The webinar they were hosting was looking at the many ways the interior body has been revealed by a variety of visualizing techniques. This includes ultrasound scans and images of embryos that have long left the lab and are increasingly appearing in the news, in commercial advertising, in classrooms, in family photo albums, and on social media.

I hosted a panel discussion with historians, artists, and sociologists to explore the meaning, making, and circulation of biomedical and artistic representations of reproduction and discuss how images emerge from particular social, cultural, and historical contexts.

The panel included:

Tabitha Moses (artist)  

Dr. Isabel Davies (Birkbeck University) 

Liv Pennington (artist) Artist and, a Ph.D. student at UCA

Professor Nick Hopwood (Cambridge University)

Dr. Josie Hamper - Post Doctoral Researcher

During this discussion, you will hear me introduce the speakers as well as talk about questions that the audience was asked to interact with.

First up is Dr. Josie Hamper who talked through the main research findings, from how the conversations were carried out with the sample audience of 100 people discussing options on images such as an embryo on day three and time-lapse technology. The interviews aimed to gather the perspectives or uses of this technology in both professionals and patients.

Tabitha Moses discussed 'Visualisation of pregnancy’ and a very personal account of her experience of pregnancy and loss as she talked through her artwork which she created after her experience of IVF. Tabitha talked about how each image brings you one step closer to the baby. She created a series of images using light boxes representing her embryos along with embroidered gowns.

Isabell Davies discussed the issue of imagining a pregnancy and the impact of feeling like you are pregnant when you are not. She also discussed the two-week wait and the pressures during that time also being between ovulation and finding out if you are pregnant naturally as well as after embryo transfer and doing a pregnancy test.

I have spoken with Isabella before on her work around people's past experience, before pregnancy testing  which you can have a listen to here 

Artist Liv Pennington discussed her work a ‘Private View’ explaining the two parts of her show which are all focused around pregnancy tests and Liv talks through the amazing insights she gained from creating her work in different settings, at different points in time. She also discussed her own realizations of the impacts of these tests.

Professor. Nick Hopwood from the University of Cambridge is going to be outlining how since the 18th Century, the images we see, that are associated with pregnancy have progressed.

Do let us know what you think of this conversation and whether you would like us to share more of the webinars we are involved in hosting. Email Last November, I was asked to partner with the Being Human Festival curated by Queen Mary, University of London. The event was part of a series called ‘Navigating New Worlds'. This event is funded by the Wellcome Trust.

The webinar they were hosting was looking at the many ways the interior body has been revealed by a variety of visualizing techniques. This includes ultrasound scans and images of embryos that have long left the lab and are increasingly appearing in the news, in commercial advertising, in classrooms, in family photo albums, and on social media.

I hosted a panel discussion with historians, artists, and sociologists to explore the meaning, making, and circulation of biomedical and artistic representations of reproduction and discuss how images emerge from particular social, cultural, and historical contexts.

The panel included:

Tabitha Moses (artist)  

Dr. Isabel Davies (Birkbeck University) 

Liv Pennington (artist) Artist and, a Ph.D. student at UCA

Professor Nick Hopwood (Cambridge University)

Dr. Josie Hamper - Post Doctoral Researcher

During this discussion, you will hear me introduce the speakers as well as talk about questions that the audience was asked to interact with.

First up is Dr. Josie Hamper who talked through the main research findings, from how the conversations were carried out with the sample audience of 100 people discussing options on images such as an embryo on day three and time-lapse technology. The interviews aimed to gather the perspectives or uses of this technology in both professionals and patients.

Tabitha Moses discussed 'Visualisation of pregnancy’ and a very personal account of her experience of pregnancy and loss as she talked through her artwork which she created after her experience of IVF. Tabitha talked about how each image brings you one step closer to the baby. She created a series of images using light boxes representing her embryos along with embroidered gowns.

Isabell Davies discussed the issue of imagining a pregnancy and the impact of feeling like you are pregnant when you are not. She also discussed the two-week wait and the pressures during that time also being between ovulation and finding out if you are pregnant naturally as well as after embryo transfer and doing a pregnancy test.

I have spoken with Isabella before on her work around people's past experience, before pregnancy testing  which you can have a listen to here 

Artist Liv Pennington discussed her work a ‘Private View’ explaining the two parts of her show which are all focused around pregnancy tests and Liv talks through the amazing insights she gained from creating her work in different settings, at different points in time. She also discussed her own realizations of the impacts of these tests.

Professor. Nick Hopwood from the University of Cambridge is going to be outlining how since the 18th Century, the images we see, that are associated with pregnancy have progressed.

Do let us know what you think of this conversation and whether you would like us to share more of the webinars we are involved in hosting. Email info@thefertilitypodcast.com

Also if you want to continue the conversation about fertility issues and are looking for a safe community to gain further support from, visit our closed Facebook group 

You can also follow our Instagram

This episode aims to highlight our 'Infertility Support' category giving you a taster of several episodes. Firstly, to highlight the #fertilityinequalities theme, of day 1 of  Fertility Awareness Week UK, we wanted to share our conversation with Dr. Christine Eketchi who spoke about the ethnic disparity of health outcomes among Black and Asian women in the UK and the issue of fertility education and infertility, from her own experience. We discussed why there are so few BAME women listed in the HFEA research in 2018 actually accessing fertility treatment and what can be done about it.   Listen to the full episode

You also hear from  Amy Bennee, trustee and chair of the Daisy network and the support it offers to women dealing with POI or  premature ovarian insufficiency listen in full here

We spoke to Professor Luciano Nardo, from the Reproductive Health Group talks about unexplained infertility and what the diagnosis means, and what other tests you can think about requesting. Listen in full here  

We also heard from Lucy, founder of the Rainbow Running club about how her experience of multiple miscarriages and going through fertility treatment then led to OHSS (Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome ) and how she found running and how it helped her mental health. Listen here

Naava Carmen explains how acupuncture can help your fertility and you and you find out why she calls herself a 'Fertility Detective' and what she can find out, by hearing the full conversation listen here

And you know how important your mental health is to us, and this is the chat Kate and I had with Dany Griffiths who I have trained under to become a Freedom Fertility Formula specialist. Find out what it’s about in full here

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@fertilitypoddy

@your_fertility_journey

Dr. Thum starts off with a bit of a science lesson for us, explaining the ins and outs of the immune system, why it’s so important, and its role with regards to implantation and miscarriage.

Naava shares with us her insights into how Chinese medicine can assist in the medical treatment of immune issues and with Dr. Thum the way in which their two approaches complement one another. Whilst complementary therapies are becoming more and more accepted within westernized medicine, there is still unfortunately a lack of research to support their use. Dr. Thum explains how in China, IVF is a blend of westernized and Chinese medicine which achieves very good outcomes. Next, we delve into the fascinating and controversial area of natural killer cells. Dr. Thum discusses the difference between the NK cells in the blood and the uterus. From his research and the research of others, he believes that there is no difference with regards to using choosing peripheral blood or uterine cells when investigating the immune system. It is worth noting that at present the HFEA considers immunology testing an add-on where there is no robust evidence to show that it can improve the live birth rate and that there is evidence to show that the add-on is unsafe. Dr. Thum recommends that patients considering this treatment discuss this in-depth with their doctor to understand any benefits and side effects. Naava shares with us the importance of patients asking the right questions of their doctors and finding out why their clinician may have decided on a particular treatment. Particularly making sure that your doctor has a good rationale for why they have chosen a specific drug for you. Naava recommends that if you are considering Chinese medicine that you start working on this 3 months before treatment. Naava also trains fertility acupuncturists and Chinese medicine practitioners. You can find a Fertility Support trained acupuncturist via Naava’s website and you can get in touch with Dr. Thum hereSOCIAL MEDIA Naava CarmenThe Fertility PodcastKate Davies Disclaimer: The views expressed in the podcast episode are those of the guest experts and not necessarily those of the podcast hosts. When making decisions about using Chinesemedicine in conjunction with IVF treatments, please seek advice from your clinician before commencing treatment.

Natalie spent some at The Agora Clinic in Brighton, to capture the stories of its diverse community, and created a podcast series called The Agora Journals which you can listen to here

Here you can hear one of the episodes as we're sharing it here. Meet Satch, a Brighton-based musician who spoke to Natalie about the hurdles he had to overcome in order to preserve his fertility before transitioning.  Satch talked about his experience of treatment and how he now feels about having 12 embryos to use with his fiancee Lisa when they are ready to start their family.

Satch was so open and honest, describing the 'wild femininity of what it is for a man to go through and talk through. What it was like overcoming the challenges of the invasive treatment.  From having the examinations to choosing a sperm donor and the triggers along the way.

He spoke about how before he went onto testosterone he had signed up to the Gender Identity Clinic (GIC). How the side effect of testosterone is that you will likely lose fertility.  Therefore knowing your options in terms of treatment available, is key. Satch made the decision to have the treatment before this stage.

He talked about the struggle to find out this information,  how most transgender health information online isn't reliable, that is is mainly for Cisgender and heteronormative couples with some for gay and lesbian families.

He also talked about how the painful paperwork. How the forms they were filling in had the wrong pronouns and how that can be very triggering. Since his treatment,  Satch has been working with The Agora on their paperwork.

To get even more support and access to our archive plus we have live events coming up, Become a Patreon of The Fertility Podcast

So, this is a short and sweet note to say, seasons greetings and we'll be back in 2021 with a new look and sound for The Fertility Podcast as we are having a relaunch.

Please do make sure you've subscribed via your podcast app, so you don't miss an episode and you can follow Kate and me on our socials.

I'm @fertilitypoddy

Kate is @your_fertility_journey

See you in 2021 xx

The Counsellor

Jackie Stewart and Natalie talked about the decision to donate to science. Jackie explained what implications counselling is and how important it is to give yourself the opportunity to discuss this difficult decision with regards to the proposed treatment

What you can do with your embryos

Continue to store until you are ready to have more treatment or decide what you want to do with them. Some people may just donate or let them go. Other decisions include donating to another couple, you would be screened as a donor and there are certain requirements again needs implications counselling. Natalie and Jackie discussed the importance for both of you to have counselling if possible

Grief

Natalie talked about how Jackie had helped her prepare to grieve once she had made the decision. Jackie explained if you had a dream of having more than one child and those plans have been affected by fertility treatment, then there is a sense of loss. The pair also discussed the sadness of feeling the grief of not being able to give your child a sibling.

The grieving process is there for anyone suffering from infertility and secondary infertility. Also discussed was what grief enabled Natalie to do. Walking through options is a fascinating experience - it can be uplifting, looking at what life will look like.  There was a conversation about the option to do a natural cycle with your remaining embryo something Natalie hadn’t considered 

Don’t see Counselling as a weakness

It is to support your feelings and be able to walk through your fears and the enabling ideas, all the different options and ideas. If you can do it as a couple or not, it’s still a very brave thing to do. The risk of not doing it means the decision goes around and around inside your head and you can’t move forward, sitting in the limbo period and it’s a constant source of stress. It is such a difficult decision because

Timeframe

You can’t rush this especially if you are coming up to the end of a storage period and you might need to rush a  decision, call your clinic and explain you need more time which is what Natalie did.

Language around this decision

The use of words like perish, discard and destroy is far from ideal and there was a conversation about how this could be improved. Jackie talked about how difficult it is to hear and prefers to use ‘let go’. Get help, implications counselling should be available for free from your clinic.

Martin Blaney - Director of Science at Bourn Hall

Martin explains the paperwork and what information it gives you such as details of the research that is taking place and how the HFEA requires that you are given full info about the specifics of the project. It is a lengthy procedure that you have to go through to make sure you are fully informed. There are constant forms and lots of information.

The first content form is about the process then follow up about the topic and then a third consent form for you to say you are wanting to go ahead.  Legally in the UK embryos can be stored for 10 years,  theoretically, there is no storage limit they can remain in that state indefinitely. The paperwork is so detailed to make...]]>In this episode, Natalie is flying solo as this is an audio account of her visit to Bourn Hall, Cambridge to talk about the decision to donate your frozen embryos to science. At the start of the episode, you do hear Natalie getting a bit upset as she recorded herself the day before the trip, so please do bear this in mind in case it triggers you. Since we shared it Natalie has spoken on BBC 5 Live with Emma Barnett about this topic 

The Counsellor

Jackie Stewart and Natalie talked about the decision to donate to science. Jackie explained what implications counselling is and how important it is to give yourself the opportunity to discuss this difficult decision with regards to the proposed treatment

What you can do with your embryos

Continue to store until you are ready to have more treatment or decide what you want to do with them. Some people may just donate or let them go. Other decisions include donating to another couple, you would be screened as a donor and there are certain requirements again needs implications counselling. Natalie and Jackie discussed the importance for both of you to have counselling if possible

Grief

Natalie talked about how Jackie had helped her prepare to grieve once she had made the decision. Jackie explained if you had a dream of having more than one child and those plans have been affected by fertility treatment, then there is a sense of loss. The pair also discussed the sadness of feeling the grief of not being able to give your child a sibling.

The grieving process is there for anyone suffering from infertility and secondary infertility. Also discussed was what grief enabled Natalie to do. Walking through options is a fascinating experience - it can be uplifting, looking at what life will look like.  There was a conversation about the option to do a natural cycle with your remaining embryo something Natalie hadn’t considered 

Don’t see Counselling as a weakness

It is to support your feelings and be able to walk through your fears and the enabling ideas, all the different options and ideas. If you can do it as a couple or not, it’s still a very brave thing to do. The risk of not doing it means the decision goes around and around inside your head and you can’t move forward, sitting in the limbo period and it’s a constant source of stress. It is such a difficult decision because

Timeframe

You can’t rush this especially if you are coming up to the end of a storage period and you might need to rush a  decision, call your clinic and explain you need more time which is what Natalie did.

Language around this decision

The use of words like perish, discard and destroy is far from ideal and there was a conversation about how this could be improved. Jackie talked about how difficult it is to hear and prefers to use ‘let go’. Get help, implications counselling should be available for free from your clinic.

Martin Blaney - Director of Science at Bourn Hall

Martin explains the paperwork and what information it gives you such as details of the research that is taking place and how the HFEA requires that you are given full info about the specifics of the project. It is a lengthy procedure that you have to go through to make sure you are fully informed. There are constant forms and lots of information.

The first content form is about the process then follow up about the topic and then a third consent form for you to say you are wanting to go ahead.  Legally in the UK embryos can be stored for 10 years,  theoretically, there is no storage limit they can remain in that state indefinitely. The paperwork is so detailed to make sure you are fully informed. There are constant forms and lots of information. Once an embryo is used within a programme it can’t be in the lab for longer than 14 days.

