month apart from one another.

Now trying to get into the music industry, the twins hope they can open up doors for other black trans artists and challenge people’s perceptions of being black and trans.

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Sad news, people: Quality Street has decided to ditch its Honeycomb Crunch flavour.

We know, it’s a travesty – especially as this comes only two years after it replaced the beloved Toffee Deluxe.

Due to complaints, Quality Street decided to return the Toffee Deluxe to its rightful tin, but now they’re shaking things up once again by getting rid of a new favourite.

The Honeycomb Crunch will no longer be available in any Quality Street tins, tubs or selection boxes. Sad times.

Nestle has justified removing the chocolate by saying its assortment is always changing, saying it’s ‘never been static’, but people aren’t happy about it.

People are quite rightly very annoyed:

A spokesperson for Nestle said: ‘The Honeycomb crunch was a new sweet added to celebrate our 80th birthday celebrations back in 2016.

‘It’s still available as part of a single chocolate bar for this year but won’t appear in tubs and tins.

‘This year’s assortment still features 12 classic and much loved Quality Street sweets and we have taken the opportunity to add more of the sweets we know are people’s favourites’

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A man who had an allergic reaction to his beard dye was left looking ‘like a family guy character’ when his face became swollen.

20-year-old Simon Oguz, a restaurant owner, from Växjö, Sweden, decided to dye his beard with his two friends last month.

After a few days, his beard started to feel itchy and his face became so swollen that he had to seek medical attention.

Simon said: ‘At first I didn’t notice anything, no rashes no nothing – then the day after, still nothing, until the evening when my beard started itching so I looked closer and I saw some small red rashes but I still thought to myself that it was nothing.

‘Then when I woke up the next day, I went to the bathroom and looked at myself in the mirror and I thought I looked a bit swollen, but not so much.

‘Throughout the entire day my face started to get bigger and bigger, so I went to look it up.

‘The doctors said it was nothing serious, just that I got an allergic reaction to the dye, so they gave me some medicine and that was it.

‘It didn’t hurt or anything, it was only itching and I looked like a hamster- my face had gotten even bigger, with more of a rash.

‘When I shook my head my whole face was shaking and I could feel it, still it didn’t hurt, it was just itching as hell.’

Simon says he also felt itching on his chest, and when he went to look in the mirror a small lump had appeared – which he thought was ‘a tumour’ at first.

‘But the doctor told me it was just a reaction to the dye and it was nothing to worry about, she gave me some stronger medicine,’ he said.

After a few days the swelling faded and Simon’s face and chest went back to normal.

He said: ‘I looked like a mix of a hamster and Quagmire from Family Guy.

‘I always wanted to try it but after this incident I’m sure I’ll never do this again.’

His friend, Julia Leandersson, 20, who helped Simon dyed his beard, said: ‘It was his own idea to dye his beard, but I may have pushed him a little as he started to chicken out about it.

‘He wanted to pick a darker colour while I insisted to take a more blonde one.

‘When I first saw him all swollen, I actually started to laugh, he looked so funny and I had no idea whatsoever that it might be dangerous and after a while I became a little bit worried.

‘Although I’ll admit that I felt a little bit guilty – I remember him saying that he was allergic to henna tattoos, and asked if this had any kind of similarities.

‘I said “no I think it’s cool” even though it clearly said on the packaging that you always should try a little bit on your hand or arm before applying to the hair.’

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Carrie Jett met her now-husband Marc, 35, on a dating site, Whisper, a day before her eighteenth birthday.

Now 19, she has been married to Marc for a year after a whirlwind romance where the couple courted for five months before tying the knot.

The couple, who live together in Annapolis, Maryland, USA, were physically attracted to each other from the beginning but never expected to fall in love.

But they found that their conversations flowed easily and were soon besotted with each other. Four months into their relationship, they moved in together.

Carrie, a professional dog bather, and Marc, an audio visual programmer, are now planning a family and want two children together.

Marc already has a teenage daughter, Kaelyn, 15, from a previous relationship, who approves of her father’s relationship and enjoys shopping trips and watching TV with her new step mum.

