Carrie Johnson warns mothers about dehydration from hospital bed
Carrie Johnson, the wife of former prime minister Boris Johnson, has urged breastfeeding mothers to eat and drink properly after she had a short spell in hospital with severe hydration.
Mrs Johnson, 37, whose fourth child with the former leader of the Conservative Party was born on May 21, said a two-night hospital stay was 'not on my postpartum bingo card'.
Her warning came in a Instagram story alongside a photo of Mrs Johnson in hospital cradling baby Poppy Eliza Josephine.
Britain is expected to experience another heatwave this weekend when temperatures could top 30C, with an amber heat health alert issued.
Mrs Johnson wrote: 'Being hospitalised for two nights for severe dehydration was not on my postpartum bingo card.'
She urged 'breastfeeding mums' to make sure they eat and drink enough, 'especially if your babe is clusterfeeding'.
Advice on the NHS website tells new mothers to drink plenty of fluids and to have a drink beside them as the settle down to breastfeed. Water, lower fat milks, lower sugar or sugar-free drinks are all good choices.
Mrs Johnson thanked everyone who has helped them get through a 'brutal' week.
With an Amber Heat Health alert declared for the East Midlands, South East, South West, East of England and London, it's worth watching out for those who might find it difficult to cope with high temperatures. ☀️ 🌡️
Check our blog post for handy tips: https://t.co/mCZIFKwOZ5 pic.twitter.com/CSnx4ON86s
— UK Health Security Agency (@UKHSA) June 27, 2025
She wrote: 'This week has honestly been brutal. 'Mastitis (me), reflux (her), dehydration (me). What a pair we are!
'But thank you for all the kind messages, especially all the brilliant advice on reflux. Really appreciate it and made me feel way less alone going thru it all.
'And as ever, thanks to our amazing NHS.'
Her message comes as a second amber heat health alert in two weeks came into force on Friday.
The alert, which covers London, the East Midlands, South East, South West and East of England, will last until 6pm on Tuesday.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has also issued a yellow alert for Yorkshire and Humber and the West Midlands for the same time period, with the agency warning of significant impacts across health and social care services.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Dementia risk 'can be reduced' by herb that's easy to grow in kitchens and gardens
Dementia affects millions of people worldwide, and the numbers are increasing. There is currently an estimated 982,000 people with dementia in the UK, and it is predicted that 1.4 million people will be living with dementia by 2040, according to the Alzheimer's Society. However, new research has emerged that suggests that a common herb that's easy to grow in your kitchen or garden can actually reduce the risk of getting the brain disorder. Rich in natural compounds that support memory and protect brain cells, this everyday plant is gaining attention as a simple yet powerful ally in the fight against dementia. The secret weapon: rosemary. The herb has long been associated with sharper memory and improved mental clarity, and even appeared in Shakespeare's Hamlet, where Ophelia stated: "There's rosemary, that's for remembrance." READ MORE: Scientist reveals that eating this one fruit a day will lower inflammation READ MORE: Early dementia symptom that could show up when you're on holiday But now modern science is exploring whether rosemary can be linked to aiding Alzheimer's disease. In a 2025 study published in Antioxidants, researchers explored the benefits of carnosic acid, which is a natural compound found in rosemary and sage. Carnosic acid is known for its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, which activate the body's natural defence enzymes. However, "pure carnosic acid" is too unstable for direct use as a drug, so a more stable form called diAcCA was developed, which converts to carnosic acid in the gut, reported Scripps Research. Research showed "that when diAcCA was used to treat mouse models of Alzheimer's disease, it achieved therapeutic doses of carnosic acid in the brain and led to enhanced memory and synaptic density, or more synapses (representing the connections between nerve cells), in the brain. "Because the decline of neuronal synapses is also closely correlated to dementia in Alzheimer's disease, this approach could counteract the progression of cognitive decline." A health expert at the Independent also shared that rosemary can enhance mental clarity by boosting blood flow to the brain, delivering more oxygen and nutrients. Its calming aroma has also been linked to reduced anxiety and better sleep, both key for focus and memory. Another study conducted by a team at Northumbria University found a link between rosemary oil, lavender oil and memory performance. A doctor who participated in the study spoke to the BBC and shared: "It turns out that there are compounds in rosemary oil that may be responsible for changes in memory performance. "One of them is called 1,8-cineole - as well as smelling wonderful (if you like that sort of thing) it may act in the same way as the drugs licensed to treat dementia, causing an increase in a neurotransmitter called acetylcholine." The compound 1,8-cineole helps preserve acetylcholine, a vital brain chemical for learning and memory. By protecting this neurotransmitter, rosemary may support cognitive performance, even when we age. The doctor concluded: "The implications of this kind of research are huge, but they don't mean you need to spend your days smelling of rosemary and your night sleeping on a pillow of lavender. "The effects were measurable but modest, and they give us a clue that further research into some of the chemicals in essential oils may yield therapeutics and contribute to our understanding of memory and brain function."