How research helps understand more about implantation failure

Research into how the embryo grows and develops and the relationship between that and the endometrium.  suggests it is down to whether the embryo is genetically correct and the endometrium is also OK so the womb is also studied. Most focus is on the embryos, as they are easier to look at - finding out about chromosomal abnormalities be understood.  Martin spoke about the gift of an embryo and how to fine-tune the research they need more embryos and it is such a precious resource and so difficult to come by. There is never enough

Language around embryos

Can it be changed? Well, Natalie put it to Martyn who said it would be taken into consideration. The science has to convey what will happen literally however Natalie explained the impact of seeing words such as destroy and discard and how emotive they are. 

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The Fertility Podcast on Insta

Kate Davies on Insta

Bourn Hall on Insta

The Story

The Immaculate Deception covers the story of Jan Karbaat, a fertility doctor in the Netherlands during the 1970s and 80s. He was heralded as the person who could get results when all else fails. He operated alone and was criticized for poor administrative procedures. However, the truth that lay beneath was even more sinister……

The Truth

Karbala died a few years ago but shortly before his death, due to rumors of poor practice, suspicions became rife on how Karbaat was able to get such high fertility success rates. It transpired that Karbaat used his own sperm to get women pregnant and Jenny’s podcast sets out to investigate what happened.

The Children

The children that were conceived in Karbaat’s clinic are now grown but have spent their childhood feeling that somehow they didn’t fit into their family unit. In recent years, many of these children have met one another and these meetings had differing significant impacts. Right up to his death Karbaat denied that he had fathered the children, however, the striking similarities of the children and of Karbaat himself, left no doubt.

Has this happened before and could it happen again?

Jenny tells us that over the years very similar cases have been investigated in other countries. UK clinics are well regulated and therefore it is unlikely to happen here, however, mistakes can happen.

The Motivation

What motivates a doctor to do what Karbaat did? Jenny talks about the fact that Karbaat may have had a ‘God-complex’ or that perhaps he did not consider his patients as fully human, he just wanted good results and to be the best. However, Karbaat only retired when he was forced to, quite late in life, and therefore was there something compelling him to continue working? Did he get some perverse power from doing what he did?

The Mothers

Jenny really struggled to find the mother of one of the children to talk to. Jenny talks about the shame that they feel, and how they feel unable to talk as they have an ongoing desire to protect their husbands. However, Jenny was able to speak to one mother, Lydia and her account is heart-breaking.

Experiences from the children

Jenny says that there is so much to learn from what the children experienced, and the overriding aspect is that all the children said they wished that they had been told that they were donor-conceived from a young age. Finding out about the secrecy gave them the most hurt.

Tune in to Jenny’s podcast  - The Immaculate Deception in your fave podcast app and, as there is no end to Jenny’s talents, you can hear more from her in her new book – Sex Robots & Vegan Meat. Kate’s copy has just arrived!

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Jenny on Twitter

Jenny Kleeman 

The Fertility Podcast 

Natalie on Insta

Kate Davies 

We are so excited to share this episode with you after we both binged listened to her pretty fabulous podcast. Meet Jenny Kleeman  - journalist, author, presenter, and filmmaker who has recently hosted the podcast The Immaculate Deception.

The Story

The Immaculate Deception covers the story of Jan Karbaat, a fertility doctor in the Netherlands during the 1970s and 80s. He was heralded as the person who could get results when all else fails. He operated alone and was criticized for poor administrative procedures. However, the truth that lay beneath was even more sinister……

The Truth

Karbala died a few years ago but shortly before his death, due to rumors of poor practice, suspicions became rife on how Karbaat was able to get such high fertility success rates. It transpired that Karbaat used his own sperm to get women pregnant and Jenny’s podcast sets out to investigate what happened.

The Children

The children that were conceived in Karbaat’s clinic are now grown but have spent their childhood feeling that somehow they didn’t fit into their family unit. In recent years, many of these children have met one another and these meetings had differing significant impacts. Right up to his death Karbaat denied that he had fathered the children, however, the striking similarities of the children and of Karbaat himself, left no doubt.

Has this happened before and could it happen again?

Jenny tells us that over the years very similar cases have been investigated in other countries. UK clinics are well regulated and therefore it is unlikely to happen here, however, mistakes can happen.

The Motivation

What motivates a doctor to do what Karbaat did? Jenny talks about the fact that Karbaat may have had a ‘God-complex’ or that perhaps he did not consider his patients as fully human, he just wanted good results and to be the best. However, Karbaat only retired when he was forced to, quite late in life, and therefore was there something compelling him to continue working? Did he get some perverse power from doing what he did?

The Mothers

Jenny really struggled to find the mother of one of the children to talk to. Jenny talks about the shame that they feel, and how they feel unable to talk as they have an ongoing desire to protect their husbands. However, Jenny was able to speak to one mother, Lydia and her account is heart-breaking.

Experiences from the children

Jenny says that there is so much to learn from what the children experienced, and the overriding aspect is that all the children said they wished that they had been told that they were donor-conceived from a young age. Finding out about the secrecy gave them the most hurt.

Tune in to Jenny’s podcast  - The Immaculate Deception in your fave podcast app and, as there is no end to Jenny’s talents, you can hear more from her in her new book – Sex Robots & Vegan Meat. Kate’s copy has just arrived!

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Jenny on Twitter

Jenny Kleeman 

The Fertility Podcast 

Natalie on Insta

Kate Davies 

Kate on Insta Instagram 

I never in my wildest dreams imagined I'd still be making it five years on, yet here I am with all sorts of fascinating conversations being shared over the last five years.

I've now hosted this podcast for the same amount of time that I hosted my breakfast radio show with Heart!

I have met and spoken to so many incredible people and am so pleased to see how the conversation about dealing with infertility has changed since I started what I was doing.

Please do rate and review subscribe and share this podcast to continue your support and be sure to follow me on my socials to hear a special announcement I have on Wednesday.

Also, if there's something I'm yet to cover that you are wanting to know more about, please do get in touch xxx

A walk on the beach

It was so lovely hearing that something that was so unassuming in Kate's life became so significant. Kate knew she wanted to find other women in a similar situation as her and the idea of her book came after a walk on the beach with a friend, whom she also discovered was childless by choice. This was the start for Kate as she then started to gather a cohort of women to start having these discussions with. Having interviewed over 100 women for her book, Kate features 40 of these interviews.

Losing and gaining friendships.

It's inevitable that infertility has a huge impact on our friendships, sometimes for the better and sadly other times for the worse. Kate found that women have an urge to be heard but often find it difficult to talk about being childless and what this means for them. The women she spoke to shared their experiences of losing friends when said friends had children and how devastating this is. However, Kate also interviewed a woman who talks about how she and her best friend kept conversations open and set an intention that meant that whilst the friendship morphed and changed it also endured and deepened.

Kate talks about how women without children can find deep friendships with other childless women. Some women have explored co-housing and find great comfort in shared living with female friends, Kate also cites fascinating research about the benefits of this type of housing setup. 

Responding to the question -  ‘Do you have children?’

Arming yourself with some responses is key here and Kate tells us how she deals with the question ‘Do you have children?’ The key is preparing a whole repertoire of answers, from shifting the conversation to inviting further discussion. In her book, she hopes to help and guide women on how to have conversations in a different way.

Non-Moms, Mothers, and Grandmothers

Kate’s book is also a guide for women and men with children. It offers guidance on how to respond appropriately, allowing conversations to be opened by considering different experiences in a meaningful and open way. She explained the ongoing impact of childlessness, when reaching significant milestones in age, how she experienced grief again when her friends had grandchildren, and how her legacy is very different. This is also something that Robin Hadley discusses when talking about childlessness in Men in a previous episode 

The Not-Mom summit

was described by Kate as 'a rare experience of walking into a space where everyone there doesn’t have children.  Kate explains that there are now more conversations about being childless and feels that this is a very rich experience to be involved in. However, there is so much work to be done, particularly changing the narrative surrounding particular faiths and cultures in society.

I also mentioned in this episode about the fertility education poster launched this week by the Fertility Education Initiative which you can download and take a selfie here 

I also mentioned Fertilibox, as the lovely ladies Natasha and Jess who you can hear a previous chat with Meet Kate Kaufmann, author of Do you have kids? Life when the answer is no. Kate is childless not by choice. She struggled to conceive and suffered from both luteal phase defect and endometriosis. Faced with the prospect of IVF, she and her husband felt that this was a step too far for them and decided that this was the end of their fertility journey.

A walk on the beach

It was so lovely hearing that something that was so unassuming in Kate's life became so significant. Kate knew she wanted to find other women in a similar situation as her and the idea of her book came after a walk on the beach with a friend, whom she also discovered was childless by choice. This was the start for Kate as she then started to gather a cohort of women to start having these discussions with. Having interviewed over 100 women for her book, Kate features 40 of these interviews.

Losing and gaining friendships.

It's inevitable that infertility has a huge impact on our friendships, sometimes for the better and sadly other times for the worse. Kate found that women have an urge to be heard but often find it difficult to talk about being childless and what this means for them. The women she spoke to shared their experiences of losing friends when said friends had children and how devastating this is. However, Kate also interviewed a woman who talks about how she and her best friend kept conversations open and set an intention that meant that whilst the friendship morphed and changed it also endured and deepened.

Kate talks about how women without children can find deep friendships with other childless women. Some women have explored co-housing and find great comfort in shared living with female friends, Kate also cites fascinating research about the benefits of this type of housing setup. 

Responding to the question -  ‘Do you have children?’

Arming yourself with some responses is key here and Kate tells us how she deals with the question ‘Do you have children?’ The key is preparing a whole repertoire of answers, from shifting the conversation to inviting further discussion. In her book, she hopes to help and guide women on how to have conversations in a different way.

Non-Moms, Mothers, and Grandmothers

Kate’s book is also a guide for women and men with children. It offers guidance on how to respond appropriately, allowing conversations to be opened by considering different experiences in a meaningful and open way. She explained the ongoing impact of childlessness, when reaching significant milestones in age, how she experienced grief again when her friends had grandchildren, and how her legacy is very different. This is also something that Robin Hadley discusses when talking about childlessness in Men in a previous episode 

The Not-Mom summit

was described by Kate as 'a rare experience of walking into a space where everyone there doesn’t have children.  Kate explains that there are now more conversations about being childless and feels that this is a very rich experience to be involved in. However, there is so much work to be done, particularly changing the narrative surrounding particular faiths and cultures in society.

I also mentioned in this episode about the fertility education poster launched this week by the Fertility Education Initiative which you can download and take a selfie here 

I also mentioned Fertilibox, as the lovely ladies Natasha and Jess who you can hear a previous chat with here are giving you 25% off a subscription to their gorgeous boxes which I'll be reviewing  on my Insta tomorrow ( Mon 11th ) and you can get on the case and indulge yourself once via the link to our chat - enjoy xxx

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Bereavement

In late 2008 Shelia’s Mother was diagnosed with terminal cancer. This led Shelia to start trying to conceive so her mother could become a grandmother. However unfortunately Sheila was given the frustrating diagnosis of unexplained infertility. Sheila decided to pay privately for an IUI and was under the impression from the clinic that she would still be eligible for NHS funding if the IUI was unsuccessful. Unfortunately, Sheila was given incorrect advice and local policy meant that devastatingly she was no longer eligible for NHS treatment. Sheila was in a senior position at work and was concerned about divulging her fertility treatment to her employers, in fear that she would face discrimination. It became challenging for Sheila to manage her fertility treatments whilst working, this was particularly difficult as her employers and peers were unaware of her fertility issues. During this time she was also juggling her Mothers illness, and in hindsight is aware that she didn’t consider her own mental health

Post Natal Depression

After the birth of her first child, Sheila suffered from Post Natal depression. Sheila talks about the correlation between IVF treatment and postnatal depression. Sheila took the opportunity to commence counseling and this she found invaluable and would encourage anyone to take care of their mental health as well as their physical health during IVF treatments. Sheila recounts the time when she started bleeding at 11 weeks and how she broke down at work. Her boss was incredibly supportive and her greatest regret is not confiding in her line manager sooner. Within Sheila’s workplace, there was no published Fertility Policy and Sheila believes that these are the conversations that we need to start having. Sheila also feels it is her obligation to speak up about her experiences to help inform future workplace policies. At the prime of her career, Sheila felt she needed to step back at work and she now regrets this. Had she not been successful on her fertility journey, she would have been left without a baby and the career she wanted. Making the decision to prioritize her mental health made a huge difference in her subsequent pregnancy and the birth of her twins. Sheila recommends women working in the corporate world find someone within their workplace who has previously been through a similar journey. Look to these colleagues for support and help in navigating through their fertility treatments whilst maintaining their careers. SOCIAL MEDIA Sheila Cameron Natalie Silverman Instagram Kate Davies Instagram

So you can go after work and learn more about fertility MOTs, egg freezing, having a natural cycle, treatment abroad, and solo motherhood - so I caught up with Managing Director Laura Biggs to chat about what's in store. Laura talked about her struggles with Endometriosis and also her decision to have further IVF treatment in her late 40's - using a donor egg as a result of her involvement in The Fertility Show and learning more about treatment for older women and also having the opportunity to talk more about egg donation. I've spoken with Laura before which you can hear 

Urologist Jonathan Ramsay is someone I've spoken to several times before including a conversation with my husband as the pair of us went to visit him. Have a listen here.

Jonathan and I spoke ahead of his seminar on Investigating Sperm on Saturday 2nd November.

Jonathan Ramsay and colleagues at Imperial and at the Lister Hospital have been looking at the relevance of measuring the DNA quality of a man’s sperm since original research on this topic, published more than 10-years ago. More recently, we have begun to appreciate that sperm can be damaged, as it travels through the genital tract – a long journey for a tiny sperm.  This damage is often caused by ‘oxidative stress, and now we can measure this phenomenon to help us to direct and choose antioxidant treatments.  However, there are different types of DNA damage, and some of these are not so easy to treat – we are beginning to understand these differences so that we can decide whether interventions (such as varicocele treatment) will be effective.

You can also hear my chat with HFEA to find out how patients can navigate their website to help them choose the right clinic for them and discusses the contentious issue of IVF Add-ons.

 The ARGC website states that 75% of patients come to the ARGC after having failed cycles elsewhere. Mr. Taranissi says that in reality, it is more likely 80-85% of patients that are attracted following repeated failures elsewhere.

The ARGC is sometimes referred to as ‘The IVF Boot camp’. Cycles are all carefully monitored and changes are made as required to maximize the outcome. The intensive monitoring is suitable for couples who have had repeated failed cycles.