‘Marc and I met on the day before my eighteenth birthday on Whisper. We were both bored and just wanted to hang out with someone,’ said Carrie.

‘Nether him nor I thought that we were going to fall in love. We were both very attracted to each other and continued texting and seeing each other about once a week until I moved in with him four months after we met, we got married after five months.

‘I was very attracted to his looks when I first saw a photo of him, he kept me attracted with his kind and fun personality.

‘He was first attracted to my looks as well, but I really caught his attention and he kept talking to me after the night we met when I told him to text me and let me know that he got home safe.’

‘Neither of us really mind that gap at all, but my family was not so accepting of it and some of them still don’t approve of it,’ explained Carrie.

‘His family was and is very welcoming of me and my age. They just want whatever woman Marc is with to make him happy.

‘My family however really did not respond well to Marc. I left the path that they wanted me to go down and I found someone who makes me incredibly happy and some of my family has come to be ok with it.

‘My family on my dad’s side does not talk to me at all due to my relationship with Marc. It is something that they do not agree with and do not accept.

‘My mother and I talk frequently, and she has grown to accept my relationship.’

The couple receives stares from strangers when they are out together but they have grown used to them.

‘If someone does not approve of my relationship or might criticise it then they have every right to do so, if it makes them happy or feel better,’ said Carrie.

‘I also have a right to be happy and that is why I am with Marc. He makes me so happy and feel so loved.

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A mum has vowed to boycott Costa Coffee after the store defended its staff’s decision to ask her to leave the shop while breastfeeding her baby – because she hadn’t bought anything.

29-year-old Kaley Louise Riley says she was kicked out of Costa while on holiday in Penzance, Cornwall, for not buying anything before sitting down.

She says she had every intention of buying a drink after breastfeeding her daughter Scarlett, but chose to feed her first because ‘her shrill tones would have sent customers flying’.

But when a member of staff reportedly asked her to leave if she was not planning on buying anything, Kaley left and complained to the company online.

When Costa Coffee defended the employee’s decision and advised her to speak to a manager before sitting down next time, Kaley claimed the response was ‘inappropriate’ and ‘insensitive’.

Kaley continued to rant about the incident on social media, but numerous people backed the coffee shop’s decision, saying that Kaley should have purchased something before breastfeeding.

Sharing a screenshot of the company’s private reply on social media, Kaley wrote: ‘I sent Costa Coffee a Facebook message complaining about the treatment I experienced in their Penzance store recently.

‘As a reputable breastfeeding friendly company, I was expecting them to be equally as appalled as I was. Unfortunately that wasn’t the case.

‘To cut the story short: Scarlett’s pram had broken, it was pouring with rain outside, and she had just woken up and was very hungry [and] thirsty.

‘I immediately spotted Costa and went in. It was packed full of people and so I just took a seat and breastfed her in a corner out of the way.

‘The queue was huge and I wanted to settle her and didn’t see a problem in doing so.

‘I had every intention, once she had calmed down, to buy my favourite chai latte and chill out of the rain.

‘That was, until a member of staff approached me and told me I must leave immediately if I wasn’t planning on buying anything. As you can imagine, I was quite cross.

‘I’m now even more cross at the response from Costa. As if standing around waiting/looking for a store manager to explain the circumstances is even a suggestion.

‘Scarlett’s shrill tones would have sent customers flying after a few minutes any way) and will no longer be frequenting their stores or buying their products.

‘Please share to ensure that no other mum needing a safe space to calm her baby, is subjected to the same treatment, and to highlight how terrible Costa’s social media team are at responding appropriately and sensitively to such a matter. #Costacoffee #breastfeedingmums #mumsunite.’

In a reply to Kaley’s complaint, Costa Coffee had said: ‘Thank you for getting in touch. Unfortunately we do expect anyone entering our stores to purchase a food or beverage product.

‘On this type of occasion, we recommend speaking to the Store Manager on arrival to let them know your situation and it would be left down to their discretion whether or not staying in the store without making a purchase is possible.’

Kaley, from Newark, Notts, said: ‘I just wanted an apology really, and I didn’t get that. I had to reread the message about five times. I didn’t understand what had just happened.

