Author Archives: Ella Mason

World’s First Breath Test Fertility Tracker Launches To Increase UK Pregnancy Rates

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New breath tests will be launching today, that can help to increase pregnancy rates with the world’s first fertility tracker breathe ilo, that uses breath analysis (CO2) to identify ovulation patterns.

fertility, infertility, baby, fertility tracking, breathe, ovulation, get pregnant, help,

With a study revealing that only 12.7% of women correctly estimate their ovulation day¹, breathe ilo is the easiest and most comfortable way to naturally track cycles with a small handheld device that is synced to an app. The technology reads the breath’s CO2 saturation to determine where a woman is in her cycle with incredible accuracy. The device uses real-time ovulation and historic symptom data to offer women precise day-to-day insights into their fertility forecast.

 

The new technology signals a shift so women no longer need to track their cycles by urinating on a stick or by measuring their temperature early in the morning. The innovative device works by simply breathing and displays the results in just 60 seconds, with no consumables or maintenance needed. Through consistent daily use, the breath analysis tracker empowers women to understand their body and cycle phases better.

 

The breathe ilo app, which is compatible with iOS and Android, features a calendar that displays a clear overview of fertile days and a cycle diary to learn more about individual cycle patterns. breathe ilo’s cycle diary also offers the possibility to document further cycle symptoms like breast tenderness, PMS, cervical mucus, or headaches to help prepare women for their next cycle.

 

Lisa Krapinger, breathe ilo’s spokesperson, says, “We believe that fertility and cycle tracking should not be a tiresome task. breathe ilo is designed to bring fertility tracking into the 21st century and the precise and uncomplicated nature of the device is the future of female health by using their breath.”

 

“Our mission is to not only make fertility tracking as easy as breathing, but we have a wider ambition to create a comfortable space where women can speak freely about trying to conceive and their menstrual cycles, along with all that is in between. With 640,370 women in England & Wales giving birth in 2019², we hope to make it easier and less stressful for those trying to conceive moving forward.”

Pia Haas’s story

 

After two years of trying for a baby, Pia Haas, 32, decided to take a chance on a new piece of tech to increase her likelihood of getting pregnant.

 

As part of a field study for the femtech start-up, Pia agreed to test out the device which claimed to be able to tell her when exactly it’s the right time to try conceive just by simply breathing. Three months later, Pia was stunned and delighted to find out that she was pregnant and became the first woman to give birth to a baby thanks to breathe ilo.

 

Pia, whose son Felix is now 10 months, says of her experience using the breathe ilo: “With breathe ilo my biggest wish came true. I think it is the easiest way of tracking your fertile days. It was less stress than peeing on sticks or measuring temperature. We are planning to use breathe ilo again in the near future to get a sibling for Felix.”

 

fertility, infertility, baby, fertility tracking, breathe, ovulation, get pregnant, help,

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Dr Horst Ruther’s story

 

  • Please can you share your own experience with trying to conceive and the difficulties you and your wife faced?

My wife and I’s wish to have a child was unsatisfied after more than 5 years of trying. The journey to parenthood was tough because it caused private pressure within our relationship as a couple, but over the years also external pressure from friends and family. The available methods to detect the most fertile days were not very user friendly or easy to use, and also quite unprecise. We even underwent some clinical treatment which only made us more frustrated and increased the pressure further. After several years,  Edith and I decided to go down the adoption route and were very grateful to be able to adopt our son Benjamin. To our surprise shortly after adopting Benjamin, Edith became pregnant and our son Bastian was born only 10 months after his brother Benjamin.

 

  • How did the idea behind breathe ilo manifest?

After having gone through a tough journey to become a father, I was super excited to learn about the research Prof. Wildt had done in the area of breath analysis to detect fertile days of women – particularly the great advantages of the method because it was much easier and more pleasant than any other method available. So I organised a meeting with Prof. Wildt and immediately knew that we were going to bring the innovation to the broad majority. While Prof. Wildt did show promising research results in the correlation of CO2 in breath and the female cycle with professional respiratory analysers at the clinic, he lacked the knowledge how to build an affordable respiratory analyser for women at home. But with my engineering background and 30 years’ experience leading successful development projects for blood gas analysers for diagnostic companies like Roche Diagnostics, we were able to collaborate to bring breathe ilo to life.

 

With the option to buy a device for £259.00 or rent for £29.90 a month, breathe ilo is available to purchase exclusively now at  www.breatheilo.com from September 16, 2020.