The ARGC addresses male issues before starting treatment, particularly in giving lifestyle advice. However, ICSI is generally the course of treatment but patients are assessed on an individual basis.

The ARGC offers support in the form of patients understanding their condition and what the ARGC can do differently for them that may not have been done before.

ARCG pregnancy rates for those under 35 are 80.2%.

HFEA has not updated its success rates in many years and Mr. Taranissi feels this is misleading and confusing to patients.

Mr. Taranissi recommends considering Live Birth success rates by age groups and by per cycle started. Consider the most up-to-date results to make an informed decision.

Patients coming to ARGC predominantly have implantation issues. This is an area of focus for Mr. Taranissi.

Mr. Taranissi feels that the science and procedures behind IVF have moved on considerably in the last 40 years and that IVF is no longer a taboo.

Natalie also talks to the HFEA about their role and how patients can navigate their new website to find the information they need. Patients can find information and resources to help them choose a clinic based on 3 ratings - Inspection rating, patient rating, and IVF Birth rate.

The 'Choose a Clinic' page on the HFEA website is the only place where all the information on birth rates is compared in the same way, making it easier for patients to make informed decisions.

The HFEA uses a traffic light system to explain the benefits and risks of IVF Add-ons based on the strength of evidential research.

Social Media:

Insta @fertilitypoddy  Kate - @your_fertility_journey 

Jody is the founder of Gateway Women, a network for childless women. In our chat we talk about societies’ representation of childless women and how conversations are beginning to change. 

It’s becoming more normal to talk about childlessness due to infertility but being ‘childlessness by other circumstances’ are less discussed. Jody is collating a huge resource of articles and papers on this topic.

Gateway Women is an amazing organisation which helps and supports women through her book, by meet-ups across the world, through social media and the Gateway Women Private Online Community. Jody and her colleagues also run workshops and more than 1500 women have attended the workshops.

Jodie talks through the obstacles to overcome when facing childlessness – stopping treatment and the fear of ‘giving up hope’ both making peace internally but also for how friends and families react.

Giving up hope is the first step and she explains how we need to change the narrative around hope. As Jody says ‘we’re not giving up hope for something terrible’ Childless women in our society are representative as ‘wrong’, ‘evil’ and ‘deviant’.

Jody also spoke about the importance of giving women new childfree friends as she has found that childlessness decimates friendships and results in loneliness and isolation. She feels that perceptions on childlessness will change but it may take another decade. The LBGTQ community have helped to change the way society perceives sexuality, however women without children in the work place is the biggest diversity group that HR hasn’t heard of.

Jody talks about the belief that someone who has a child is of more value than those who don’t. Women internalise this narrative and feel shame in believing that they are defective, barren women.

Coming up is World Childless Week and I spoke to its founder Stephanie Phillips about her reasons for creating it and you can hear more from her and find out more about how you can get involved here World Childless Week 

It runs from 16-22nd September. Saturday 21st is ‘We Are Worthy’ Week – get involved with Meet-Ups Worldwide. 14th & 15th September is a Gateway Women Reignite Weekend and this year on offer is scholarship places and reduced fees

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Kate Davies

It's ok to talk about your fertility was a conversation with Dr. Zoe Williams, GP, and TV Presenter, Dr. Larisa Corda - Consultant in Reproductive Medicine & ITV This Morning’s and Channel Mum’s Fertility Expert and Emma Kenny TV psychologist, presenter, writer and expert commentator in the media and press, and ITV’s This Morning Shows’s resident Psychologist and Channel Mum expert.

You'll also hear part of the Men matter too

Did you know that it's 50/50 male and female factors that affect you getting pregnant? We want men to feel empowered to talk more about this tricky topic and be happy to ask questions about their fertility - to feel more involved. We welcome questions from you either openly or anonymously for this Men Matter too session (women welcome along too!) The brilliant panel was Robin Hadley, Independent Researcher into Male Childlessness. Dr. Muhammad Akhtar - Consultant Gynaecologist, Manchester Fertility and Dr. Michael Carrol

We spoke about Infertility in the Workplace where you will hear me share how I managed my treatment whilst still hosting a breakfast radio show. Hortense Thorpe -  Outsource Manager & the creator of the Centrica Fertility Group shares her experience and Aileen Feeney,, former Chief Executive of FNUK talking about how a lot of us never talk about what we're dealing with at work as we are worried it could impact our work and our career prospects.

Ten years ago, even five years ago you may not have been able to or felt willing to share your fertility situation with colleagues and employers. We want to break down this barrier and encourage you to and give you the strength to talk about this in the workplace. Hortense and Aileen talk about their hopes for the future and our host Natalie will share how she managed her treatment whilst still hosting a breakfast radio show. The panel will be happy to take any questions you may have about your rights in the workplace when it comes to taking time off for appointments.

The Importance of Support

If you are undergoing fertility treatment or about to embark on your journey, either on your own or with your partner we know the value of talking to somebody best in a group, 121, online, or with family and friends. Come along to this session and get invaluable help and support from these incredible women. Andreia Trigo  Founder of inFertile Life, Fertility Nurse, and NLP Coach share her personal story and you'll hear all about the support groups around the UK available within Fertility Network the UK.

Finally, we move onto a conversation about having a Plan B and you'll hear from Linder Wilkinson about being a surrogate and part of Surrogacy UK, Mandy Worsley - mum through adoption who also now works to support others dealing with the emotional toll of fertility treatment and Kate Dobb, mother to twins conceived through an egg donor.

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@fertilityshow

It's the story of  Elena played by the breathtakingly gorgeous Laia Costa, who is  35, and Jake played by Josh O'Connor, who is 26, and the pair meet by chance on New Year's Eve, fighting for the same taxi. But, instead of going their separate ways after a shared ride, they start a passionate relationship.

Things move fast and within weeks they are living together, and not long after they talk about starting a family. This is where the all too familiar TTC story kicks in and Harry who had her own personal experience to dwell on captures so many moments that will be familiar to you, from callous conversations with medical professionals to blaming yourself for everything that goes wrong - too freaking out at friends Christenings.

It's a totally relatable and wonderful story that captures the essence of so much of the infertility journey.

We're also running a giveaway on Instagram @fertilitypoddy

Find out more here

Caroline is my latest 'Meet the Maker' guest who created gorgeous biscuits and is also still working out what is going to happen next on her route to parenthood. Caroline and I met on Insta and have since met in person, at The Fertility Show where you can see her in the pic above as she was a brilliant guest on my panel at the 'Let's Talk Fertility stage, talking about the Importance of Support.

Caroline shared her story so far with me. After one round of IVF on the NHS, which sadly failed, Caroline and her Hubby went to Serem in Greece. They had another round of IVF and fell pregnant, but at the nine-week sadly found out that they had lost their baby. After waiting three weeks for a natural miscarriage with medical management which didn't work, Caroline had to go back in and have an operation

Limbo Land

They went straight into another round straight after which didn’t work which was almost two years ago and now they have two embryos in Athens and are trying to figure out when is the right time for treatment. Caroline and I spoke about 'Limbo Land' feeling like a safe place as she said 'whilst they’re there they might be my babies'

Caroline described having treatment overseas as being amazing but not as easy as it involves going away for periods of time and then arranging to have scanned in the UK and the couple lives in quite a rural place. 

I asked whether she felt she had given herself enough time to grieve and process and Caroline spoke about throwing herself into her work creating biscuits, which has become an incredible element of her support. The infertility focus came after Caroline was asked to create the following messages on biscuits for a friend:

• You are Brave
• You are Strong
• You are Beautiful
• You are Enough
• You are not Alone
• You are Loved

Whilst she created biscuits for a wide range of celebrations it's the #TTC community that has captured Caroline's heart. Find out more here 

Social Media

@thekitschhen

To win a box of 12 stamped with whatever you like

visit @fertilitypoddy

The draw takes place on Thurs 27th June

It was a great opportunity for me to speak to a wide range of experts talking about how it's OK to talk about fertility, about what to do at work, the importance of looking after your nutrition, your mental health, and your relationship. All the while knowing your options if you are faced with what to do after treatment doesn't work.

In this episode you will hear from:

• Aileen Feeney
• Hortense Thorpe
• Dr. Larisa Corda
• Dr. Zoe Williams
• Dr. Emma Kenny
• Linder Wilkinson
• Kate Dobb
• Robin Hadley
• Kate Davies
• Dr. Fertility - Lucy Buckley and Kobi McCardle

You can find details of all the sessions I hosted here  and to find out more about the rest of the content recorded from the show make sure you sign up for my email newsletter here

I found out about Natasha Devon, whilst working at Bauer, presenting on Hits Radio as she has been a part of a campaign called Wheres your head at and it was my interest in this, that lead on to the recent Grazia interview I gave about my experience of going through fertility treatment whilst presenting a live radio show. It was also how I learned about becoming a Mental Health first aider, which is something I'm planning on doing this year. You can too. 

The way it works is it can be for a group 8-16 people and either invite the trainer into your workplace if you work in a larger business, or you can contact Mental Health First Aid and join a random one, which Natasha explained to me that as an instructor she thinks that is actually a better way to do it, as sometimes when she goes into a business there is a pre-existing dynamic, there’s someone annoyed with someone else. 

Natasha and I talked about anxiety as she explained 'It’s ok to feel anxious you don’t need to deny the feeling but you need coping strategies

Her advice is to try for 30 min a day to empty your stress bucket, to release that adrenalin and cortisol from your system, and restore the chemical balance that is your mental fitness

There has been researching into the effect of stress on your hormones however  it’s v.difficult to get the NHS to admit there is a link between your hormones and your mental health

However, if you have a hormonal imbalance it will bring on symptoms that are very similar to anxiety

We talked about the importance of putting a safety net for yourselves

In terms of dealing with your mental health when trying to conceive, Natasha suggested one hour of self-care  - which can be physical, relaxation, or creativity. 

It gives you an identity outside being a prospective parent. Think about noting the times in your cycle and then making sure you ring-fence tie for your self-care

When it comes to your mental health it's an ongoing process. Natasha spoke about how when you hear stories in the media about the person who lost half their body weight nobody ever checks on them later on.

On talking about her own mental health, Natasha explained "Mental Health is an experience you are living every day. I manage pretty well. I used to have a couple of panic attacks a day and now I have a few a year."

She talked about finding the right help, a therapist, knowing her triggers and how it was she had a lot to learn to get to that point and how she knows she will have a dip at some point in the future, but that's OK as it doesn’t mean she has relapsed.

Natasha also spoke about her own situation in that she is a 37-year-old childless woman who has made the decision with her partner not to have children, however, she said ' The number of times in an average week when I am asked, so when are you going to have babies then and I always think what if I couldn’t and people need to be more mindful that not everyone is following this prescribed pathway.'

To find links to further advice and support on mental health (including no panic) visit here

and check our Natasha's book:

Plus you can follow her on Twitter/Instagram: @_NatashaDevon

I mentioned in this episode about sending me a clip of audio - like a day in your life. If you fancy sharing what is going on with you in 1-2 minutes to be played out on The Fertility Podcast,...]]>Meet my guest Natasha Devon, MBE who is on on a mission to save the nations mental health, she launched her charter in 2017 

I found out about Natasha Devon, whilst working at Bauer, presenting on Hits Radio as she has been a part of a campaign called Wheres your head at and it was my interest in this, that lead on to the recent Grazia interview I gave about my experience of going through fertility treatment whilst presenting a live radio show. It was also how I learned about becoming a Mental Health first aider, which is something I'm planning on doing this year. You can too. 

The way it works is it can be for a group 8-16 people and either invite the trainer into your workplace if you work in a larger business, or you can contact Mental Health First Aid and join a random one, which Natasha explained to me that as an instructor she thinks that is actually a better way to do it, as sometimes when she goes into a business there is a pre-existing dynamic, there’s someone annoyed with someone else. 

Natasha and I talked about anxiety as she explained 'It’s ok to feel anxious you don’t need to deny the feeling but you need coping strategies

Her advice is to try for 30 min a day to empty your stress bucket, to release that adrenalin and cortisol from your system, and restore the chemical balance that is your mental fitness

There has been researching into the effect of stress on your hormones however  it’s v.difficult to get the NHS to admit there is a link between your hormones and your mental health

However, if you have a hormonal imbalance it will bring on symptoms that are very similar to anxiety

We talked about the importance of putting a safety net for yourselves

In terms of dealing with your mental health when trying to conceive, Natasha suggested one hour of self-care  - which can be physical, relaxation, or creativity. 

It gives you an identity outside being a prospective parent. Think about noting the times in your cycle and then making sure you ring-fence tie for your self-care

When it comes to your mental health it's an ongoing process. Natasha spoke about how when you hear stories in the media about the person who lost half their body weight nobody ever checks on them later on.

On talking about her own mental health, Natasha explained "Mental Health is an experience you are living every day. I manage pretty well. I used to have a couple of panic attacks a day and now I have a few a year."

She talked about finding the right help, a therapist, knowing her triggers and how it was she had a lot to learn to get to that point and how she knows she will have a dip at some point in the future, but that's OK as it doesn’t mean she has relapsed.

Natasha also spoke about her own situation in that she is a 37-year-old childless woman who has made the decision with her partner not to have children, however, she said ' The number of times in an average week when I am asked, so when are you going to have babies then and I always think what if I couldn’t and people need to be more mindful that not everyone is following this prescribed pathway.'

To find links to further advice and support on mental health (including no panic) visit here

and check our Natasha's book:

Plus you can follow her on Twitter/Instagram: @_NatashaDevon

I mentioned in this episode about sending me a clip of audio - like a day in your life. If you fancy sharing what is going on with you in 1-2 minutes to be played out on The Fertility Podcast, please email a clip to natalie@thefertilitypodcast.com

Also if you fancy showing your support for this podcast, if it's helped you in any way, please vote in the British Podcast Awards Listeners Vote here 

Thanks as always - Nat x

Jason Kasraie spoke about New technologies.

What are the latest new techniques and technologies for fertility and can they help improve success rates? Chair of the Association of Clinical Embryologists Jason Kasraie will look at the evidence is as to whether they work and discuss the factors that influence the chances of successful treatment

Jody Day, Yvonne John, and Lesley Pyne, talking about Living without children.

All of these women have helped to change the way we think about living without children. They will discuss how to find peace and happiness after unsuccessful treatment and will talk about the societal attitudes to childlessness that need changing.

Yacoub Khalaf, talks about 'Add ons - what’s the evidence?