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Organ donation is 'life-giving', say recipients
Organ donation is "life-giving" and provides recipients with a "new lease of life", three people who previously received transplants have told the BBC. Jack Beever, Blossom Martin, James Lawton were all speaking ahead of next months British Transplant Games, which is an Olympics-style sporting event for people who have received organ transplants. The multi-sport festival is taking place in Oxford next year for the first time, with more than a thousand participants set to descend on the city. "Organ donation is so important, and for everyone involved it makes such a difference, not just for me but for my family," Mr Beever, 19, said. Ms Martin, who received a kidney transplant from her mum two years ago, said: "Organ donation is life-giving, it's given me a new lease of life and if you can give something to someone else that you don't need, its win-win for everyone." The 19-year-old said her transplant meant she could "dedicate so much more time to whatever I want to do - it's amazing". Explaining what life was like before his kidney transplant earlier this year, Mr Beever said: "I was so restricted with everything I could do - I was in bed all the time feeling really tired and poorly." "The second I had it, it was just amazing - I had so much energy, I could do so much more around the house, I could eat whatever I wanted, it was amazing." He said organ donation made "such a difference for everyone involved". "I wouldn't be here without organ donation," Mr Lawton said, adding: "My wife and my kids wouldn't have me around without my transplant." All three will be competing for Team Oxford at the British Transplant Games, which takes place between 31 July and 3 August. The games will see 1,045 athletes - ranging from ages three to eighty-plus - compete against one-another across 25 different sports. Paul Harden, chairman of the charity Tranplsant Active - which organises the games, said: "Organ donation can transform these people's lives from a life threating situation to one where they can compete in all of these sports." You can follow BBC Oxfordshire on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram. 'I had a transplant - now I compete for my country' Oxford to host Olympics-style Transplant Games Meet the kids competing at the Transplant Games British Transplant Games
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Nightclub worker diagnosed with brain tumour reveals key early sign
A Birmingham nightclub worker was diagnosed with a brain tumour after getting lost in a place he knew "like the back of his hand". Tom Weatherstone, from Sheldon, had visited Perranporth in Cornwall all his life but couldn't find his way back from the beach in summer 2022. After he was diagnosed, he said his confusion may have been the first sign something was wrong. READ MORE: Dad who built £180k back garden bungalow for ill father has days to tear it down He also started having headaches, sickness and blurry pixelated vision in his right eye but his family believed they were linked to his job and lifestyle. He was diagnosed less than a year later after he was sent for blood tests and a CT scan by a doctor who spotted his hand tremors during a routine and unrelated private appointment in March 2023. The now-23-year-old was previously told he had a vitamin deficiency following a telephone consultation with his GP and was prescribed vitamin B12, D and folic acid. He was told he needed surgery to treat it, which could result in him losing his sight, his memory, his mobility or even his speech. Tom said: 'Retrospectively, the first sign came earlier, during a family holiday in the summer of 2022. 'One day, I walked back from the beach and got lost in a place I had known my whole life like the back of my hand. "At the time, it seemed odd, but we didn't think much of it. Looking back, it was the beginning of something none of us could have imagined.' READ MORE: City station attacker who 'bit and clawed' police dies at bail hostel Tom's oldest sister, Josie, 27, said: 'When Tom started having headaches, throwing up, vision problems, and noticing a tremor in his hand, we put it down to his lifestyle and assumed his job in a nightclub, the noise and bright lights were the cause. 'After Tom was diagnosed with a mineral deficiency, none of us thought it was a symptom of a brain tumour.' Tom continued: 'I had more bloods taken, another CT scan, and a sight test done at Heartlands Hospital in March 2023. 'By early the next morning, they confirmed again there was something there. 'I was transferred that same day to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham. I remember the anxiety building. 'I was scared. I just wanted to know what was in my head that was causing so much alarm.' At the QE, Tom was diagnosed with an astrocytoma, a tumour which develops from star-shaped glial cells, and had urgent surgery to fit a shunt to relieve pressure on his brain and a biopsy. He said: 'Doctors said the risks of surgery were loss of sight, mobility, memory or even speech loss. 'I was on my own, no family, and the doctor just said: 'It's a tumour'. I didn't know what to say. 'I rang my family straight away, I was in shock, devastated. 'I'd gone to the doctor for a routine check and now I was in hospital with a brain tumour.' Tom had a second operation on May 22 2023 to 'debulk' the tumour, which resulted in the partial loss of peripheral vision in his right eye. READ MORE: Hero police officer saves woman from dog attack which nearly killed her Five days later, Tom returned home to recover, but at his follow-up appointment, he was given the devastating news that the tumour had progressed from grade 2 to grade 4. He said: 'When I heard it was grade 4, I put on a brave face, but inside I was crushed. 'I stayed positive, I had to, but it wasn't easy.' Tom underwent six weeks of radiotherapy, followed by a year of chemotherapy. In December 2024, an MRI scan revealed a second astrocytoma, inoperable due to its sensitive location, but stable. A third tumour is not responding to treatment. He now undergoes MRI scans every three months. Now Josie and Tom's younger sister Gemma, 19, are taking on the 88 Squats a Day in July challenge to raise money for Brain Tumour Research in support of Tom and others affected. They can be backed on their JustGiving page here. Josie said: 'If we'd known Tom's symptoms were those of a brain tumour, we'd have taken him straight to hospital. 'I'm taking on the 88 Squats a Day Challenge for Tom because no-one should have to go through what he has. 'Watching someone you love face a brain tumour is heartbreaking. 'If raising awareness and money helps even one family get an earlier diagnosis or better treatment, every squat is worth it.' Get the latest BirminghamLive news direct to your inbox Katrina Jones, head of community and digital fundraising at Brain Tumour Research, said: 'We're incredibly grateful to Josie for taking on the 88 Squats Challenge in support of Tom. 'Her determination and strength are truly inspiring. 'Brain tumours are the biggest cancer killer of children and adults under 40 in the UK, yet research into them remains severely underfunded. 'Supporters like Josie play a vital role in helping us fund the research needed to improve outcomes and ultimately find a cure." Brain Tumour Research funds sustainable research at dedicated centres in the UK. It also campaigns for the Government and larger cancer charities to invest more in research into brain tumours to speed up new treatments for patients and, ultimately, find a cure. The charity is the driving force behind the call for a national annual spend of £35 million to improve survival rates and patient outcomes in line with other cancers such as breast cancer and leukaemia.