 

Everything You Need to Know About Retiring Abroad

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So, you’re thinking of leaving the UK to retire? A new life at a new pace. Sounds great.  But consider all the issues. The friends and family you’ll leave behind. The fact that no climate is ideal, no place perfect. The upheaval involved. The home comforts you’ll miss.

Still set on it? Well, this quick guide will help make sure you’ve got everything covered.

tropical Island

Choosing a place to live

If you’ve set your heart on a place to settle down, go and visit several times, at different times of the year. Get a feel for the place. And make sure you view the properties in person, not just over the internet.

Buying property overseas

Foreign exchanges companies, such as World First, can help you make the most of your money if you’re buying property abroad to retire, or want an overseas investment property.

They transfer money from your home bank account to your overseas account, and if you’re selling, they can send money in the other direction. It’s worth considering forward contracts where you can fix a rate for a point in the future or explore currency options that enable you to benefits from rate changes in your favour.

Your pension

If you qualify for a UK state pension, you can claim it wherever you live. The money can be paid into a UK bank or directly into an overseas account in the local currency.  Private pensions can be transferred from a home account to a foreign bank, and by using a broker you’ll tend to get a better rate, and save on fees.

Paying tax

If you move abroad for good, your income tax liability moves with you. But you may still have UK tax to pay on investment or rental income in the UK. Pension income is normally taxed in your country of residence. They are not taxed twice, but may push your other income into a higher overseas tax band.   Income from savings is generally taxable in your country of residence. Once you’re resident overseas, you’ll need to check whether you’re liable for capital gains tax.

Healthcare

This is an important consideration. You may get NHS-style free healthcare depending on where you retire, but in the United States, for example, medical insurance is essential. South Africa is another place where you’ll take to take out cover. Healthcare payments may also be required in France, Spain and Italy.

For more information about retiring in a new country, visit Retirement UK

Love in the Club? Dancefloor Dos and Don’ts

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You’re all dressed up in your hottest clubwear ready to take the dancefloor by storm. However, before you get too carried away there are a few dos and don’ts you need to be aware of. There are a huge number of mistakes you can make as you prepare to hit it up and show the club what you’re made of. If you want to avoid potential embarrassment, you’ll need to follow the tips below.

Don’t take up too much space

One thing you’ll notice about club dancefloors is the fact they can become a little crowded. This leaves you with very little space to show off your moves. Now may not be the best time to break out your famous ‘robot’ dance. Ensure you respect the space limitations around you.

Do expect a little bump or two

After one or two drinks, you’re likely to be a little unsteady on your heels. You need to be aware that the other people around you are also in the same position. If somebody bumps into you, try to be polite rather than hostile. Of course, if they’re constantly bumping into you without even a hint of ‘I’m sorry’, there’s justified reason to be annoyed. Likewise, if you’re the one doing the bumping, make sure you apologise and then make a huge effort to control your unsteady pins.

clubbing

Don’t be self-righteous

You’re going to come across people who test your personal beliefs and lifestyle choices on the dancefloor. According to The Guardian you need to learn to suck it up. Sure the club may say no smoking and there may be one or two people ignoring that particular rule, but you’re not working for the nightclub. Nobody likes a self-righteous person trying to ruin their fun on the dancefloor. Learn to ignore it and just focus on enjoying yourself.

Don’t update your social networking page

The dancefloor is never a place for social networking. If you’re having such an amazing time, why are you on your phone? Put your phone away and do what the dancefloor is designed to be used for – dancing!

Don’t force yourself onto somebody who clearly isn’t interested

Yes you may look hot in your sexy little outfit, but that doesn’t mean everybody will want to dance with you. If someone is clearly not interested, don’t waste your time trying to change their mind.

Don’t attempt a dirty dancing lift

We’ve all seen the film, well most of us anyway. The famous lift scene in dirty dancing is inspiring and incredibly romantic. However, under no circumstances should it ever be attempted in a club. Unless you’ve had specific training with a partner, the dancefloor isn’t the place to be attempting this daring lift unless you fancy a broken ankle.

Do stick to what you know

Are you thinking of experimenting with a few new moves? Don’t! Stick to a routine you know and love and remember to also stick within the set space boundaries. Attempting something completely different could leave you completely shamefaced.

 

No Space? No Problem.

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Now Christmas is done and dusted for another year, it’s time to start thinking about putting all of your new presents away and packing up the decorations ready to go back in the loft, cupboard or shed. The issue is, however, that with more possessions in the house you inevitably have less room to store them all and you have to think about new ways of putting things away before you start tripping over them all.

bed
The obvious solution for many is to take advantage of the New Year to go through your cupboards (like you’ve been promising for months), and throwing away the things you no longer need or use, or giving your old clothes to charity. However, as good – and kind-hearted – a plan as that might be, some people just can’t throw things away and while there may be a pile of things that are good to go, you still might not have made enough room for everything. What then?