'IVF treatment is usually more like a marathon than a sprint. Emotional and financial resilience is crucial to continuing the journey, and there can be pressure to pay for additional tests, drugs, or interventions that may not increase the chances of success. Fertility specialist Professor Yacoub Khalaf will discuss what’s worth paying for and what isn’t.

.@BalenAdam, @anyasizer, @DrJaneAStewart, Jason Kasraie and Joanne Triggs are currently taking questions from the delegates following a day jam-packed with information all across the spectrum of fertility. #fertilityforum pic.twitter.com/QdHEld6EyJ

— RoyalCollegeObsGyn (@RCObsGyn) March 30, 2019

This is what I wanted to talk to her about. Jules and I also talked about the shame associated with failed IVF cycles and her experience of treatment abroad, which wasn't good, in fact, the clinic chose not to tell her about a polyp that had shown up, on a scan. Instead, they told her they thought she might be pregnant, which considering the diagnosis Jules had been living with since she was 15, was completely overwhelming.

Check out all of Jules blog and products here and to follow her online here is her  Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube 

I mentioned my directory The Ultimate Fertility Guide as a place to find more resources

Also, my closed Facebook group Talk Fertility 

Alpesh is also a co-founder and director of the Embryology and PGD Academy and previously worked at the Centre for Reproductive and Genetic Health in the leading capacity as a Director of Embryology for 19 years and was pivotal in optimizing the success rates.

He was also an honorary consultant at the Reproductive Medicine Unit at UCLH NHS Trust. He holds a postgraduate degree in Human Reproductive Medicine and has qualified from the prestigious Imperial College School of Medicine.

Alpesh is a Diplomate of the Royal College of Pathologists and also an ESHRE certified Senior Embryologist. He has been an executive committee member of several international embryology societies and holds a very active interest in promoting education platforms through these professional bodies.

Alpesh was among the first scientists to bring the egg and embryo freezing technology of ‘vitrification’ to the UK in 2007, a fact I hadn't realized on speaking to him and want to talk more with him about.. plus, he is a world-renowned expert in the biopsy of human embryos for genetic testing.

As well as authoring several papers in high-impact journals Alpeh has written several book chapters in addition to being an honorary lecturer at University College London where he teaches embryology on two of the Master's courses.

It's quite amazing he's had the time to create and launch his own clinic, yet he has and it was so fascinating chatting with Alpesh about his reasons for doing so. He was really keen to stress how important his emphasis on patient care is.  Firstly, he'll be making sure patients work with a fertility coach throughout their treatment as well as putting on workshops for diet and nutrition, and yoga.

This is like the advert 'If Carlsberg made clinics'... don't you think, being looked after every step of the way!

Visit IVF London to find out more and follow on Instagram Facebook Twitter

I also mentioned the amazing work embryologists do and wanted you to hear a chat I had with Rachel Cutting which you can hear here. 

Be sure to follow me on one of my social channels, depending on what you prefer, you can find them all at the top of this page, plus details of my closed Facebook group is here 

The Progress Educational Trust (PET) advances public understanding of science, law, and ethics in the fields of human genetics, assisted reproduction, embryology, and stem cell research. Its vision is to improve the choices for people affected by infertility or genetic conditions. Its mission is to educate and debate the responsible application of reproductive and genetic science.

Since PET was founded in 1992 (evolving from a precursor organization founded in 1985), it has earned a reputation for leading the debate on new developments in fertility, genetics, and embryo/stem cell research. It does this through its public events, its flagship publication BioNews, and its consistent and authoritative media presence. It shines a light on cutting-edge biomedical issues and enhances debate around sensitive, controversial and important points of science, ethics, and law.

PET is known for seizing the initiative when issues arise (producing high-caliber events at short notice) while staying with issues over time (contributing to growing public awareness and understanding). PET organized the UK's first public conferences on genome editing (in 2015, with the Government's Chief Scientific Adviser) and on extending the 14-Day Rule for embryo research (in 2016, resulting in widespread media coverage including two half-hour documentaries on BBC Radio 4).

Follow PET on Twitter

Only a week to go to PET's #surrogacy event in Scotland on 27/9 - we still have a few places left so book now to attend 'Modern Surrogacy Needs a Modern Law: How Should We Regulate Surrogacy in the 21st Century?' see https://t.co/Tm4GyY0Cda

— BioNews (@BioNewsUK) September 20, 2018

In this episode, we spoke about the storage limit in the UK for egg freezing which I have covered here 

We also spoke about issues affecting Surrogacy Law, which you can hear more about here 

If you've not already, do join my closed Facebook group Talk Fertility where I'll be popping up more in live chats to find out more of the questions you want to be answered.

See you there

Natalie

Now in its tenth year, The Fertility Show is a two-day live event where you can meet with top fertility experts, clinics, doctors, and patients alike. It probably sounds pretty overwhelming and it can be if you don't make a plan, which is what I advise you to do.

I didn't go to this when we were trying to conceive, to be honest, I didn't know about it, but have been since I can honestly say it is a really great way to get a complete overview of your options.

In this episode, you'll hear from Aileen Feeney, CEO of Fertility Network UK about their involvement with the show, as well as Dr. Allan Pacey, a specialist in Male Fertility issues, and Nina Barnsley, Director of Donor Conception Network.

It's taking place at Olympia London, entry tickets to the Show cost £12 per day, or buy a weekend ticket for £20. All seminars cost just £3 each - click below for more info on ticket pricing.

This year the awesome IVF Babble is involved with the show, which will be ace and we've made a Q&A stage to be more insightful, relaxed, and interactive.

For more information visit The Fertility Show website 

I'm always keen to share as much as I can with this podcast and if you didn't hear the last time I had a guest  Cat Strawbridge as my guest host with her Insta Live episode about Solo Motherhood it's here. This is the second episode of Cat's series, where Nat shared her feelings about her and her husband's decision to adopt. Nat talked about the support she had received and the overwhelming feeling of happiness and relief both she and hubby Kieran felt once they'd admitted this was the next step they wanted to take.  I'm keen to hear more of your stories so if you've also decided that your next step is adoption and would like to share your story, please do email natalie@thefertilitypodcast.com

Cat mentioned an episode I had made with Sarah Esdaile about her feelings on becoming a Mum after using an egg donor which you can hear here 

SOCIALS:

Follow Cat and here's Nat on Insta.

Hopefully, you heard my chat with Yvonne Jon and I'm continuing to talk a bit more on this topic as it certainly needs to be better understood by wider society. My two guests in this episode as they both bring two fascinating perspectives and have both written books bringing together a multitude of women's voices.

Lois Tonkin

My second guest Lois Tonkin talked about her new book "Motherhood Missed: Stories of loss and living from circumstantially childless women" and her work as a bereavement counselor. Lois trained as a teacher, counselor, and researcher.  She has a Ph.D. in sociology from the University of Canterbury in Christchurch, New Zealand. In working with grief issues her focus is a psychosocial approach that considers both an individual's personal responses to their life circumstances, and the social conditions that underlie them.

During our chat, Lois explained how people often feel it isn’t really grief when dealing with childlessness and she spoke to many women who felt like they were grieving but they weren’t sure they could call it that. As a result, women weren’t accessing support or being gentle with themselves. Lois gives a fascinating insight into her work and the conversations she has had with the women she has been helping. 

Find out more about Lois here  and you can follow her on Twitter

She gave me a copy of her book 'Dreaming of a life Unlived' which I read in almost a single sitting and tears were shed. This is what we talked about in this episode. Yvonne is 44 years and 9 months old and on her journey of finding her plan B.

12 months ago, Yvonne learned that she would not become a mother which took her by surprise as it was something that she was not prepared for. Yvonne explains

'Becoming a mother...

is a natural and expected part of being a woman, for as long as I could remember people were asking when will I have children. Well I got married and 5 years on that time never came and my hopes and expectations were rapidly replaced with grief, a grief that I found hard to comprehend.

That was the start of my journey, the start of me discovering life without the children I hoped for. So welcome to my story and thank you for being part of my journey, complete with tears and joy. Thank you for joining me on my road to finding my plan B…'

 In this episode, I mentioned a previous chat I had with Robin Hadley about Men and Childlessness 

This is a link to The Unborn Child session from Fertility Fest where Steph Phillips, founder of World Childless Week, and Robin Hadley both spoke

Get your copy of Yvonne's Book on Amazon or as an ebook

To follow her on Facebook 

her blog is here  and to follow on Twitter

Follow World Childless Week 

I've released two different interviews today, talking about the support available for you, when going through fertility treatment. Have a look at my Facebook page for the podcast as I was talking to Jo Carwardine and Sandra Bateman who set up The National Fertility Society to help more of us get access to really great fertility counselors. The ladies are at ESHRE at the moment which you will hear more about in this episode. It is a big industry event with lots of scientists, consultants, embryologists, pharmaceutical companies charitable bodies, support groups all coming together to discuss and hear lectures about the industry. In an ideal world, I would have been there reporting for you, but I couldn't get there. next time Gadget!!

I also spoke with Shahira Kamal from The International Clinic London about her work as a psychotherapist and how she helps people dealing with infertility. Shahira talked about how important she feels it is that people know how fertility treatment will impact their life as it does take over. We talked about a lot of people become distracted, fatigued, how there can be physical symptoms. It can mean missing work or family events and that routines get disturbed, appetite and sleep affected, it puts a strain on your relationship and how most of us don't realize any of this before we start.

You can follow Shahira on Facebook  and Twitter and linked-in

Bipolar Affective Disorder is a common, severe, and persistent mental illness. This condition is a serious lifelong struggle and challenge.

For help with Bipolar Disorder, call The International Clinic, London on 0207 467 8548.#BipolarDisorder #TheInternationalClinicLondon pic.twitter.com/YLdi7XXZVS

— The International Clinic London (@Int_Clnc_Lndn) July 2, 2018

I also caught up with Cat Strawbridge @tryingyears  who is at ESHRE   the industry event happening in Barcelona at the moment to find out what she was up to as Cat was there on behalf of Fertility Network]]>Firstly do make sure you've liked The Ultimate Fertility Guide on Facebook as that is the very exciting home of our live stream interviews where you get to ask experts questions and we've got some brilliant people coming up for you to hear from.

I've released two different interviews today, talking about the support available for you, when going through fertility treatment. Have a look at my Facebook page for the podcast as I was talking to Jo Carwardine and Sandra Bateman who set up The National Fertility Society to help more of us get access to really great fertility counselors. The ladies are at ESHRE at the moment which you will hear more about in this episode. It is a big industry event with lots of scientists, consultants, embryologists, pharmaceutical companies charitable bodies, support groups all coming together to discuss and hear lectures about the industry. In an ideal world, I would have been there reporting for you, but I couldn't get there. next time Gadget!!

I also spoke with Shahira Kamal from The International Clinic London about her work as a psychotherapist and how she helps people dealing with infertility. Shahira talked about how important she feels it is that people know how fertility treatment will impact their life as it does take over. We talked about a lot of people become distracted, fatigued, how there can be physical symptoms. It can mean missing work or family events and that routines get disturbed, appetite and sleep affected, it puts a strain on your relationship and how most of us don't realize any of this before we start.

You can follow Shahira on Facebook  and Twitter and linked-in

Bipolar Affective Disorder is a common, severe, and persistent mental illness. This condition is a serious lifelong struggle and challenge.

For help with Bipolar Disorder, call The International Clinic, London on 0207 467 8548.#BipolarDisorder #TheInternationalClinicLondon pic.twitter.com/YLdi7XXZVS

— The International Clinic London (@Int_Clnc_Lndn) July 2, 2018

I also caught up with Cat Strawbridge @tryingyears  who is at ESHRE   the industry event happening in Barcelona at the moment to find out what she was up to as Cat was there on behalf of Fertility Network UK 

Cat shared the following link to research by Nuffield Health,  which is a call for your participation in some much-needed infertility research which you can access here  It's asking the question of what should infertility research focus on next...

You can also follow her on Facebook  or Twitter

Thank you Karen for introducing me to the term 'wanded' You need to listen to hear more!

I also spoke with James Nicopoullus from The Lister who gave me the most concise interview ever as I quizzed him about the expectations people have when they go to The Lister. It has an amazing reputation and I know this first hand as my best pal had her twins there, after several failed cycles elsewhere. My dear friend admitted to me how she'd cried with joy at the bus stop opposite the clinic. This place means business and I think it's fair to say that people go there expect a positive result. Obviously, there is no guarantee with fertility treatment, however, I've always been curious to go there and have a chart.

James spoke to me about AMH levels and low ovarian reserve. He explains it so clearly, I don't remember understanding it this well when I first went to a clinic. He also talked about the clinics as well as how they are The Lister is there for its patients no matter how many years pass before they return for a second or third child.

You can follow The Lister here on Twitter :

Should Women In Their 20s Be Getting Fertility Tested? @ELLEUK have been looking at the benefits of Lister Fertility Clinic's #fitforfertility test https://t.co/DOq2iYSByR

— Lister Fertility (@ListerFertility) June 25, 2018

You can also find them on Instagram  and of course Facebook

 The screams of childbirth are loud. But the screams of frustration from not being able to have a child are just as loud. Yet they’re not being heard.

1 in 6 couples in the UK experience the pain and devastation of infertility, but 98% of England’s NHS services and all of Wales and Northern Ireland ration IVF treatment.

 This is why Fertility Network UK has launched #Scream4IVF. A campaign to end unjust access to IVF by creating the world’s loudest scream and gaining 100,000 signatures to force a debate in Parliament, where legislation can be changed. Help us amplify screams of frustration into screams for change.

Here's the link to sign the petition 

Anya Sizer, Fertility Network’s Regional Organiser London said, “In England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, couples struggling with fertility problems face an unethical and unfair postcode lottery to get access to IVF. Some couples are forced to spend their life savings or re-mortgage their house to fund private treatment. Those who can’t afford it but who still want to try for a family either have to move to an area that does enable access to NHS fertility treatment or have to travel abroad for treatment. It’s simply unfair – treatment for the disease of infertility should not be determined by your postcode.”

 Visit the website here and use the #scream4ivf

Meet Dr. Aimee Eyvazzadeh, based in the San Francisco Bay Area,  and host of the Egg Whisperer Show. 

Dr. Aimee has heard story after story from women and couples from all over the world about their struggles in trying to conceive. In her attempt to prevent more of these heartbreaking stories,  she has gone on a mission to promote fertility awareness. Her hope is to empower women, making them more aware of their personal fertility levels and allowing them to be better educated about their options. Never again does she want to hear "If I had known 10 years ago that my egg reserves were running low, I would have done things differently."

