Chat -julkaisun 21-Jun-2018 -irtonumeron sisällysluettelo

Finding out I was expecting in October 2012 was a dream come true. I ate healthily, exercised moderately, and by 32 weeks my bump was blooming. A textbook pregnancy! Until, during a routine scan, the sonographer hesitated... ‘I need a second opinion,’ she said, leaving the room. Something’s wrong, I fretted. My partner squeezed my hand as a doctor came in and examined my scans. Then... ‘The measurements of your baby’s head aren’t adding up,’ she told us. Three anxious days later, I had another scan at the Fetal Medicine Unit. We’d resisted finding out the sex beforehand, but now I needed to know. ‘What am I having?’ I asked. ‘It’s a boy,’ the doctor said. I managed a smile. A little boy. But she suspected he had craniosynostosis –…

Aldi Salmon Fishcakes with Spinach and Sicilian Lemon, £1.89 We love the flavour of dill in these hearty fishcakes. They have a rustic, oaty coating and they're really satisfying. M&S Lochmuir Salmon Fillet Fishcakes, £1.70 A good, classic salmon fishcake where the flavour of the fish really comes through. These are smaller in size, but great quality. Sainsbury's Melting Middle Smoked Haddock, with Cheddar & Leek Fishcakes, £2.50 These have a great crispy coating, a fresh flavour of haddock, and an oozing, cheesy centre. Really special fishcakes!…

Got to go!  Q After sex, I have to rush to the loo for a poo! Is it normal? Faye, Peckham A Your rectum lies behind your vagina and can get a battering during sex. Combined with hormones released at orgasm, this can trigger contractions of your rectum and the need for an urgent poo. Try emptying your bowel before sex, and eat a high-fibre diet to stay regular. Vagina pain  Q I have burning pain around my vagina and the slightest touch is agony. My GP says it's vulvodynia - is there a cure? Lucinda, Stafford A The cause of this excess sensitivity's unknown, though your doctor will rule out the likes of infection or allergy. It may be treated with antidepressants or epilepsy medication which act on nerves,…

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Fidgeting in my seat, I struggled to get comfy. It was July 2013 and I’d just retired – but I was already going stir crazy! Me and my hubby Gilbert, 73, weren’t ones for sitting still. We needed a hobby… ‘What about becoming TV extras?’ our daughter Sophie, 38, suggested. Gilbert laughed. ‘Don’t be daft. Nobody wants us on the telly!’ he cried. To me, it seemed exciting. I’d been a history teacher for 15 years, while Gilbert was a sales executive before retiring just before me in early 2013. We’d led pretty normal lives... Married back in 1978 – we had two beautiful children. But this sounded so different. After persuading Gilbert, I sent pics to Uni-versalEXTRAS Ltd, an agency which supplied extras, walk-ons and background artistes for film…

If I’m not in labour, then I must be dying... Snapping a selfie in the sunshine, I couldn’t stop grinning. Patting my bump, I turned on my sunlounger to face my partner Craig, then 32. ‘I can’t wait until she’s here,’ I said excitedly. ‘Me neither!’ he replied. It was May last year and Craig and I were on holiday in the Dominican Republic with my daughter Brooke, then 11, from a previous relationship. I was 30, and 17 weeks pregnant with our baby girl. Everything was perfect. Except, during the holiday, I noticed I’d been leaking into my knickers. ‘You’re incontinent!’ Craig joked when I told him. I laughed, too. I assumed it was just part and parcel of being pregnant. Only, back at home three weeks later, I…

Grinning at my sister, Quyen, I threw open the doors of our new nail bar. ‘It’s a fresh start,’ I beamed. It was July last year, and me and Quyen, 28, had just launched Glitter Nails in Birtley, Gateshead. We were so proud. Quyen was my little sister, I doted on her. She’d moved to England from our home country, Vietnam, in autumn 2009 to study Business Management at uni in London. Two years on, I’d followed and we’d both settled down and had kids. Only, in September 2016, Quyen had split up with her partner. ‘It’s over,’ she’d sobbed. Desperate to help, I had an idea. ‘Move in with us,’ I said. I lived in Bolton at the time, but in January last year we all moved into a…

Breathless  Q For 18 months, I've been increasingly short of breath. My GP's given me water tablets, but they just make me wee! Iris, Nottingham A Sounds like heart failure. When your heart isn't beating efficiently, fluid builds up in your lungs. Water tablets help you wee out excess fluid, but other drugs, or treatment such as a pacemaker, can help. Talk to your GP again. Wart removal  Q I've had a wart on my thumb for years. Mum said rub it with an onion, and it's going! How can that be? Penny, Burnley A Pure luck! Warts are viral infections and most go by themselves within a year or two. Treatments which can help include rubbing with an emery board, plus wart cream from your chemist, or covering the…