‘It’s not even a lack of common sense, but a lack of common decency with whoever was handling it.

‘Babies need to come first because unfortunately they don’t understand that there’s a long queue and they have to wait. The queue was to the door, it was really long.

‘I was really angry. I am 16 months into my breastfeeding journey but had that been me if she was two months old I would have been really upset because it’s a really daunting aspect to breastfeed in public anyway.

‘There’s quite a lot of stigma around it. Had it have happened to a newer mum, a newly breastfeeding mum, it would have made it harder to be discrete.’

Kaley says that there were some people in store that had her back – including a couple sitting next to her who said the way Costa had treated her was ‘disgusting’.

She continued: ‘I am quite lucky that I have been breastfeeding for a while now and I am quite bolshie and will say no, I’m well within my rights to breastfeed.

‘But if it had been two weeks in, or two months in, I probably would have left Costa in tears. That’s what I want to avoid. I don’t want anyone else to be made to feel like that.

‘Breastfeeding should be celebrated, not isolated.’

The coffee giant’s response caused uproar with some of Kaley’s friends, who slammed the company’s reply.

Amy Collins said: ‘One employee’s actions goes against a whole company’s policy, apparently. I’ve sent it to loads on Insta, they need to be held accountable and offer a statement/punish the individual in question.’

Jane Tabor said: ‘Its absolutely out of order that they did not offer to bring over a drink for you, and give it you for free! They can afford it!

‘They obviously knew what you were doing! Bang out of order Costa shame on you!’

However, others disagreed with Kaley’s decision to breastfeed her baby before buying anything and defended Costa’s actions.

Zoe Palmer said: ‘I don’t see the problem tbh… if I walked into a cafe and just sat down I would be expected to be approached. The member of staff could of taken a order or when you explain about settling baby first then im sure they would of been happy [sic].

‘You are making it out asif they asked you to leave because you where breastfeeding which isnt the case at all…..5min of facebook limelight is what your after!!

‘O an I’ll just add im a breastfeeding mummy, tandem feeding 3years and 19mth old who i feed when an where ever i like so im not saying anything negative about it, I’m just stating that, you’ve seen ya arse because a member of staff was doing their job!’

ChrisHixy Hickss said: ‘What’s wrong with that? I agree with Costa. And any other business. Buy something or get out. And if you need to lop your tit out when it’s raining use a umbrella.’

Costa Coffee were contacted for comment but are yet to respond.

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Over the past year, Fashion Nova has released some interesting clothing items.

There were the sheer, bum-flashing trousers, the lace-up camo skirt, the 2-in-1 jeans and there’s absolutely no forgetting those lace-up shorts.

Now they’re back at it again, with these Nothing To Hide trousers.

The trousers do exactly what they say on the tin: hide nothing.

Coming as a set with a sheer trench coat, the sheer trousers, which are available in both black and white, are completely see-through.

They look a bit like someone’s tied a couple of sheer curtains around the model’s legs.

But these bottoms do have one practical use: They come with pockets.

So, while you might have to freeze in them as this weather gets colder, at least you can carry around your phone and keys as you do.

Fashion Nova posted the trousers to Instagram, and since, the post has received a number of comments from people who aren’t the biggest of fans.

One person said the trousers remind them of a gazebo.

Other comments include: ‘I need these for the mosquitos in the summer tho’, and ‘Y’all running out now, ain’t nobody wearing this in these streets!’

However, other people were keen on the trousers. One user wrote: ‘I could see Rihanna wearing this!…’

Honestly, Rihanna probably could rock these – like she does anything.

But we don’t expect to see many people wearing them out and about – especially not in this weather.

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There’s been a wonderful move towards acne acceptance over the last year.

We’ve seen Instagram influencers dedicated to positive depictions of acne, backlash to articles promoting clearing acne scars, and photo series responding to rude comments about people’s skin.

The latest moment of acne positivity comes from Rocio Cervantes, a 25-year-old makeup artist and vlogger.

Rocio is gaining praise for her method of embracing her acne: turning her spots into stars then throwing some bright colour on her face while she’s at it.