Egg Freezing Parties

In 2014, she launched her mission by hosting Egg Freezing Parties.  These parties offer women a chance to learn more about their fertility and ask their questions in a comfortable,  safe environment with like-minded women. 

Shortly after hosting the first party, Egg freezing soon became a top buzzword.  Local and international magazines,  television programs, and social media have submitted requests for interviews and opportunities to cover the parties. 

Now, people across the country (and the world!) are asking Dr. Aimee to host an Egg Freezing Party in their city.  Another part of Dr. Aimee's fertility awareness mission is to provide an easily accessible Egg Whisperer Fertility Awareness Panel to any woman who is curious about her current fertility status. 

Fertility Awareness

This panel offers women information about their egg reserves now not 10 years from now when it could be too late and their options limited.  Dr. Aimee also teaches about the  TUSHY Method for providing holistic personalized fertility medicine. 

An easy to remember mnemonic,  it reminds medical professionals and patients  of the basics of the Egg Whisperer way:

TUSHY is:

• to check fallopian Tubes,
• do an Ultrasound of the Uterus,
• do a Semen Analysis,
• check Hormones, and
• do Your genetic testing.

To find out more about Dr. Aimme visit her website   Her Egg Whisperer site is here  her egg freezing parties are here and her Freeze and Share program can be found here

Follow her on Instagram here  and Facebook here 

As you can see she has quite a collection and I'm hoping we get to work our way through them, however, Amber is 31 weeks pregnant after being on her #TTC journey for three years. She was only diagnosed with #PCOS once already on route to start her first cycle of IVF despite having pretty much self-diagnosed herself with it.

Amber had been told by her GP that she wasn't fat or hairy enough to have PCOS and it was only once she was being seen by fertility specialists that the PCOS diagnosis that Amber suspected was qualified. Sadly a common story it seems.

We discuss four books:

Get A Life: His and Hers Survival Guide to IVF by Rosie Bray and Richard Mackney

It Stats with an Egg by Rebecca Fett

Six Months to Change the World: Eat Right During Pregnancy to Fight Obesity and Diabetes from the Very Start by Pierre Dukan

And I spoke about Jessica Hepburn's new book, 21 Miles which you can win a copy of via my Instagram 

If you're interested in any of these books, please use the links on this page.

To follow Amber on Insta you can find her here and read her blog click here if you want to drop her an email click here 

DON'T FORGET TO JOIN OUR CLOSED FACEBOOK GROUP 

Meet Alice, another lady making waves on Insta with her support, her stories and she has written a book which I wanted to talk to her about. Alice recently hosted her first event in London which went down a storm and I know she has plans to do more, so be sure to follow her on Insta 

We had a chat a few weeks ago and then met this weekend at

Fertility Fest which I can't really do justice to what it achieved this weekend. I will be sharing a dedicated podcast episode and also Alice is creating some exciting audio content which I will be sharing with you at a later date. For now, what I will say is check out the live streams I hosted from the festival and you can catch up here 

I'm constantly amazed and touched by the people I am meeting in the #TTC world and how they are helping other people. Alice created a hashtag #ttclookforbeautysuch a simple idea but such a lovely one and it's had me stop and think as I go about my day-to-day business and try and administer a little bit of self-care which I hope you will do too.

In our chat, Alice talked about how she's been working on her nutrition and had met up with a previous guest of mine Melanie Brown   do have a listen to our chat and you can follow Alice's blog here 

I also mentioned how you can support this podcast by continuing by becoming a Patreon, a brilliant way podcasters are getting support from their loyal audience. If you'd like to buy me the equivalent of a coffee a month in return for my content, you can here 

I am seeing more guys on Instagram and Twitter and recently I was at Fertility Fest which I've spoken about a lot and will be sharing my episode from the event shortly I watched an exert of Tom Webb's upcoming documentary called 'The Easy Bit'. I spoke to Tom about it here has spoken to six men about their experiences of going to the Gentlemen's Room. Hearing those men speak about how they feel it was so impactful and I'll make sure I share links to the finished film as I think it's going to be a key piece of support for men dealing with infertility - to hear other men probably echo what they are feeling.

Brad got in touch with me to talk about his story and also about the work he and wife Elyse are doing to help people find others they can relate to and rely on whilst getting their fertility journey and I was really keen to share what they are doing as I think it's a great idea.

Fruitful Fertility is a free mentoring website, where the whole concept of the groups created is that people are at different stages of their life and at different stages of treatment. Brad explained how in a subconscious way there is a competition going and things can trigger others and so they tried to set up a mentoring process where you are talking to one person. 

'A mentor is someone who is in a good place with their fertility journey, so anyone on that side can give advice or understands.' explained Brad. 'It's someone who really gets it. We really noticed it was lacking' so Brad and Elyse wanted to fill the void.

'The most common thing we hear when talking to people is  them saying ‘I wish this had been available  and as Brad quite rightly says  'Things aren’t gonna change in the shadows'

Brad spoke about the male fixer archetype that he hears a lot of guys having to deal with when faced with infertility. How you can’t advance the solution and if you are that person that takes care of problems and makes them go away how that doesn't work in this situation and that can really get you down.

Whilst having their first round of treatment Brad and Elyse chose to have pre genetic testing done on their embryos and discovered they all had genetic abnormalities in their first round of treatment, meaning none were viable for transfer. Brad described how vital this was for them to have discovered, and spoke about how he didn't know how the pair of them would have recovered if they had used the abnormal embryos and probably then found themselves dealing with a miscarriage. The couple had success after their second round of treatment and at the time of recording, this episode was expecting their first child. At the time of publishing, I can reveal they are now proud parents of a little girl called Abigail.

We spoke about the unfairness of such tests being a costly add on for many both in the US and UK and how the ability to afford such investigations shouldn't be an added stress for people in their #TTC

Sadly it is, however in light of the recent action taken on Capitol Hill for the first Infertility Advocacy day hopefully things will change. It was a poignant discussion with Brad talking about how "it’s terrible that your financial standing and the economics comes down to your success of having a family"

Brad referred to some studies that had been done on the impact of infertility on women's mental health. You can read more on this in the following articles:

I spoke to Brad Ash after he had responded to a tweet I'd put out asking for Men to share their stories. If you've been following my podcast you'll probably know that I'm always keen to tell Men's stories as we had to have ICSI to have our little boy and at the time my husband wasn't keen to talk about it. He's better at it now, but that's mainly due to him telling people about the work I do, making this podcast.

I am seeing more guys on Instagram and Twitter and recently I was at Fertility Fest which I've spoken about a lot and will be sharing my episode from the event shortly I watched an exert of Tom Webb's upcoming documentary called 'The Easy Bit'. I spoke to Tom about it here has spoken to six men about their experiences of going to the Gentlemen's Room. Hearing those men speak about how they feel it was so impactful and I'll make sure I share links to the finished film as I think it's going to be a key piece of support for men dealing with infertility - to hear other men probably echo what they are feeling.

Brad got in touch with me to talk about his story and also about the work he and wife Elyse are doing to help people find others they can relate to and rely on whilst getting their fertility journey and I was really keen to share what they are doing as I think it's a great idea.

Fruitful Fertility is a free mentoring website, where the whole concept of the groups created is that people are at different stages of their life and at different stages of treatment. Brad explained how in a subconscious way there is a competition going and things can trigger others and so they tried to set up a mentoring process where you are talking to one person. 

'A mentor is someone who is in a good place with their fertility journey, so anyone on that side can give advice or understands.' explained Brad. 'It's someone who really gets it. We really noticed it was lacking' so Brad and Elyse wanted to fill the void.

'The most common thing we hear when talking to people is  them saying ‘I wish this had been available  and as Brad quite rightly says  'Things aren’t gonna change in the shadows'

Brad spoke about the male fixer archetype that he hears a lot of guys having to deal with when faced with infertility. How you can’t advance the solution and if you are that person that takes care of problems and makes them go away how that doesn't work in this situation and that can really get you down.

Whilst having their first round of treatment Brad and Elyse chose to have pre genetic testing done on their embryos and discovered they all had genetic abnormalities in their first round of treatment, meaning none were viable for transfer. Brad described how vital this was for them to have discovered, and spoke about how he didn't know how the pair of them would have recovered if they had used the abnormal embryos and probably then found themselves dealing with a miscarriage. The couple had success after their second round of treatment and at the time of recording, this episode was expecting their first child. At the time of publishing, I can reveal they are now proud parents of a little girl called Abigail.

We spoke about the unfairness of such tests being a costly add on for many both in the US and UK and how the ability to afford such investigations shouldn't be an added stress for people in their #TTC

Sadly it is, however in light of the recent action taken on Capitol Hill for the first Infertility Advocacy day hopefully things will change. It was a poignant discussion with Brad talking about how "it’s terrible that your financial standing and the economics comes down to your success of having a family"

Brad referred to some studies that had been done on the impact of infertility on women's mental health. You can read more on this in the following articles:

Infertility treatment and fertility specific distress

Matsubayashi et al 2001  this study was also cited in a Huffington Post article talking about infertility being one of the 4th most traumatic events a woman can experience

To find out more about Fruitful fertility visit their website

Follow them on Insta Twitter or Facebook

I also mentioned how you can support this podcast by becoming a patreon and you can join my closed Facebook group talk fertility 

Through her clinic leads a talented team of university-trained, science-focused naturopaths, to run various fertility programs.  She has personally overcome infertility twice and as a result, has a deep understanding and empathy for her patients. Her mission is to make a global impact on the way infertility is understood and treated worldwide.

Gabriela is the author of 3 acclaimed books on natural fertility solutions and has also developed the popular 12 Day Fertility Challenge -  a free program that runs quarterly that helps to educate & empower couples to take charge of their fertility through diet, exercise, and other lifestyle changes. To register for the next one click here 

Gabriela also runs her 11 Pillars of Fertility the foundation for all of her fertility treatment programs. Her approach has been shown to work despite (in many cases) the longstanding years of fertility challenges and pregnancy loss so many of their patients experience throughout their fertility journey, before beginning their treatment with her. 

You can follow Gabriela on Twitter here  and  Instagram here Facebook page  here 

What Is Emotional Freedom Technique And How Can It Help Me Get Pregnant? https://t.co/8akFh3jH7O #fertility #infertility

— gabrielarosa (@gabrielarosa) March 22, 2018

Meet Anna German, her book is called 'So when are you going to have kids.

I can hear you sigh, yes that question that the world feels entitled to ask you because you're not yet a parent. 

Anna shared her journey, how she and her hubby started trying at 30  - assumed it would work, told everyone, planned holidays around it, then after a year went to the doctor to get a few things checked out and were referred to some tests. Initially, Anna said 'we thought great - we’re having tests... obviously once they’ve figured out the problem, they’ll be able to fix it…'

 When Anna explained the speed at which they were told they needed to have IVF it reminded me of when my husband and I were given the news. It was delivered so thoughtlessly, we actually complained.

Anna said the letter that was written to the GP said ‘after extensive discussion with us they’d recommend IVF’ and how she and her husband had just laughed out loud.

Her book is a wonderful piece of illustration which you can view here

https://issuu.com/fraudeutsch/docs/so_when_-_issuu_booklet3

  Anna talks about how she left her job due to going through treatment however chose to complete an MA in Illustration and this book was the outcome of her work. I love what she's done and encourage you to share it. Her experiences will resonate with you, I'm sure.

My next guest is Natascha Dea who has created a very different but equally stunning book photographic called Waiting.  Natascha shares her journey as a 40 something through realizing she wasn’t going to be able to use her eggs and dealings with the loss of that and working towards using a donor

Natascha met her 'love' at 37 and when they found their route to parenthood wasn't happening as she'd hoped and they went to speak to medical professionals, Natascha found she was being referred to with that endearing term 'geriatric' by her doctor.

Natascha and I talked for an hour and this interview is much longer than I would normally do, and I wanted to share it as I found her journey and how it affected her creatively so fascinating. She has pulled together this book, after being encouraged to by her fertility doctor who is the fifth person she's seen and the first to notice the cysts that were missed by the previous consultants. Also, the first to help Natascha through her miscarriages and help her with her mindset on this journey.

Professor Joyce Harper wants more dialogue to be happening around fertility and joined me to explain a new coalition of leading doctors, fertility experts, and campaigners who are on a mission to shift the education on sex education to include fertility education in British schools. Personally, Joyce hopes that by 2020 fertility education is embedded in schools nationally which I really do hope this project achieves. 

 Working with a range of organizations including those working in sex education the group got together and brainstormed how best to make this happen. The result has just happened in a week-long pilot at The National Theatre in London, working with artists and young adults aged 16 - 21 to try and see whether it is a good idea to use the arts to teach fertility education. 

You may have heard previous episodes I've shared with the awesome author, fertility warrior, and artistic director Jessica Hepburn about her event Fertility Fest 

It launched in 2016 and is back in 2018 and I can't wait to be a part of it. You can view the amazing schedule here 

Joyce got to witness firsthand from the young audience that they want to know and understand their own fertility journey in the future, with some facts and some nuts and bolts and science around fertility. They also want stories and time for discussion. 

Joyce explains her vision, her fertility journey, and what she hopes will happen as the Fertility Education Initiative gains popularity.

We also discuss egg freezing and mental health issues related to infertility. Joyce is writing a paper about what she experienced from this first phase of the Modern Families art project and I hope we get to talk to her more about it once it's published.

To find out more about the FEI click here

To find out more about Joyce click here  

You can also follow her on Twitter here 

Looking forward to taking part in the @wowtweetUK #wowldn tomorrow. We will be talking about fertility education. With the global increase in maternal age at first birth - we need to talk about female fertility decline. With @JessicaPursuit pic.twitter.com/AcNo4mrD6Y

— Joyce Harper (@ProfJoyceHarper) March 10, 2018

I also spoke to Claire who tweets as @EndoLady about her challenges living with the disease. I'm delighted to say, Claire is now pregnant after dealing with Endometriosis and Adenomyosis for years.

Ahead of our chat, Emma had been busy speaking in the National Press about the Lena Dunham article in Vogue. I love Lena, I've watched all six series of Girls and was so saddened to hear that she had chosen to have a hysterectomy having battled with Endometriosis and previously endured eight surgeries.

You can read Lena's piece in Vogue here and Emma and I discuss the impact which Emma was keen to stress, it's always a positive thing to have someone as high profile as Lena speak out about this disease that affects 1 in 10 women - a hysterectomy isn't an absolute cure, although it can be for Adenomyosis. If you want to understand more about it, you can hear my chat with specialist Dr. Vamsee Thallurli  here  Lena wrote in her article “I know that a hysterectomy isn’t the right choice for everyone”...“That it’s not a guarantee that this pain will disappear. . . .” Here's a comment piece from Vogue on Lena's piece that I thought you might find interesting also 

Emma hopes that people start to understand more about the symptoms of Endometriosis, that a heavy period and severe pelvic pain isn't normal. Despite 1 in 5 women having a medically heavy bleed, they aren't aware of it and should visit a doctor. Most importantly that we talk more about it.

