Mother’s breast milk was discarded at East Lancashire birthing centre

A NEW mother has hit out at maternity staff after they threw away 30 pints of breast milk in storage for her premature son.

Health care support worker Ruth Snape, 29, expressed the milk every three hours after Jakoby arrived nine weeks early on November 25 at Burnley’s newborn centre.

The milk was fed through a tube to Jakoby who was too weak to suckle properly, and Mrs Snape was keen to give him the best start possible.

As too much milk had been collected to store in the freezer at their home in Feniscowles, Blackburn, Mrs Snape and her husband Andy, 36, asked to keep some in the hospital’s freezer.

But when Mrs Snape’s husband Andy went to collect the milk last week, he was told it had been mistakenly thrown away.

 

Read the fully story

Author: Catherine Pye

Pinch punch first day of the month white rabbits no return

This morning I was awoken with a pinch and punch from my husband. He actually grinned as he said “Pinch, punch first day of the month”.  A somewhat harsh reminder that today was indeed the first of the month, however as he forgot to say “White rabbits no return” I quickly pinched, punched him back saying “Pinch punch first day of the month white rabbits no return”

Image via Wikipedia

Traditionally if a person gives a pinch and a punch but fails to accurately complete the saying, then the recipient can come back with a pinch and a punch and as long as that person says “first day of the month white rabbits no return” then the silliness can end there.

 

The magic word here is “white rabbits” which means ‘no return.

 

As for the exact origin of this superstition I have been unable to find a definitive answer, although the saying does appeared in print at least as early as 1922.

 

“Why,” the man in the brown hat laughed at him, ‘I thought everybody knew ‘Rabbit, rabbit, rabbit.’ If you say ‘Rabbit, rabbit, rabbit’–three times, just like that–first thing in the morning on the first of the month, even before you say your prayers, you’ll get a present before the end of the month.’

 

In parts of Lancashire it is considered unlucky to shoot a black rabbit. This is because the black rabbit was believed to be ancestral spirits returning. In Somerset, white rabbits are said to be witches.

 

The custom of saying “rabbits or white rabbits” is said to bring good luck, many such customs / superstitions have been handed down by word of mouth and although much of the original meaning has been lost the custom is still going strong in the UK.

 

Will the introduction of microchips in wheelie bins mean using disposable nappies cost parents even more?

Image by imcountingufoz via Flickr

More microchips than ever are being used to spy on people putting rubbish in their wheelie bins.

Thousands of bins across Lancashire are equipped with microchips that allow the council to monitor exactly what is being thrown away.

Many of these microchips have now been activated, while other councils have the chips in place for possible future use.

Councils in Lancaster and the Ribble Valley are now using microchips.

Lancaster Council has spent £100,000 in the past 12 months on microchips for 100,000 bins.

A spokesman for Lancaster Council said: “It was easier to get the chips than install them later on.

“We don’t monitor the chips as we don’t have the facilities to do that.”
Bosses at Ribble Valley Council have spent £17,500 on installing or operating microchips.

The council said a 25p chip containing the address of each bin would be fitted under the rim.

A spokesman said: “This will help reduce lost or stolen bins, as well as providing us with information about which households are recycling.

“Each time the bins are emptied, the chip is read by equipment on collection trucks.”

South Ribble and Wyre bins, plus some in West Lancashire, are chipped but they have not yet been activated.

A South Ribble Council spokesman said the micro chipped bins were introduced by the previous Labour administration in anticipation of the Government introducing a “pay as you throw” scheme.

But Conservative Councillor Peter Mullineaux, environment and green issues spokesman for South Ribble Council, said: “We promised in our pre-election manifesto in 2007 that we would not support the use of microchips in bins and now we are in control we are firmly standing by our promise.”

In West Lancashire, the council admitted some residents have removed the chips.  The findings were uncovered by privacy campaigners at Big Brother Watch.

Director Alex Deane said: “Councils are waiting until the public aren’t watching to begin surveillance on our waste habits and introducing punitive taxes on waste.

“If local authorities have no intention to monitor our waste, then they should end the surreptitious installation of chips.”

But Councillor Hudson said Preston Council could check recycling uptake by “visual methods” and said: “What we want is to educate the public to recycle. We never say never but, at this moment, our managers are managing the system well.”

According to The Mail on Sunday newspaper, a computer inside the truck weighs the bin as it is raised up, then subtracts the weight of the bin itself and records the weight of the contents on an electronic data card.

If you live within Lancashire or Blackpool and are the parent or guardian of a child under 18 months old or are expecting a baby you could be entitled to claim a nappy voucher that can be redeemed for cloth nappies and accessories or put towards a nappy laundry service. Converting from disposable nappies to cloth nappies will not only help save the environment it will also save you money.

From Monday 12th October 2009 the administration of the Bottom Line Incentive Scheme in Lancashire is being transferred to Global Renewables.  For more information on the various nappy schemes available please visit Prem2Pram

Prem2Pram accepts nappy vouchers from Lancashire County Councils Bottom Line Project and is in the process of registering with the Real Nappies for London scheme with the intention of also being able to accept the RNFL nappy vouchers.