Rather than trying to cover up spots and pretend they’re not there, Rocio lets her acne peek through her foundation. She pops stickers in the shape of stars on top of her pimples while she applies her base so that her blemishes are left uncovered.

Like many of us, Rocio hasn’t always been comfortable with her skin.

‘My experience with acne has honestly been rough especially dealing with it online where sometimes people’s comments can get to me,’ Rocio tells Metro.co.uk.

‘But over the years I’ve learned that been open and vulnerable about my struggle with acne helps others with theirs and their confidence.

‘I have been struggling with acne since I was 16 or 17 I am 25 now so it’s been a long journey.’

For the makeup artist and vlogger, turning her spots into stars is a way to show people that acne is not a barrier to beauty.

‘[It] was my way of saying “this is what I struggle with, I am still beautiful and my artistry speaks for itself”,’ she says.

‘I hope [people] can look at the picture and feel great about themselves especially those that struggle with acne.

‘In this beauty industry, there’s little to no representation for those that deal with acne or any skin condition so I hope in some sort of way me sharing myself and my acne can help anyone out there know they are not alone.’

The response to her photos has been glorious. Rocio’s post has been flooded with replies thanking her for being open about her skin struggles and reminding them that their acne doesn’t dull their shine.

Bravo to Rocio for giving us a fresh alternative to concealer. We’re about to turn our acne scars into stars.

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When you start trying for a baby you very quickly realise that just not using a condom and hoping for the best isn’t enough.

You need to work out when you’re ovulating, lie on your back (ideally with your legs up) afterwards and if you’re really going for it, research is now suggesting that you should be having sex twice in one night.

This advice slightly contradicts the old wisdom was that you should abstain for a few days before days when you’re ovulating to ensure the highest quantity of semen when you do have sex.

Dr Da Li, who ran the research project at Shengjing Hospital found that rather than taking time for a man’s body to ‘replenish’ the sperm, ejaculate produced in a second ejaculation had a higher density of proteins, which speed up the sperm.

Speedier sperm are more likely to fertilise the egg.

In order to test the quality of second ejaculate sperm, the researchers at Shengjing Hospital worked with around 500 couples who were preparing for IVF. The men were asked to provide semen samples either several day or less than three hours after they last ejaculated.

Fertility doctors then did their normal baby making magic, before implanting the embryos into the women.

They found the IVF cases which used sperm ejaculated several hours after a man’s previous climax were a third more likely to have a live birth.

Commenting on the study, Dr Li said:

Dr Li said: ‘For years, men have usually been advised to limit sexual activity to increase the chances of pregnancy. However, it’s time to change our minds. Our data indicates couples with relatively normal semen parameters should have frequent sex around the ovulation period. This could make all the difference to their efforts to start a family.’

So, we’re so sorry to have to break it to you but if you’re trying to get pregnant, the answer might just be that you and your partner are going to have to have more sex.

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An empty home will be sold after the council couldn’t find a single tenant willing to live there.

25 families turned down the offer of the home on Ramscliffe Avenue in Donisthorpe, near Ashby, despite more than £10,000 being spent on improving the property.

You can take a look at the pictures of the house and ponder why those families turned the place down, but it’s worth noting that the house had a sloping floor and was described as suffering from ‘significant historic subsidence’, which doesn’t make it sound particularly structurally solid.

The council made the decision to sell the home after many potential tenants turned it down and several cash bids were made to an estate agent.

The highest bid the home has received so far is £73,900.

Once the house has been bought it will be privately owned, so the owner can either live there or privately rent it to a tenant.

Many people have expressed disappointment in the decision, questioning why families turned down the house and why the council has given up on trying to find a family who’d be willing to take the offer.

‘Give it to a homeless person,’ wrote one commenter. ‘Honestly the housing system is a joke.

‘If you can’t afford to house yourself then you shouldn’t be able to pick and choose where you are offered!’

Another agreed: ‘Why sell it?! Just keep offering it! Some families understand they are desperate and would just accept it. Don’t take from social housing. Isn’t enough as there is!’

Others said they would have taken the house if it were offered.