Emma is also keen to raise awareness of the charities petition to get 'Menstrual Wellbeing' taught in schools which you can find out more details here 

If you have any questions email info@thefertilitypodcast.com or contact Emma via Twitter 

Looking forward to a day discussing menstrual education with @chellaquint. Squeamish talking about periods? Exactly why menstrual wellbeing should be taught is schools https://t.co/i2tTNWcgeZ #endometriosis #periods

— Emma Cox (@msemmacox) February 5, 2018

Technology is such a massive part of our lives, I wanted to know what feedback they had from people regarding how they are tracking their fertility, what works and what doesn't, and to hear about their plans.

You can hear more from the pair in this Facebook video they have just shared about their results 

The pair are creating wearable tech which they are already testing and they are looking for more people, couples, and singles to volunteer to work with them, so do get in touch via their Facebook page.

Follow the project on Twitter 

Happy V Day and thanks for sharing/completing our recent survey on fertility! Over 300 responses are in. We've summarized the results and announced the winner of the Google Home Mini. Check out the video on our Facebook page to get involved in what's next! https://t.co/QJWarzMCrM

— Odd World Collective (@oddworldco) February 14, 2018

Sarah and her husband spent six years dealing with infertility before having her first child. She decided to leave her job and fertility and retrain to become a Fertility Coach and Mentor. She also works with fertility professionals to enhance their patient experience and success rates by helping them understand how patients feel and the emotional support they need.

Sarah has set up support groups, helping ladies going through IVF and struggling with infertility, to help them break out of the overwhelm and negative cycle that infertility causes, to help them feel stronger and more emotionally stable, so their chances of getting pregnant are higher and the journey is less traumatic.

After experiencing firsthand that there is little emotional support for those struggling with infertility, Sarah set up two online and face-to-face support groups to give people a safe space to talk about how they feel. Here the free Facebook group is called Surviving Infertility. It is a closed group that offers support and advice, and we welcome anyone that is struggling with infertility or going through fertility treatment.

You can find out more about Sarah here

You can follow her on Twitter here

Instagram has an amazing #TTC community which I've been getting to know and my guest in this episode is a lovely lady called Christine McDonough who has been sharing her work since August 2017.

She's just passed 1k followers and if you have a look, you will see why. Her pictures capture the day-to-day trials and tribulations you have to deal with on your fertility journey.

I love how she creates her images and she made one for this episode

Christine told me she'd love to make a book of her illustrations one day, so fingers crossed it happens as I think she is brilliant. She really does let her pen do the talking from the everyday mundane to the political, reacting to current affairs effortlessly, she is a true talent. Plus, she's still going through the ordeal of infertility yet is bringing such a wonderful sense of humor to the TTC community.

If you're on Instagram and want to follow Christine go here and you can follow me here

Sophie was diagnosed with premature ovarian failure and stage four endometriosis after a year of trying to conceive.  Before the Endometriosis was diagnosed, she was diagnosed with IBS and potential Chrones disease and was also sent to CBT as they thought the pain was in her mind. 

Sophie and Jonny decided to pay to go private and one scan showed Sophie had cysts, giving her the Endometriosis diagnosis she ended up having two laparoscopies and was told they were going to struggle to conceive naturally. 

Sophie talked through how every single round just got worse and worse. She talked about the whirlwind of IVF and the reason the pair want a family is because they are in love and we want to have a family with each other…

Sophie was so honest and open in our chat that I can't do it justice in these notes. When she said 'The infertility journey wipes each dream away' I had a lump in my throat and I love that she has on her website 'Fertility Champion'. Have a look and listen to her previous stories that she has shared here 

You can also follow her on Twitter here 

Nervous / proud / excited to see my article printed in this month’s @RedMagDaily. Thank you to @Natashalunn for believing in the piece & allowing me to write it my way. As ever, I hope it helps others and goes some way to promoting Our Fertility Series on @BBCPM @BBCRadio4 🎧📻 pic.twitter.com/8AJZmC9dP5

— Sophie Sulehria (@sophiesulehria) January 3, 2018

In our chat I also referred to a few other episodes, Sophie had mentioned how Jonny had joined a male-only Facebook group which is run by Gareth Down a former guest on this podcast. You can hear our chat and find out about Gareth's group here 

I also talked about my Christmas Day episode with Ivary who offer a home testing kit to check your ovarian reserve which you can listen to here 

Also please do join my new closed Facebook group and we can carry on this conversation xxx

This caught my attention and I was keen to find out more about this new company, launched in April 2017.

ivary makes make cutting-edge scientific research relevant, accessible, and human. Giving you important information and recommendations towards understanding your fertility and your reproductive health, no matter what stage of life you are at or what your goals are.

I spoke to Co-Founder Silvia Hecher about how her background and her passion for science led her to create this home testing kit, empowering women with knowledge about their fertility health meaning they can plan ahead.

Silvia Hecher founded ivary because, as a fertility coach, she saw firsthand that women lack substantial information about their health and fertility. She previously worked for 13 years as a medical journalist with an emphasis on gynecology, and she also has experience in knowledge management in the field of Evidence-Based Medicine. She is the mother of two girls.

ivory is a home testing kit currently available in Europe and soon to be launched in the UK and US. It measures your AMH level, but the results you get are much more than just a number. In conjunction with your lifestyle and medical history, it uses your AMH value to tell you where you stand compared to other women your age.  It also offers insights into when you are expected to reach the end of fertility and menopause. Based on your personal measurement and goals, the specialists at ivary then point you towards resources and the next steps for the future.

Also mentioned in this episode - is how to subscribe in iTunes click here 

To join my new closed Facebook group click here

Having found at 17 she had Mayer Rokitansky Küster Hauser (MRKH), which meant she had no uterus and her vagina was short. Andreia had to digest an incredibly hard diagnosis. It had come after she'd been waiting for periods and at the same time,  she also found out she needed surgery to reconstruct her vagina. 

Can you imagine, being a teenager thinking about exams and boyfriends/girlfriends and then having to deal with this. I certainly can't. 

It was a tremendous blow as a teenager and as result, Andrea made a decision that she wasn't going to let this define her in the wrong way. Instead, she was going to set to work to overcome it and achieve a meaningful life regardless of her circumstances. Which is exactly what she has done.

Andreia talked to me about how MRKH affects women causing them to be very ashamed of talking about it, having to deal with so many questions. How their identity is challenged as to their self-worth. She has set up secret Facebook groups where she is able to support women all over the world. 

In cultures where having children is considered vital, being unable to fulfill this role leads to young women being ostracized by their families which of course is devastating and has huge mental health impacts. 

The title of one of her books 'The Formula to not giving a f**k about fertility' gives you an insight into her character 

After spending decades studying to become a nurse and learning essential coaching techniques she helps women cope with coming to terms with infertility and helps them come up with a plan, offering support every step of the way. Andreia has also now reached her own peace of mind, where she is in a happy place about her future after years of struggling to work out how she was going to live her life. 

You can find out more about her work here 

You can also follow her on Facebook here  

On Twitter here 

In our chat, we talk about the difficult journey Kathryn has been on with her mental health, the impact of her infertility from failed cycles of fertility treatment. How they caused her such sadness, so isolated and like an 'utter failure'. Kathryn felt she was the problem, causing the treatment not to work, and really struggled to cope. She was working in a high-powered job, managing people all around the country and gradually retreating more and more from everyday life.

Kathryn turned down offers of counselling, despite suffering from stress, depression and anxiety. At one point after seeing her GP, she was signed off work for a few weeks. She decided to seek out counselling and was told there was a six-month wait on the NHS. Knowing she needed to take action Kathryn found a counsellor specialising in infertility via the BICA website 

This proved to be her lifeline and along with ongoing counselling and acupuncture, Kathryn has developed coping mechanisms to move forward with her treatment and her ability to cope with what her future may hold. With a child or without one.

Follow Katheryn on Twitter   Her Facebook page for the blog is here

Only a week away from #IVF cycle number 9, how did that happen?! Never thought I would do this again & so many mixed emotions but let’s do this! pic.twitter.com/aLuZLmxVfj

— Strength&Infertility (@K8Menz) November 22, 2017

 Pamela talks about ' the demon of infertility and the issue of insurance companies who refuse to cover the costs of physicians, labs, and medications. Whereas there are private groups and governmental agencies that deal with adoption and foster children, there are few companies, if any, that fund procedure for physical intervention in pregnancy. If you know someone who has been touched by infertility or if you cannot imagine life without your children or grandchildren, I hope you will support us with a contribution.'

To find out more about the Baby Quest Foundation click here 

Follow them on Twitter here

Baby Quest has had a "productive" fall....Congratulations to Breanna & Kyle new parents of KJ..born on November 3rd. KJ weighed 7 pounds 14 ounces and is the charity's 53rd baby!!!

Welcome, KJ!!! pic.twitter.com/jiSEmx29ur

— BabyQuest Foundation (@BabyQuestGrants) November 12, 2017

I also mentioned a UK company who help you with finance packages if you have to self-fund, who are called Access Fertility and you can hear an episode I did with them here 

Jessica writes a blog called Infertility and Life which I highly recommend you have a look at, not only due to how organized it is with all the different situations Jessica has had to deal with, it also as you will hear her explain, has been an amazing support network for her and her husband whilst on this journey.

We talk in detail about her journey so far in which Jessica and her husband have both suffered a loss, Jessica's husband was initially diagnosed with Azoospermia and later found out he had Cystic Fibrosis. You will hear Jessica describe how the pair have overcome the initial shock of her husband being infertile.

How a surgical procedure has meant that he now has frozen sperm samples enabling the pair to continue to try for a biological child.

Jessica discussed her disbelief at being refused treatment by a clinic due to their success rate apparently being too low for the clinic's 'Moral Code'. Against all odds the pair continued to ask questions and push for answers, moving clinics and speaking to more experts. You will hear how Jessica and her husband are a testament to making sure you are empowered with knowledge, at every step of the infertility journey.

Jessica also told me about  how hard she and her best friend had worked to maintain their friendship and you can read her blog post on it here 

Follow Jessica on Twitter   Insta and Facebook

We met online after I saw her tweeting about starting a Frozen Embryo Transfer (FET) and I wanted her to share her story on her journey to have her first child. You'll hear Jen sharing the sad truths about how she felt the clinic showed a lack of compassion in how she and her husband have been treated, how they didn't explain different scenarios properly to the pair, leaving them extremely anxious at times.

This week is National Fertility Awareness Week in the UK and as always I'm trying to share as much as I can to raise awareness of the issues we are affected by on our journey to start our family. If you want to join in the conversation on Twitter there's a number of hashtags you can use, such as #NFAW #IVFGoldStandard #FertilityFellas, and #TalkFertility. If you've seen something that you want to share with me, please do.

So, as we hear Jen explaining her journey, she talks about her cycles having to be abandoned, which might be something that has happened before, but not something I've heard of. It highlights how essential it is to try and remember to ask questions when you are in front of an expert rather than going home wondering what the outcome might be and spending the time between your next appointment fretting.

I've spoken to a wide range of clinicians and fertility nurses and they always highlight how no question is a stupid one. Also, don't be afraid to challenge your clinic. When Jen was told there was nothing she could do to improve the lining of her uterus, she knew from the Emma Cannon book she was reading that there were lots of changes she could make to her diet, to at least give her the best chances possible of a successful outcome.

You can follow Jen on Twitter here 

Horrendous nights sleep 😫 thanks #FET cycle #2 also kept thinking about renting 1 of our rooms through @Airbnb anyone done it? #needmoney

— Jen (@hopingttc) October 29, 2017

No, nor had I until Dr. Vamsee got in touch to talk to me about Adenomyosis which is a condition that affects 1 in 5 women. Dr. Vamsee published the first-ever paper that showed this impact back in 2012 and is keen to talk more about this condition as his findings have shown that women with this condition can have their pregnancy rates reduced by 50%.

This is a huge huge factor in implantation failure and unfortunately, many Doctors STILL don't test for it.

So women are having to undergo IVF cycle after cycle without any cause found for why they are not falling pregnant.

Dr. Vamsee talks about how Adenomyosis presents itself with symptoms similar to Endometriosis such as painful heavy periods. He also explains how it can be detected with an ultrasound or MRI scan.

This is relevant mainly to women who have had several failed embryo transfers when the embryos have been good quality and it's really worth raising it with your specialist. Here are some links from Dr. Vamsee for you to have a look at and you can also see an abstract of his paper here :

2017: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28865548

2014: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24622619

Dr. Vamsee is no longer on Twitter but we hope you find his interview useful

I met with New Life Greece, who was in London to do some 1-2-1 meetings with potential clients and to talk more about their clinic and what they offer.

Research conducted by the clinic looking into the number of people looking into treatment abroad showed 507,000 searches for 'IVF Abroad'.

As you'd imagine, there are concerns about going away from treatment, which is daunting anyway and New Life found people's main concerns were the inconvenience, the language barrier, and the level of treatment offered.

To overcome this, New Life has been offering the 1-2-1 meetings mentioned above as well as Skype consultations and in this chat, you will hear Chrysa explain how they work.

New Life is based in Thessaloniki, Greece - a 3-hour flight from the UK. It was founded by fertility experts Dimitrios Dovas, Chrysa Karakostra, and Afroditi Zisapoulou in 2009 and offers fast and cost-effective solutions for IVF using a women's own eggs, egg donation, and social egg freezing

I also spoke with Kirsty Rielly, who is 42 and going through her 3rd round of IVF treatment.

She had her first round in the UK and in this episode explains her decision to go to Greece and how the experience has been for her so far.

At the time of speaking Kirsty was due to be having a frozen embryo transfer just after we spoke, so I've got everything crossed for a positive outcome for her and will keep you posted if I hear.

Follow New Life on Twitter here

Exercising during #pregnancy is safe for babies and can cut a woman’s chance of needing a Caesarean section by a te… https://t.co/BDihK5qelC

— Newlife IVF Greece (@newlife_ivf) August 4, 2017

You can also hear a previous episode I made about having fertility treatment abroad with Caroline Davies and her company Fertility Clinics Abroad

Eva blogs via Soul and Fertility giving pretty outspoken views on her fertility journey.