One of the most spacious areas of the bedroom – a room in the house that is usually more cluttered than any other – is often somewhere that most people can’t get to and might not even think about. Underneath the bed you can find tons of room that isn’t utilized, mostly because of the sheer size of the bed you have. However, a solution to that problem could be to invest in one of the frames or mattresses that will not only provide you with a really stylish and comfortable bed, but plenty of storage space beneath it too.

Okay, so the space under your bed isn’t always accessible – that’s fine, because an Ottoman bed can be lifted up using the hinge that is located either at one end or on one side, allowing you to raise the mattress and reveal a storage space that can be hidden from view so anyone who comes round won’t see any of the things you’ve got stashed beneath. It makes perfect sense, especially when you consider that equipment or clothing that you only need at certain times of the year can be stored there to create room in your cupboards and wardrobe.

There’s a major benefit of an Ottoman bed that people don’t really appreciate until they give them a go. When you bring in a new form of storage, either a set of drawers or a shelving unit, you take up valuable floor or wall space. This means that you’re actually losing space to save space and quite often it doesn’t make that much of a difference. With a bed that has plenty of storage, however, all you’re doing is swapping a bed that uses the floor space for one that utilizes it and you get something stylish in the process, a win-win situation if ever there was one.

Entertainment on the Move: The Best Movie and TV Streaming Apps

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 If you’re slightly lazy like us, the chances are that you consider the biggest benefit of smartphones to be not the Sat-Nav, the e-books and the ability to work from home but simply the fact that it’s now possible to stream South Park whilst sat in the bath.  In a tribute to that level of sloth, we’re going to take a look at what we think are the very best TV and Movie streaming apps currently available on the Android market. These should work on everything from a Windows-based system to a tablet PC by Lenovo.

Netflix

tv and moviesOh, god bless it.  At less than a tenner a month, Netflix offers the ability to stream an unholy (and unlimited) amount of different content right to your phone or tablet (as well as to your Xbox or Laptop).  There are literally hundreds of shows and movies available to watch immediately.  What is available will depend on whereabouts you are – Netflix is region specific, so the UK area has access to a number of classic British comedies, with the US having exclusive rights to some of their own standout shows.  The only thing worth noting is that Netflix doesn’t always update straight away – other streaming devices might get the latest shows more quickly.

Flixter

Originally, Flixter wasn’t actually a streaming app – it was purely based around information, operating in much the same way as IMDB does.  However, it now also streams movies purchased through Ultraviolet.  Ultraviolet itself is actually a bit fiddly to sign up for (it’s certainly more time-consuming than singing up for Netflix, say), but once that’s sorted it’s a very enjoyable app.  It’s worth observing here, though, that there are some devices that it won’t work on – it’s a good idea to double check before handing over any cash, possibly using the free movie that they give you when you sign up.

HBO GO

This app’s popularity will be primarily based around two things.  First, whether or not you’re in the good ol’ US of A.  Secondly, whether you actually like HBO!  This app – as you might have guessed – is based solely around the US channel and can only be used by those that have a cable service that already has HBO included.  Those complexities aside, for those that do like HBO (and given that the channel has produced Game of Thrones, the Wire, Boardwalk Empire and the Sopranos amongst others, everyone really should like it) the app is a must-have.

Sky GO

Just as HBO is for the Americans out there, so Sky Go is for the British.  Unlike HBO Go, though, Sky’s app can actually be paid for with a separate subscription, meaning that you can sign up for it on a per month basis and end the contract whenever you like.  As well as showing a large amount of comedies and dramas (not to mention the standard channels) Sky Go offers two main things: sport and movies.  Both genres have four different channels each, all of them filled to the brim with everything from cricket to baseball and from everything from Harry Potter to the Human Centipede (not that anyone would want to watch that). For sports and movie fans, the Brits need look no further.

 

“When I Was a Lad…” Britain’s Favourite Childhood Memories

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“When I Was a Lad…” Britain’s Favourite Childhood Memories

 

Growing up, you tend to go through spells where you have your favourite cartoons that you never miss, the weekly kick around with friends after school, your favourite computer game and the CDs you would spend hours listening to. As you get older however, these trends change, new activities take their place and you outgrow certain things – that’s life and it’s part of growing up.