‘I lived for 15 years in a mouldy flat in Highfields that gave me asthma – I’d have jumped at the chance to live in a newly refurbed home,’ wrote one.

‘My hubby & I have to rent private as we cannot even get on the council list. We would have seriously considered this.’

Some commenters have suggested that the families were right to turn down the house, as they’ll likely be offered newly built homes rather than having to accept one with a lot of history and possible damage.

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It’s almost the end of September which means Halloween is approaching, and one of this year’s most popular costumes is inevitably going to be a Red Maiden from Handmaid’s Tale.

But, I hear you ask, what if I want to look sexy as well as dressing as a truly frightening emblem of what might happen to the world if we continue to work towards the restriction of women’s reproductive rights?

Well, originally an online store called Yandy had you covered, with a perfect compromise. A sexy Red Maiden outfit. You can say ‘I take the prospect of our world turning into a dystopia’ with the top half of your outfit but ‘I’m DTF’ with the bottom half. Perfect compromise.

Unfortunately, not everyone thought that the appropriation of a character designed to demonstrate female oppression was the best call. And following a whole lot of online outrage about the costume, Yandy decided to take it down.

Is the outfit offensive? Or is it an amusing tongue in cheek take on a popular TV show?

Perhaps the most offensive thing about it is the idea that you should spend $64.95 (£48) on a Halloween costume?

If you still like the idea of dressing up as a sexy fertility slave, you could create a very similar look with some red fabric and a bit of white card. Just please remember to demonstrate caution while crossing roads as those bonnet things really do play havoc with your peripheral vision.

Who needs something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue?

All you need is each other to get married. No clothes necessary.

Anca Arsene, 29, and her now-husband Valentine, 34, have long enjoyed a naturist lifestyle. So it made perfect sense for them to have a naked wedding, too.

On the Italian island of Sardinia on 18 July this year, Anca and Valentine tied the knot completely naked, married by a naked celebrant.

The bride simply wore a veil and jewellery, while the groom threw on a bow tie – just to keep things suitably formal.

‘It was so wonderful standing there, in such an idyllic setting with my husband, naked,’ said Anca.

‘Everything felt very pure and very intimate, because it was as though we were taking each other as we truly are, with nothing covering us up.’

Just two friends were invited to the ceremony – Vlad, who was ordained just so he could marry the couple, and Andrea, the bridesmaid.

‘Our other friends and family wouldn’t have felt comfortable about nudity, so we’ll have another, legally binding marriage ceremony later in the year, with clothes on, so that my parents can come,’ Anca explains.

‘But first we wanted to have a wedding that reflected who we are and how we like to behave.’

Anca first got involved in naturism when she met Valentine after an attempt to set up a blind date didn’t go as planned.

‘In those days, when we met, we had Myspace and my friend showed me quite a grainy picture of Valentine on there,’ she remembers/

‘I didn’t like the look of him, so turned down the date but, three days later, I was out at a bowling alley and recognised him from his picture. We got talking – and that was that!’

Valentine introduced Anca to the joys of being naked. They started by being naked inside their home, then began to visit nudist beaches each weekend.

It felt strange at first, but Anca quickly grew to love being naked in public.

The couple now travel Europe looking for the best nudist beaches, making sure to slather themselves in sunscreen to protect every bit of exposed skin.

When Valentine proposed in 2017, the pair knew a nudist wedding would be right for them, and researched nudist beaches straight away.

They picked Sardinia as it’s beautiful and warm enough for total nudity, picking a secluded beach where the couple could feel comfortable.

‘We set off down to the beach at sunset,’ said Anca. ‘But, because we wanted somewhere where we could be alone, we had to clamber through some bushes to get there.

‘The whole ceremony only lasted around 15 minutes, but it was very intimate and extremely special.

‘Vlad and Andrea were a little uncomfortable about being naked at first, because it isn’t something they do often, but seeing how natural we were, they very quickly began to enjoy it.

‘We will have a proper wedding in Bucharest, with all our family and friends, but it won’t be as special.

‘We would have loved to have had a nude wedding with everyone we love there, but most people are not comfortable with the idea of being naked in front of other people.