From dealing with PCOS to attending infertility support groups Eva takes a nonsense approach to manage her infertility and isn't afraid to speak her mind, which could be taken as being insensitive.

I think she's a realist and admires her resilience with what she is going through.

Her decision to be anonymous with her online persona is one I get - having started my podcast in the same way.

Eva explains in our chat how she is currently looking to change jobs and how nervous she is of any potential employee googling her and finding out about her infertility struggles, thus affecting their decision to take her on. I'm not even thinking about this.

Have you talked openly at work about fertility treatment and felt you have been treated differently as a result?

You can follow Eva on Twitter here. Sadly as I publish this episode, you will see she didn't get the result she had hoped for from her FET...

Clinic today: Sorry to tell you, the result is negative, you need to try again. Its like Hotel California, once you are you never leave.

— Eva Braveheart (@FertilitySoul) July 20, 2017

In this fascinating interview, Angie Lee from Celmatix explains how they are the next generation in women's health. Working with data analytics and genomics to empower anyone trying to conceive with more information about their likelihood of success. Working with fertility clinics Celmatix has several products available which you can find out more about here 

You can also follow Celmatix on Twitter

The Fertilome genetic test may help you understand how #genetics impact your reproductive health/ Learn more at https://t.co/mMU1wRGMFp pic.twitter.com/y5QfZ65q6n

— Celmatix (@celmatix) October 13, 2017

I wasn't sure whether to combine these two chats, but I hope you agree it works, as I wanted to touch base with Maureen Brown from Mosie Baby. It's been a year since Maureen and her hubby Marc launched Mosie baby

You can hear a previous chat with Maureen and Marc, which I did when they first launched and you can follow them on Twitter here and hear all about the process they went through to get the product to market. Maureen had her second child using Mosie, so has absolute proof of its success. They are now shipping around the world. If you'd like to buy Mosie, here's all the info you need 

Katie Eaves is my second guest. Katie is a midwife and having gone through fertility treatment, almost quit her career, however, she came back to it with a new approach and mission - to educate midwives and others in maternity services in how to deal with women pregnant after infertility.

We had a fascinating chat about the importance of being understood once you're pregnant especially if it's likely to be the only time you are. Katie holds workshops to educate those working with ladies giving them advice on the correct language to use, things to consider, and is doing a great job.

Follow Katie on Twitter here 

You'd assume there would be no happy ending here.. which is where you would be wrong.  Meet Janita Lawrence, author of The Underachieving Ovary who shares her fertility journey with all its many hurdles.

I'm constantly learning about the numerous ways our bodies let us down from the many conversations I have had to create this podcast. My aim is to cover them all, so if you've found me to try and get answers there might well be someone else who has been through what you are going through.

When we are trying to conceive I find it remarkable to learn just how many ways we have to deal with the blows, that we are completely unaware of existing.

Janita is no exception and her brilliant and enlightening books share her journey from the diagnosis of a 'heart-shaped uterus' to diaphragmatic endometriosis.

She was basically told by her doctor that it was going to be very difficult for her to get pregnant.

The Under Achieving Ovary is Janita's story of her longing to be a mother, her frustrations and agony of having to deal with the pain from the Endometriosis, and the strain it put on her relationship.

She had given her partner, Mike, the responsibility of her pain management, which put an incredible strain on their relationship.

Janita shared how she managed through the different stages of bad news, where she went for support, and how she managed to stay hopeful despite what was going on.

You'll hear us mention an online forum in South Africa called Fertilicare Support, which we think has since been dissolved as Janita has written to me since we spoke to say she can no longer find a link to it online.

She had described it as being such a valuable resource whilst on her journey, that Janita had said she was really sad to see if it no longer exists so if you know anything about it do let me know.

Janita also talked about supplements she used which were Pycnogenol and DHEA. She also tried IV intralipids with all my IVF cycles

To get your copy of ‘The Underachieving Ovary' is currently an Amazon US bestseller in its category (Fertility) click here and it's great to hear the book is doing so well.

You can also read a sample from the book here:

1. The Angry Vaginas 
2. The Fertility Cave

To find out more about Janita, you can visit her website  and follow her on Facebook  and Twitter

You would hope that would be the standard offered to women needing fertility treatment.

However, it isn't. In this fascinating chat with Professor Geeta Nargund founder of Create Fertility explains her mission to raise the awareness of fertility education around the world and encourage the use of a milder IVF cycle to prevent the cases of OHSS we still see today.

Create was founded with the ethos of carrying out IVF as naturally as possible, with no drugs or minimum, or as little intervention as possible. 

During our chat, Geeta explains how a mild cycle works, which you can see highlighted in the chat below.

OHSS is a preventable condition it shouldn’t be happening and Geeta explains how she feels so strongly about how if she can save one woman in the world from dying from OHSS she has done her job.

Geeta also explained how she felt that IVF clinics that produce complications where a woman ends up in hospital with OHSS or has a multiple births should be made to pay for those costs,  so the NHS can get that money back and then use it to offer more treatment.

It will be interesting to see whether this happens. 

This is the article Geeta refers to in The Guardian about sperm health (June 2017)  and this is Geeta writing about fertility education in The Telegraph  ( September 2016 )

You can follow Geeta on Twitter here 

Read my advice on PCOS & Fertility. https://t.co/fI1WX3JZFj @CreateIVF @FertilityNUK @Netmums @BioNewsUK @veritypcos @katesilverton1 @svli

— Geeta Nargund (@GeetaNargund) July 1, 2017

Can you imagine being a Surrogate? Do you have lots of questions about it?

Introducing... a brand new podcast series I have produced for  Surrogacy UK, the leading UK not-for-profit surrogacy organization.

It aims to give you an insight into how its organization works and well-dispelling myths associated with the whole process.

To be honest, I didn't know much at all about Surrogacy apart from talking about it a bit, with a friend who is considering it to complete their family.

This was all to change when an old school friend Leyla got in touch having heard about my podcast.

Leyla wasn't able to conceive due to being diagnosed with Vascular Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome ten years ago and you can read more about her journey here.

We talked about creating this podcast series which I have to say has been fascinating to put together.

Firstly I attended one of Surrogacy UK's conference's to chat to the four Surrogates you can hear in this episode I've shared with you.

It was very apparent from the outset that they were all extraordinary ladies and what was also clear was that the 'Friendship First' ethos which is what Surrogacy UK bases itself upon was like a mantra to all involved.. and I mean that in a positive way

You will probably have found a community online, or in support groups as part of your journey to start to family, if you've found it hasn't been straightforward.

I know it's been an amazing journey of discovery to see just how many of us are affected by infertility and how we are all reaching out to help each other.

It's exactly the same in the Surrogacy community and the warmth and love I felt in the room - I know that sounds so cheesy, but it's truly made me feel privileged to be amongst such people who can open up their minds and their hearts to help others.

If you are considering Surrogacy of have been talking about trying to find a surrogate, please do have a listen to my podcast series

You will hear from Surrogates and their Intended parents, and insight from the fertility clinic as well as getting an overview on the legal issues affecting Surrogacy Law in the UK plus you hear from partners of surrogates about what it is like for them.

So I hope you agree we've covered a fair few angles. If  you have any questions just visit the Surrogacy UK website  and you can follow on Twitter

"If you want to do it, do it!" Surrogate Janine in EP1 of Surrogacy UK Podcasts @fertilitypoddy

EP 1: https://t.co/aZGQreKWMk pic.twitter.com/rUqE8AbKBi

— Surrogacy UK (@SurrogacyUKorg) June 8, 2017

You will also hear us discuss IVF Buddy which is launching in April and will enable people going through fertility struggles to find someone else to talk to, this is a brilliant idea as so often when you're having to get your head around IVF it's hard to know who to talk to. I had my best friend there for me, as she had previously been through three rounds of IVF before having success and I was then able to share my experience with another good friend. If I'd have known about IVF Buddy when I was going through my treatment I might well have encouraged my husband to have a look as he was much more reluctant to speak to anyone about it but me.

To have 3 months free membership of the IVF Babble,  use this code IVFB 121 when visiting the site

Follow them on Twitter here 

March for endometriosis this month. Read more about this and to find out where in the U.K. the events are taking... https://t.co/XXFR7OPtqD

— IVFbabble (@ivfbabble) March 6, 2017

Meet Claire aka @EndoLady on Twitter who I found online sharing her experience of Endometriosis. Claire spoke to me to share her story and struggle to deal with the condition as well as shedding light on the symptoms of Endometriosis. Claire blogs regularly in a really honest and enlightening way and works as a volunteer for Endometriosis UK

This leads me to my second guest, Emma Cox, CEO of Endometriosis UK the leading charity that supports women living with Endometriosis. The organization works to improve the lives of people affected by endometriosis and to decrease the impact it has on those with the condition and their families and friends.

Emma explains the resources the charity has available such as a helpline and a pain and symptoms diary which they advise to use to track your pain as Endometriosis is cyclical and given that most GP appointments aren't longer than 10 min, the more information you can be armed with ahead of your appointment, the better. There's also information on how to get involved with the worldwide Endometriosis March which is taking place on 25th March 2017. You can also follow them on Twitter

Register for this charity run and be a Superhero for Endometriosis UK! Costume provided & we'll be there to cheer-https://t.co/Krt2rIRSBa pic.twitter.com/Yp6GCZQAXj

— Endometriosis UK (@EndometriosisUK) February 24, 2017

There are numerous fertility apps to use when trying to conceive and rather than looking at all of them, I've picked a few which are all pretty different to have a chat with the people behind them or involved in their day-to-day working.

Firstly Kate Davies explains her work with Ovusense. Now I have interviewed Kate previously on this podcast about her work as a fertility coach and her business Your Fertility Journey and it was great to catch up with her again.

Kate has written a great overview of the whole host of fertility apps available  - do have a read here In our chat Kate explains her consultancy work with Ovusense and why she is so passionate about how it works.

Ovusense is the only app with a vaginal sensor which I was very curious to understand more about how it works. Follow the app on Twitter here

Next up is Phil Druce, founder of OvulationCalulator.com a really new player in the market already reporting huge pregnancy numbers from users who have registered their success.

You'll hear Phil's story and his own fertility journey as he's the father or twins after fertility treatment. You can also find out more all the details about the Ovulation Calculator community and the great blog posts shared via the Ovulation Calculator website  and you can follow on Twitter here 

Finally, we hear from Paula Campos, the founder of Naula an app for use during fertility treatment, so once you know what you are having this is your pocket guidebook with diagrams and how-to videos for injections and reminders you can share with your partner. It's brilliant and I would have really appreciated using something like this during my fertility treatment. Follow Naula on Twitter here 

Find out about the Fertility Network UK patient day of action Saturday 25 March 2017

Anya Sizer is a remarkable lady who I've spoken to several times on this podcast. In her work with Fertility Network UK Anya is helping to raise awareness of charity's Patient's Day of Action which is putting the spotlight on the inequality in the provision of NHS-funded IVF treatment in different CCGs around England and Wales. Scotland seems to have created a much fairer system so why can't we?

NICE guidelines recommend 3 rounds of IVF treatment, however, CCG's all over the UK are cutting their allocated funds to the treatment, it seems to have the right information. From success rates being monitored to amounts spent on individual cycles of treatment the cuts being made are so arbitrary that action needs to be taken. Click here to get involved in Fertility Network UK's Right to Try campaign and you can schedule your social media for a joint tweet/Facebook post this Saturday 25th March here.

My second guest is Richard Clothier who has worked tirelessly to lobby Bedford CCG when he and his wife found out that their access to IVF funding had been cut whilst they were going through treatment. The couple thought they were entitled to three rounds and it was cut to one, which sadly was unsuccessful.

Richard has been doing amazing work and as you will hear in our chat, he made a difference in the funding decision. Richard has also been very open about his desire to help others so if you would like his support in lobbying your local CCG you can contact him on Twitter

No wonder @NHSCroydonCCG is under financial special measures when it paid 10x more than some CCGs do for #NHS #IVF https://t.co/FIUGvnqH8p

— Richard Clothier (@ClothierRichard) March 19, 2017

I found this out last summer when my first NCT pal shared her joyous news whilst we were all camping. They don't all know about our fertility journey and  I had to take a moment as a wave of emotions struck me. I was happy for her of course, then filled with questions such as 'Will it happens for us, will our little boy ever have a sibling? will it happen naturally? ' At Christmas time, two more of the group shared that they were also expecting, and again I had to deal with my very loud internal voice. So I put something out on Twitter which was when Stacey got in touch with me. Stacey shares her story about how she is finding the announcements from her friends as they have babies number two and three and how she is now finding her three-year-old has started asking if she is going to have a sister or a brother. It's an ongoing journey when you've had a fertility journey and Stacey and I share a similar feeling of despair as to how to deal with what we are feeling, which is why I wanted to talk to her and share it with you. If you've found that you have felt something similar it would be great to hear from you. One thing I'm also dealing with is the constant wondering whether 'it' will happen naturally. I was keen to speak with Nicola Salmon who is a colleague of mine and a fertility coach, acupuncturist & naturopath who is running a course from 13th February 2017 on 'Beating the Overwhelm' when you are trying to conceive.  I already subscribe to Nicola's newsletter and am constantly receiving positive notes about my journey. I'm a big fan of what she is doing.

In our chat, Nicola explains how she works with women to coach them over a 12-week course. From group to support to one-to-one advice, this is a great resource for you to access.  I'm sure you'll agree it can all get so consuming when things are taking longer than you'd hoped. You can find out all about what is on offer as well as how you can get in part in it, you can do so via me just by clicking here 

A resounding yes from me. I loved escaping into some hilarious comedy shows during my injection phase, taking my mind off the overwhelm associated with what was going on. Giving me a little bit of light relief, during the constant wondering of why this had happened to us...

Meet Wendy Litner, the producer of the upcoming web series, How to Buy A Baby  - about an average 30 something couple that expected to just have sex and get pregnant but it didn’t go that way. Wendy has created her characters, Jane and Charlie, to not just be focused on this one thing but more on how this intersects into the other parts of their lives like their relationship, their sex life, work, and everything else.

Wendy has made a point of being 'in your face with the emotions running through this, with the couple coming out and saying the unexpected about what is going on with them which is so refreshing and entertaining.

You can also follow How to Buy a Baby on Instagram and Twitter

My second guest is Lori Shandle-Fox, stand-up comic and author of Laughing is Conceivable which is available on Amazon UK and Amazon. Lori had triplets in her 40's and re-tells her route to parenthood in such a compelling way, from how she was made to feel like a more 'mature' mother to the questions asked about her triplets, that you'll be sure to go and grab hold of her book. 

