A woman from Stockport has told of how she went to hospital with crippling back pain and came out with baby, despite having absolutely no idea she was pregnant.
Rhea Martin was relaxing at home with her boyfriend, Luke Melling, when her painful period – which she had been told just days before was definitely the case after visiting her local hospital – developed into agonising back pain.
The 24-year-old saleswoman from Heaton Norris was taken to hospital and dropped off at A&E.
She kissed her boyfriend goodbye and told him she’d be out soon, but Rhea was left stunned when medics told her she was in actually in labour as she was completely unaware of her pregnancy.
After hearing the news, Rhea fell unconscious in a state of shock and woke up in a different room with a midwife telling her to “pull it together for her baby and push”, and found herself with no time to process the news and unable to call Luke or her parents to let them know she was pregnant.
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She gave birth to her son – Myles Melling, weighing 6lb 7oz – at Stepping Hill Hospital in Stockport on 20th October 2020.
Known as a ‘cryptic pregnancy’, Rhea’s baby was tucked away towards her back, meaning that she showed no physical bump throughout the nine months.
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Rhea Martin
Speaking on the whirlwind and unexpected experience, Rhea said: “I called Luke and told him to come to the hospital where I met him outside. I told him there and then and the first thing he asked was if he was a boy, because he’s always wanted a son.
“We can laugh about everything now, but at the time it was actually quite traumatising.
“You go into hospital thinking you have serious back pain and a bad stomach ache caused by your period and come out with a baby. We had no time to process anything or prepare so the last six weeks have been challenging and we’ve been so lucky to have amazing parents who have helped us out massively.
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“In the first week after Myles arrived we kept discussing plans to do as a couple, then we’d remember we had a baby and the things we used to do wouldn’t be so ideal for a baby to join.
“It’s been a pretty surreal time but we wouldn’t change it for the world.”
Luke added: “I was extremely shocked that I didn’t notice my own girlfriend was pregnant, especially being a personal trainer, I felt rather silly, but Myles is the biggest blessing from what has been a strange year for us all.
“We had a few hours to turn from a new couple to a family.
“I love Rhea and can’t thank her enough for making me a father.”
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One in 10 Brits are fired or disciplined after their work’s Christmas party, new survey finds
Emily Sergeant
We’re in peak office Christmas party season right about now.
With just under two weeks to go until the big day itself is here, many businesses across the UK are treating their staff to night out to celebrate both the festive season and all of the hard work they have been putting in throughout the year… and as you can expect, these are usually quite eventful gatherings, shall we say.
But now, a survey by has shed light on just how ‘eventful’ they actually are, as a new survey has revealed that, apparently, one in ten Brits face some sort of disciplinary action or dismissal due to their behaviour at Christmas parties.
The study was conducted by After Drink, and included more than 2,000 participants.
During the research, it was highlighted that 89% of employees admitted to drinking alcohol at these events, Lad Bible reports – with 65% of these confessing that they drank “excessively”.
One in 10 Brits get fired or disciplined after their work’s Christmas party / Credit: Kraken Images | Mimi Thian (via Unsplash)
There are a multitude of incidents which could lead to disciplinary action in the workplace nowadays, but according to the survey, some of the common reasons following festive celebrations with colleagues included inappropriate comments (23%) and even getting into fights (21%).
16% of these incidents were because of drug use during the event, while inappropriate interactions with colleagues accounted for 14%.
Some of the legal reasons you can be fired from your place of work after a Christmas party include gross misconduct, drunken behaviour, and fighting of any kind.
Despite all these risks, however, Christmas parties still remain as popular as always, and a whopping 79% of respondents said they are planning to attend theirs this year.
Clearly, the moral of the story here is , enjoy yourself… but just not too much.
Featured Image – The OurWhiskey Company (via Pexels)
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Half of Mancs don’t know how to cook Christmas dinner, new survey reveals
Emily Sergeant
Christmas dinner is one of the key parts of any festive celebration.
No matter whether you choose to tuck into a traditional roast with all the trimmings and lashings of gravy, or you prefer to go for something a little different like a curry or a Chinese instead, your Christmas dinner is a chance to gather round with your loved ones and enjoy one of the heartiest meals you’ll likely have all year.
However, some shocking new figures have revealed that half of Manchester residents have no clue how to even cook a Christmas dinner.
Through a major study by the UK’s leading electrical retailer, AO.com, it was revealed that the majority of our city’s residents are “losing confidence” in preparing even the simplest of British dishes – with a traditional roast or Christmas dinner being one of them.
A new survey has revealed that half of Mancs don’t know how to cook Christmas dinner / Credit: Freepik | GoodFon
As part of its new campaign to get Brits back into the kitchen, AO found that just 57% of respondents reckon they would be able to make a roast dinner, 52% could whip up a classic shepherd’s pie, 58% could cook bangers and mash, merely 61% could prepare a full English breakfast, and again, only 57% could tackle fish and chips.
Classic desserts are clearly a struggle for us Mancs too, according to the survey, as only 19% of respondents said they’d feel confident cooking a Christmas pudding.
The survey also found that nationwide, it was Gen Z – those between the age of 16 and 27 – that are the least confident in their ability to cook great British classics, while on the other end of the spectrum, Baby Boomers are the most capable, proving that culinary confidence increases with age.
Our region’s residents are apparently ‘losing confidence’ at cooking simple British classics / Credit: Freepik
Commenting on the results, Jay Lockton, oven expert at AO.com, said: “Kitchens should be a place of creativity and joy, but our data shows that a lot of people in Manchester are losing confidence in preparing even the simplest of British dishes.
“Based on our findings, many younger people may be opting for convenience foods or takeaways due to their busy schedules and the perception that cooking from scratch is time-consuming or difficult.
Emily Sergeant -
8th December 2020 