‘You have to really love yourself and embrace your insecurities – and once you manage that, you can have a totally unforgettable naturist wedding.’

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I thought University was going to be easy.

A big drinker, up for a night out and generally quite easy in conversation, I couldn’t imagine struggling to make friends. And yet, by some combination of rubbish halls, mental health issues and prefering a nice Malbec to Sambucca, I struggled.

For a long time I thought that I was the only one. I assumed I was some kind of antisocial freak. But then I started being honest about it – admitting that I found Freshers’ stressful and frustrating, that I constantly felt like I was supposed to be somewhere else, that I was missing the glorious shiny experience that everyone else was having. And, as it turns out, I wasn’t the only one.

I asked people to share their stories of being miserable when they started University, and was overwhelmed by the responses.

@RebeccaCNReid Violently hated it and did it at two unis! Both times hideous - foam parties and shots and that sort… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

—
Madeleine Spencer (@madsabouttown) September 17, 2018

My mental health suffered

‘My dislike for Freshers’ week wasn’t apparent immediately, but more of a retrospective thing. I didn’t feel too homesick, but the expectation to support yourself, meet new people and have as much fun as possible put a lot of pressure on my mental health, which ultimately suffered.

‘It’s paralysing to try and befriend as many people as possible, handle the academic responsibilities that’ll shape your upcoming years, and worst of all have the ‘right’ sort of fun – and I just felt isolated. And it’s overwhelming to be one of – in my case – 10,000 new people descending on a city at the same time.

‘I still find it quite difficult to watch them all arriving each year. It was made worse by the utterly terrible – and expensive – events put on every day by the halls committee. Looking back, they were nothing like any other truly enjoyable night I had at university. In the end, many of the best people I met came from activities I chose to do myself.

‘What I wish I’d known back then is that there’s no more expectation to enjoy this one week than there is for any other week of the year. You’re allowed to not enjoy yourself, and it’s OK to take time out and focus on you.’ Charlie, a who is now a writer.

@RebeccaCNReid I felt really lonely! I sat in my halls on the first night with NO idea how to actually meet people.… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

—
Beth 💫 (@bethanysandland) September 17, 2018

High schoolers are suddenly expected to act like adults

‘Everyone is in such a rush to settle in, make friends, go out every night, it’s really easy to get lost in it all. If you’re naturally introverted or socially anxious, there’s the added pressure of trying to make friends outside of what is your natural comfort zone, ie. getting smashed with a bunch of strangers.

‘There’s a need to show yourself as having the time of your life, when secretly you’re super miserable and homesick and stuck thinking “what am I doing here?” I remember feeling secretly blessed when I was struck down with Freshers’ flu because I felt I had a valid excuse not to go out after the first few nights and just stay and home and look after myself.

‘It’s a really strange and alien situation where high schoolers are suddenly having to act like adults and take care of themselves and most are extremely unprepared. I also found bitchiness in halls settles in really early, especially as people started making decisions on who you would live with next year within the first week.

‘It’s like a desperate smash and grab situation to make as many friends as possible me and therefore secure future housemates out of fear you’ll be stuck alone. I noticed bullying in my halls really early on; one girl was picked on and it was either side with the bullies and lose out on a place in their house next year or side with the girl and be pushed out too (I went with the latter).

‘I spent all of Freshers’ (all of uni, really) feeling completely out of place, and having everyone around you appear to be having the best years of their life just makes you feel even more alienated and alone and like the problem is you for not being fun enough.’ Sophie, who works in publishing.

@RebeccaCNReid Hahah God almighty. Icebreakers, foam/traffic light parties, observing what ended up being transitor… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

—
John Owen (@jmlo1990) September 17, 2018

@RebeccaCNReid I was medication for my mental health that didn’t mix with alcohol. I went out with my flat mates fo… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

—
Rosie Steele (@rosiebsteele) September 17, 2018

I went home at Christmas and didn’t leave my bed

‘My first year of Uni was really hard for lots of reasons. I’d chosen to go to a uni in the north (Hull) for a new adventure, despite the fact I’d lived in the south all my life and knew nothing about the area or anyone in it other than that my favourite poet, Philip Larkin, was the Librarian there. I tried so hard to make friends in Halls but I ended up on the outskirts of a clique that just made me feel more lonely than ever.