 

In just about every room in the house, you probably had things that you loved at the time, but cringe about now. Possessions can be just like fashion and hairstyles: they’re great at the time, but horrendous when they go “out of style.” Betta Living, the home retailer, have performed a survey recently that involved asking people from around the UK about their favourite childhood memories from around their homes, and you can find out more by visiting their page.

 

childrenOver the years, different items have been classed as “must haves” while others have been popular for years, only going out of style because another manufacturer has come along with a new “must have”. There are items on the list that just about everyone has owned at some stage in their life. For instance, one of the most popular childhood items was the lava lamp, which had people captivated for hours on end, while magnetic fridge letters were both fun and educational, allowing you to spell out words on the fridge while waiting for dinner to cook after a long day at school!

 

Different regions also have different favourite possessions, as you might expect. Quite often what’s ‘cool’ in London might not be cool in Manchester, for example, while Scottish women might have different tastes to Scottish men. It’s all down to interpretation and personal choice, and that’s what made our childhoods so different. If we all had the same things, played the same games, listened to the same music and shared the same pastimes, we wouldn’t be the people we are today.

 

A lot of our development will have been affected by the kind of possessions we had around the home or at school growing up. Whatever the circumstances, we probably all sat down at the same time in the evening, ate similar meals and watched the same television shows – so we’re not completely different after all!

Most Common Laser Eye Surgery Questions – Answered

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If you rely on glasses or contact lenses day-in-day-out, then it’s likely that you’ll have considered the option of laser eye surgery at some point or another – after all, being able to see without your trusty specs would change the way you live your day-to-day life.

But, when you do decide to make the decision to opt for the op, although it’s likely that you’ll be feeling quite excited towards the prospect of being able to fully see on your own, it’s also likely that you’ll be feeling a little apprehensive towards it all, too.

It’s not uncommon for your head to be filled with a plethora of uncertain queries and questions about the surgery ahead, so it’s important that you’re fully briefed beforehand in order to fully put those uncertainties to rest.

In order to help you do just that, here are three of the most commonly asked questions, along with their answers, so you can go ahead with the surgery with full confidence, should you wish:

1. “What Is The Difference Between LASIK and LASEK eye surgery?”

So, you’ve turned to the Internet to help and give you a little more information on the general procedure, only to find two different acronyms – LASIK and LASEK – sprawled over every page – now you’re completely confused. Are they the same thing, or do they mean completely different things entirely?

Well, it’s the latter, as they are used to refer to two different procedures; Laser Assisted In Situ Keratomileusis (LASIK) is surgery that involves lasering beneath the front surface of the eye. This procedure involves cutting a very thin flap of skin on the cornea and lasering underneath it. As it doesn’t cause a wound to the eye, it is usually painless.

Laser Assisted Sub Epithelial Keratomileusis (LASEK) involves lasering the surface of the cornea under the epithelium. As this takes a little longer to heal than LASIK eye surgery, post procedure can sometimes cause some slight discomfort.

Although your optician will usually recommend which procedure will be right for you, your needs and your sight prescription, the end choice is entirely up to you. However, if you’re still unsure, then laser eye specialists such as Optimax can assist you with any worries, queries and questions that you may have, taking care of your needs from start to finish.

2. “Does Having Laser Eye Surgery Hurt?”

No, there is no pain during laser eye surgery due to the application of anesthetic eye drops at the start of the procedure. However, some people may experience a slight discomfort after the surgery depending on the type of surgery they have.

For example, if you have LASIK eye surgery, the recovery period is normally completely pain-free. Any discomfort that you may experience afterwards can be easily relieved with the help of over the counter painkillers.

LASEK surgery however may require a little more aftercare in order to minimise any discomfort during the healing process. Drops or tablets are often needed for the next couple of days after the surgical anesthetic has worn off.

3. Finally, “Is It Safe?”

Laser eye surgery is now a common choice for people all over the world – so much so that two million treatments are now carried out annually.

As with any surgery, there are small risks involved, but thanks to excellent research and the low occurrence of major side effects, the procedure is now performed all over the world.

Cycling and The Olympic Effect

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It’s hard to believe that it’s been over a whole year since London opened its Olympic curtains to the rest of the world. But just because it’s no longer gracing every one of our TV channels, dominating every piece of radio airtime or appearing in every single shop window, doesn’t mean that the hype is showing any hint of fading. In fact, if anything, it has flourished – thanks to the passion for sport it has reignited with the British public. One of the sports that has done so dramatically is cycling. Thanks to the successes of Chris Hoy and Bradley Wiggins, Britain now has a serious passion for pedaling – as this great infographic demonstrates:

Compression Sportswear
Compression Sportswear