My little girl Ella was usually such a contented baby. But, as she let out little cry, I scooped her up. ‘I’m worried – this isn’t like her at all,’ I said to my partner TJ, 19. Recently, aged 10 months, she’d seemed a bit under the weather. She had a dry cough and kept being sick. At first, I thought it was just a little cold but now she seemed increasingly restless. And her symptoms were getting worse. So I asked TJ’s mum Lisa, 44, for her opinion. ‘Let me have a look at her,’ she said, taking Ella from me. Lisa seemed a bit concerned. ‘Something’s not right,’ she agreed. As the months passed, Ella grew weaker… Not wanting to take any chances, we phoned an ambulance and…

I knew she hated me, but I never dreamed she’d do this... The moment I laid eyes on Peter Laylor, I knew he was the one for me. It was New Year’s Eve 2011 and the chemistry crackled between us as we started chatting in a nightclub. ‘So, can I have your number?’ Peter, then 42, smiled. Definitely! Within six months, we were married. My children – Jahsiah, then 18, and Savannah, then 13, adored Peter. But one person didn’t share our happiness. Suzette Samuels, Peter’s ex. She started screaming threats, her eyes black with fury They’d split months before we’d met, but she seemed determined to make our lives difficult. She was unfriendly whenever Peter saw their two young kids, and would even hurl abuse at us. ‘Ignore her,’…

Serves: 12 Prep: 15 min, plus chilling Cost per serving: 29p 1 Line a small baking tray with baking parchment. Cover the base with 200g crushed digestive biscuits and 175g mixed sweets. 2 Melt 125g butter, 200g milk and 200g dark chocolate (both broken into chunks) and 2tbsp golden syrup in a saucepan over simmering water. 3 Pour the mixture over the biscuit and sweets base and evenly spread using a spatula. Sprinkle over 25g more sweets and place in the fridge for about an hour until it has set. 4 Remove from the fridge and allow the cake to come to room temperature. Use a hot knife to slice the cake into 12 pieces.…

Do you remember me? I was in the magazine last year after I’d scooped my second big win playing Sapphire Bingo. I’d bagged myself £1,000. ‘I’m thrilled to be sharing all my wins with my family’ And that was just a year after I’d had my biggest windfall of £1,250 back in April 2016. And now I’m back again! I first joined Chat Mag Bingo in September 2013, and I’ve loved every minute of it. My favourite games are Sapphire Bingo and the Tiki slot games. Plus there’s such a welcoming community. I really enjoy chatting away with all the other members. Even my daughter Glynnis, 47, has now signed up to the site. I used to go to the bingo halls after a shift at the bakery where I…

This was her sanctuary, a place of peace and harmony THE STORY The clear blue waters and unspoilt sandy beaches make the Indonesian island of Bali a perfect holiday destination. For 34-year-old Heidi Murphy, though, it was home. A free-spirit, Heidi had spent her early life in Australia before travelling the world. She’d visited more than 20 countries, making friends at every stop, before choosing the beachfront community in north Kuta, Bali, as her base. Heidi spent her days making clothing and jewellery. The laid-back lifestyle was perfect for a woman described by a friend as ‘a happy, loving person...never judgmental. She would take anyone in with open arms.’ Heidi lived in a two-bed villa which she’d spent hours transforming, painting gold stripes on the walls, making it her sanctuary.…

Aries 21 March - 20 April You’re always quick to defend yourself if anyone accuses you of anything. But this time it’s better to let the matter drop. It’s an obvious attempt to provoke a reaction - and you’ve far better things to do! Call 0905 817 0690* for more Taurus 21 April - 21 May Should you take a leap into the unknown or stay with what you know? It’s up to you, but you must move forward sooner or later. The longer you put it off, the scarier it’ll get. You can’t stay put forever, so give it a go! Call 0905 817 0691* for more Gemini 22 May - 21 June You usually treat life as a big game, but there’s a side to you, which is…

Turning up the music, I danced around the living room while my little sister sang into her hair straighteners. ‘I wish I sounded like you!’ Sophie-Lee, 14, then sighed. It was Boxing Day last year, and my baby sister Sophie-Lee had come over to visit. We loved dancing and singing together. My voice always surprised people. I’m only 4ft 10in, but at karaoke, I’d choose all the power ballads by Celine, Whitney and Mariah. I’d see everyone’s shock as I hit the big notes! Later that evening, I walked Sophie-Lee home before making my way back to my place. I was just a few minutes away when I turned a corner and saw a lady walking a Great Dane/Staffordshirebull terrier-cross. I liked dogs, but I felt a bit wary. And…