‘The worst was when I walked in on them all exchanging Secret Santa gifts before Christmas. I hadn’t been invited to join in. As well as being pretty sensitive to stuff like this generally, I also have bipolar disorder and had no idea how to manage my condition back then.

‘Consequently I got very depressed, went back home at Christmas and didn’t leave my bed to go back to Uni or anywhere else after the holidays.

‘Thankfully my parents helped me get to a doctor, then back to uni and into some accommodation with three new people, away from the clique. One of them we barely saw. One of them introduced me to the cheerleading squad, which I joined, and a whole new social circle. And the third would become my best friend. We just clicked.

‘Finally Uni became the exciting new adventure I hoped it would be. I joined the student paper, volunteered and watched way too much Diagnosis Murder with by new best friend when we should have been studying.

‘Years later I’m godmother to that same friend’s son. We went swimming last weekend. I suppose what I’m saying is that, even if you get off to the shakiest start, and feel like a fish out of water, things can change so much for the better.’- Yvette, journalist.

@RebeccaCNReid I felt a definite need to be someone else to fit in during Freshers - all I wanted to do was sit in… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

—
Fern (@fernwigfield) September 17, 2018

@RebeccaCNReid It wasn’t until lectures started and I found societies I was passionate about that things felt bette… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

—
Fern (@fernwigfield) September 17, 2018

For me, things got better slowly. By the middle of my second year I was the happiest I had ever been and didn’t ever want to leave. If you’d told me that while I was crying in my room during my second week, I’d have told you to piss off.

Some people don’t find that the social aspect of university gets better. They look for friends elsewhere, or view it as a way to get a qualification and move on. Some people go home every weekend, and other people decide that university isn’t for them.

Struggling to fit into university doesn’t mean you’re a loser. It doesn’t mean there’s anything wrong with you. It just means that when they randomly placed you with a load of other people around the same age you are, that didn’t magically produce a perfect friendship group.

Whatever you do, just don’t suffer in silence, and don’t make the mistake of thinking that you’re the only one who feels that way.

If you’re struggling, please speak to your university’s mental health services, or the Samaritans. 

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Emily Mueller isn’t scared of bees.

In fact, she invited them to swarm all over her face for a maternity photoshoot.

In one picture, she’s painted gold and swathed in Egyptian-inspired jewellery as Cleopatra, while 12,000 bees are crawling on her face.

Another shows her in a floor-length mauve dress, holding an apple, with an eight foot yellow python coiled around her bump for a striking, Garden of Eden theme.

Mueller was also snapped in a gauzy, cream, off-the-shoulder dress with a floral headband and a white dove perching on her finger.

The 34 year old from Ohio runs Mueller Honey Bee, home to an estimated 1.2 million honeybees, and is due to give birth next month.

She has three other children; Cadyn, Madelynn and Westyn.

However, the eye opening maternity shoot didn’t go exactly to plan, as it’s impossible to completely predict the behaviour of any animals.

While holding 16,000 bees, Mueller was stung in the eye.

The beekeeper didn’t let this put her off, and she posed as the Egyptian queen again the following day, this time with 12,000 insects.

Having 4,000 fewer bees involved seemed to work a treat.

This isn’t the first time that Mueller has attracted attention for an unusual maternity photoshoot.

In 2017, pictures of a pregnant Mueller covered in a jaw-dropping 20,000 bees went viral but sadly, she suffered a stillbirth.

In a Facebook post, she wrote: ‘Yesterday evening we had to hand over our precious child and say goodbye to his physical body forever.

‘Our baby has died. Our baby will never come home with us. This wonderful rainbow baby we were blessed with has now become a storm in our lives.’

A stillbirth occurs when a baby is born dead after 24 completed weeks of pregnancy.

According to the NHS, it happens in around one in every 200 births in England.

Hopefully, Mueller and her husband will welcome a healthy child into the world next month.

As part of a beekeeping family, maybe the little one will have the same fearless attitude towards bees as their mum.

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