Tongue-tie op  Q I'm struggling to breastfeed and my midwife says my baby needs an op for tongue-tie. Is it necessary? Mattie, Reading A Tongue-tie, where the fold of skin between the tongue and the floor of the mouth is tight, can make feeding tricky and, later, cause speech issues. The op's fast and painless. Write to Dr Martin Edwards at Chat , 161 Marsh Wall, London E14 9AP. Or e-mail chathealth@timeinc.com Sorry, he can’t reply personally.…

Toasty tootsies I put a carpet tile at the kitchen sink, so for when I'm washing up, the floor stays dry. Most carpet shops have old samples. Just ask! Jennifer Myers, Reading Mix up your mash! Make mashed potato more interesting by shaping it into balls using an ice-cream scoop and cooking in the oven. So delicious! Tricia Nelson, Evesham Touch-ups Mark on a wall? Cut a strip off a sponge and use it to paint with. It won't make a mess, and no brush to wash! Kelly Beresford, Brierley Hill Every drop counts When you think your creams and lotions have run out, cut off the top and you'll find enough inside to last you for a few more days. Wendy Freeman, Great Missenden No waste Make sure you…

Scooping fries into the paper, I chatted away to a regular customer. ‘Enjoy your dinner,’ I smiled, handing him his fish and chip supper. It was an October evening last year, around 8.15pm, and we were about to hit our quietest part of the day. I’d worked in the chippy for three years and loved it. Not once did he take his eyes off me as he asked questions When I’d first started I’d been a shy teenager with buckets of nerves. Now, I was confident, had a great rapport with the regulars. As I cleaned down the worktops, I heard the door swing open. ‘Portion of fish and chips, please,’ said a man with a bald head and stubble. ‘Of course,’ I replied with my usual grin. Heaping chips…

• Buy tickets and play Bingo in our Sapphire room or any Morning, Afternoon or Evening Game in Session Bingo for your chance to win free tickets to the big DAILY and WEEKLY Bingo game in our Play Off Palace! • Win one line, two lines or a Full House on the selected games and you’ll win six tickets for the Play Off Palace Daily Game and the Weekly Game the following Sunday. Your Play Off Palace ticket could win up to £1,000 on a Full House. Go to our Bingo page at Chat Mag Bingo for game times and the full t&cs.…

Soft & Gentle Anti-Perspirant 0% Aluminium roll-on in Active, £2.99, Boots Uses hardworking natural ingredients to keep you feeling dry fresh for up to 24 hours. Dove Go Fresh 0% Aluminium Salts Cucumber & Green Tea roll-on, £3, Sainsbury's Contains Dove's signature moisturising cream to keep your underarms soft and smooth. Bioderma Sensibio Deo, £7.50, escentual.com Free from alcohol, parabens and fragrance, so it's gentle enough for sensitive skin. Sure Invisible Antibacterial roll-on, £2.19, Boots Releases an extra burst of fragrance every time you move and won't leave white marks on your clothes.…

Aged 12, I was thrilled to get my first pair of gold shoes Lying on my back, I stared up into the darkness above. White lights twinkled and spun overhead like shooting stars. But I wasn’t outside stargazing... It was 1978 and, aged 3, I was in my jimjams, lying across two comfy chairs inside the Willesden and District Old Time Dance Club in London. The twinkling lights were courtesy of the glitter ball that rotated in time to the ballroom music. As I struggled to stay awake, my mum Susanne pulled me onto her lap. ‘Did you dance too much?’ she asked. ‘No, Mummy,’ I said. For me, there’s no such thing as dancing too much. Something most of my family would agree with. You see, the reason 3-year-old…

I sneaked into the hospital corridor and sobbed Growing up, I idolised my dad Darren. I remember watching the film Rambo as a little girl and being convinced it was about Dad. Strong and fit, he’d trek off to the woods with the dogs. Hunting rabbits, swimming in the lakes. As soon as I was old enough, he’d take me with him. ‘You’re a chip off the old block,’ he’d smile proudly. My mum had left when I was 18 months, so Dad was my world. In January 2016, age 17, I started working for the council and got my own place. I’d still stay with Dad at weekends. Then, in July 2016, I met Jamie Kirkland, 22, through Facebook. He loved the gym, was super-toned and muscly. ‘He’s like…