You can follow Lori on Twitter here

#infertility #Mindfulness If infertility only lasted a week, we could all go a week without smiling- but it doesn't. https://t.co/SN4rgkvPLn pic.twitter.com/rCgMRNosjp

— Lori Shandle-Fox (@laughingisconce) May 22, 2017

Both women highlight the importance of putting some light into this shitty situation and how it could really help you feel less alone.

Dr. Irfana explains the various services offered from face-to-face consultation in the comfort of your home by Skype or phone and if you need to perform laboratory tests you can have the sample collection kit delivered to your door anywhere in the UK with all the packaging needed. The sample can then be dropped into any red post box. For men based in London, semen samples can be collected from your home address using medical couriers. In addition, IVF Matters has a network of 60 ultrasound clinics across the country so it is just a case of you nipping to your nearest clinic to have your pelvic scan.

Their latest service has revolutionized fertility care whether you are considering IVF treatment or Egg Freezing with most of it being done from where you live. It is increasingly popular with professionals who are looking for smart, efficient, discreet, and affordable care.

 Dr. Irfana Koita (MRCOG) is also inviting you to a free consultant-led Walk-In Fertility Clinic @ 10 Harley Street, London W1G 9PF. No paperwork and no appointment are needed, you can just drop in on any Thursday evening that suits you between 5:30 pm to 6:30 pm. Follow IVF Matters on Twitter 

My second guest was Saskia Boujo who has founded My Beehive to provide you with useful information whilst trying to conceive whether it’s through natural conception and you just need a little help and support, or through a highly monitored and medicated fertility program in a clinic. Saskia explains how her care package is everything you need to guide you through your fertility treatment, from the injections to dealing with the dreaded 'two-week wait' as well as if you have to have a frozen cycle. My Beehive will be by your side, which I think is just brilliant. 

You can follow Saskia on Instagramme @ivfandproud or Twitter

An email review from a very satisfied customer!! 👏🏼👏🏼🍯#fertilitysupport #ivfcarepack #ivfandproud pic.twitter.com/t1zrHwb07J

— Saskia Boujo (@my_beehive) March 31, 2017

As always, I love how the universe somehow steers me, and whilst preparing this episode I was contacted by a lady called Gloria Halim, and her company Rockon Divas is running a natural fertility retreat at the end of this month in Essex. Gloria explains the work she does in this episode and has very generously given a discount on the few remaining places.

If you'd like to visit her retreat on 28th -29th April 2016 in Essex, click on this link and it will take you through to the discount available. I'd love to hear from you if you go, so please email me and tell me natalie@thefertilitypodcast.com

Follow @FertilityROi

Follow Gloria on Twitter @gloriahfhf. You can also join her Facebook group 

You will be hearing from Hemlata Thackare, Consultant Gynaecologist and Fertility Specialist, Jeanette MacKenzie, Senior embryologist and lab manager and Louise Mitchell, Deputy Nurse Manager.

If you don't know anything about me - I'm Natalie and I host The Fertility Podcast which I created in September 2014, once pregnant with my first child having had fertility treatment. I'm not an expert in fertility  - my background is in radio (hence making podcasts) so I've combined my life experience with my work experience to put a voice out there for infertility issues.

Finding out you need to have fertility treatment is massive, it's overwhelming. So when it comes to choosing a clinic it can feel like another stress, will it be the best place for you. Of course, you can look at the HFEA website for success rates  - that's what we did. If there had been a podcast about the different clinics when I was choosing I would have definitely listened to it. The world of fertility is fascinating and the people in it are truly remarkable and I hope you find my chats with these experts as interesting as I did.

Follow LWC Wales on Twitter

It's true what they say about the impact babies have in our lives.

Everyone has the right to be a mother... https://t.co/QSA6LOHQDN

— LondonWomensClinic (@LWCWales) April 12, 2016

I've had a few conversations with some of my single girlfriends about this. The general feeling is that it's expensive. However, if you have the money why not make sure you have no regrets if you're worried about your fertile age. I've featured it on this podcast before in a chat I had with Tracy Sainsbury from The London Women's clinic about her work as an IVF counselor and the advice she has for women wishing to freeze their eggs. Tracey is also involved in an event happening in London next week (24th January 2017)

To find out more about Jenni's and her work visit her website 

Follow Jenni on Twitter

I'm thrilled to share that #Chill won Silver at the 2016 Spotlight #Documentary Film Awards! https://t.co/9P1z77P7dn #sweet #womeninfilm

— Jennifer Frappier (@chilljenni) December 24, 2016

I also caught up with Susan Seenan, CEO of Fertility Network UK  which is the newly rebranded Infertility Network UK and you can hear all about what's in store for the new site which will be launching for this year's National Fertility Awareness Week 2o16. Do have a listen to some of my previous chats with Susan about the incredible work she does. Susan talked about the #Hidden Faces campaign that Fertility Network has been running, asking people who have been through treatment to share their pictures so you and I can see more people just like us... normal people affected by something no one could have predicted.

I also talk to her about the #fertilityin5 trend on Twitter which asks anyone going through any infertility issues whether present or past to share how they are feeling in 5 words. Do get involved.

To find out more about The Fertility Show and get tickets to click here  and to follow on Twitter and to see the new website from Fertility Network UK just keep an eye on their soon to be relaunched website 

New definition of infertility means single men will get the right to start a family https://t.co/NOgAjBRFmB

— The Fertility Show (@fertilityshow) October 20, 2016

I've been out and about a lot visiting clinics and having meetings for the podcast. Yesterday, however, we had a day out to the Dunstable Downs kite festival. Now, you wouldn't think by looking at the sky in the picture at the top, that it was taken on 31st July! It was a pretty cloudy day, but I also don't think I've got the hang of my new camera app either. Still, I wanted to share this snap from a kite festival as my husband and I was somewhat amused to see a line of sperm flying high in the sky.

So, how are you? I hope my post finds you well as we enter midsummer in the UK and await another heatwave. The last one happened whilst I was out of the country of course! This episode of my podcast is just to update you on what's going on in the podcast and hopefully get you in the mood to get in touch.

I've been having some exciting chats with folk I met at Fertility Fest as well as chatting with the HFEA to keep my podcast growing and I'm asking for your support too.

Over the next month, I'm really aiming to engage more with you, my lovely listener. If you follow me on Twitter, do say Hi, if you'd like to sign up for my newsletter just leave your details in the box below and I PROMISE to start getting better at keeping in touch.

My podcast is for you, to help, in what is one of the most testing times of your life

I hope it does.

Bye for now

Natalie x

If you'd like to follow me on Twitter @fertilitypoddy

Just had a very interesting chat @HFEA about their new website #watchthisspace pic.twitter.com/g3aYW8fuaS

— thefertilitypodcast (@fertilitypoddy) July 14, 2016

I've been out and about a lot visiting clinics and having meetings for the podcast. Yesterday, however, we had a day out to the Dunstable Downs kite festival. Now, you wouldn't think by looking at the sky in the picture at the top, that it was taken on 31st July! It was a pretty cloudy day, but I also don't think I've got the hang of my new camera app either. Still, I wanted to share this snap from a kite festival as my husband and I was somewhat amused to see a line of sperm flying high in the sky.

So, how are you? I hope my post finds you well as we enter midsummer in the UK and await another heatwave. The last one happened whilst I was out of the country of course! This episode of my podcast is just to update you on what's going on in the podcast and hopefully get you in the mood to get in touch.

I've been having some exciting chats with folk I met at Fertility Fest as well as chatting with the HFEA to keep my podcast growing and I'm asking for your support too.

Over the next month, I'm really aiming to engage more with you, my lovely listener. If you follow me on Twitter, do say Hi, if you'd like to sign up for my newsletter just leave your details in the box below and I PROMISE to start getting better at keeping in touch.

My podcast is for you, to help, in what is one of the most testing times of your life

I hope it does.

Bye for now

Natalie x

If you'd like to follow me on Twitter @fertilitypoddy

Just had a very interesting chat @HFEA about their new website #watchthisspace pic.twitter.com/g3aYW8fuaS

— thefertilitypodcast (@fertilitypoddy) July 14, 2016

Items you'll learn in this podcast: 

• What does Louise think it would be like for the first IVF baby today?
• Whether she feels it is important to tell you, baby, how they were made?
• That she was 'really wanted' so it didn't matter she was conceived using IVF
•  The parties she's been to and had thrown especially for her 30th in Brazil
• The effects of Louise and her Mum's visit to Bulgaria on IVF funding
• How much information her Mum keep to help make the book

Follow Louise on Twitter

Today is the day of my book signing! Head down to @mshedbristol for 2pm today to meet me & grab your signed copy of my book!

— Louise Brown (@LouiseJoyBrown) October 17, 2015

You can watch more of the Hidden Faces campaign here  and follow Fertility Network on Twitter  and you can follow Anya here 

Wonderful film to mark #AdoptionSunday https://t.co/rjL0Iiatfc

— anyasizer (@anyasizer) November 6, 2016

"My name is Tasha Bishop, I am 19 years old... nearly four years ago, when I was sixteen, I was sat in a white sterile room, awaiting an ultrasound scan. Many, MANY doctor's appointments, tears, and statements like "I bet there's nothing wrong with you, you're probably just a late bloomer" lead me to this point. I am finally about to find out why I have never had a period in my whole life. Countless people tried to convince me from the age of 12 that there was nothing wrong, and up until now, I'd just sort of gone along with it to appease people. But something in my 16-year-old psyche was screaming THIS IS WRONG. An hour and a big smear of cold blue gel later, a taut and stern-faced female doctor looks at me, puzzled. Holding up two ultrasound images of the lower abdomen area, she shows me a normal one, and mine; a seemingly abnormal one. Using the end of her chewed black biro she traces the indigo fuzz and tries to point out a pattern. Mum and I clearly look completely disillusioned because she all of sudden and very brashly announces "there's nothing there" whilst pointing to my scan...

My mutation so to speak didn't make me feel special, or unique. I felt indescribably disgusting.  I was unable to do the two things my body was biologically created to do: have sex and recreate. I felt unwomanly and unworthy. I felt like I was grieving the loss of someone or something I'd never known, and I felt like nothing else really mattered much anymore; there was this irrecoverable piece of my body missing and I couldn't even see the hole. There were days that summer, and many days after when all I wanted was to curl up into a ball under my duvet and let my seemingly genderless, infertile body fester in sadness. Although my friends and family were, and still are, incredibly supportive, nothing any of them said could dull the pain I felt or make me feel normal. People say you fall in love when you least expect it, so if you're trying to prove the rule, I'd be a good example to use. Fast forward one pretty miserable year and along came my current boyfriend, who to me was like early mornings and moonshine.....

I have realized throughout this process that becoming a woman doesn't happen overnight, no matter who you are: if in your mind you are born a girl, you will grow to be a woman through experience; it is not a biological process, it is not losing your virginity, it is not putting on a pair of empowering and beautiful pants (although it is a pretty good place to start!), nor is it one that can be calculated or defined: it is a staggeringly gorgeous uphill battle from chaos toward a balanced state of contentment, self-belief, self-love, and empowerment. A battle that cannot be won unless women work together, build each other up,...]]>I found Tasha Bishop on Twitter, or maybe she found me. However it happened, Tasha is one determined young woman. Eloquent, entrepreneurial, and clearly prepared for anything life throws at her. Whilst I continue on my journey speaking to those whose route to parenthood hasn't been as straightforward as planned I'm still amazed at how complicated it can be to have a child.. from birth defects to issues still yet to be understood. Tasha, as you will hear in our chat was born with Mayer-Rokitansky-Kuster-Hauser syndrome in simple terms this means born without a womb but you can read the explanation above and listen to how Tasha explains more.  When I first was in touch with Tasha, I asked her to email me with more info about her story and I wanted to include some of it here. As you'll hear in our chat, she is studying English Literature and I just loved how she wrote to me. It was a lengthy email so I have paraphrased it but spend the time to read this and ask yourself if you were this composed at 19... I know I bloody wasn't!

"My name is Tasha Bishop, I am 19 years old... nearly four years ago, when I was sixteen, I was sat in a white sterile room, awaiting an ultrasound scan. Many, MANY doctor's appointments, tears, and statements like "I bet there's nothing wrong with you, you're probably just a late bloomer" lead me to this point. I am finally about to find out why I have never had a period in my whole life. Countless people tried to convince me from the age of 12 that there was nothing wrong, and up until now, I'd just sort of gone along with it to appease people. But something in my 16-year-old psyche was screaming THIS IS WRONG. An hour and a big smear of cold blue gel later, a taut and stern-faced female doctor looks at me, puzzled. Holding up two ultrasound images of the lower abdomen area, she shows me a normal one, and mine; a seemingly abnormal one. Using the end of her chewed black biro she traces the indigo fuzz and tries to point out a pattern. Mum and I clearly look completely disillusioned because she all of sudden and very brashly announces "there's nothing there" whilst pointing to my scan...

My mutation so to speak didn't make me feel special, or unique. I felt indescribably disgusting.  I was unable to do the two things my body was biologically created to do: have sex and recreate. I felt unwomanly and unworthy. I felt like I was grieving the loss of someone or something I'd never known, and I felt like nothing else really mattered much anymore; there was this irrecoverable piece of my body missing and I couldn't even see the hole. There were days that summer, and many days after when all I wanted was to curl up into a ball under my duvet and let my seemingly genderless, infertile body fester in sadness. Although my friends and family were, and still are, incredibly supportive, nothing any of them said could dull the pain I felt or make me feel normal. People say you fall in love when you least expect it, so if you're trying to prove the rule, I'd be a good example to use. Fast forward one pretty miserable year and along came my current boyfriend, who to me was like early mornings and moonshine.....

I have realized throughout this process that becoming a woman doesn't happen overnight, no matter who you are: if in your mind you are born a girl, you will grow to be a woman through experience; it is not a biological process, it is not losing your virginity, it is not putting on a pair of empowering and beautiful pants (although it is a pretty good place to start!), nor is it one that can be calculated or defined: it is a staggeringly gorgeous uphill battle from chaos toward a balanced state of contentment, self-belief, self-love, and empowerment. A battle that cannot be won unless women work together, build each other up, and celebrate each other's uniqueness.   

Watch this space with Tasha, as I am sure her project is gonna be a smash in 2017. I'm hoping to do more with her later in the year so I'll keep you posted.

You can visit The Pants Project and follow Tasha on Twitter here 

Completely and utterly speechless. Not only have I never ever ever seen anyone wear a pair of… https://t.co/UO0HPSslf3

— The Pants Project (@thepantsproject) December 27, 2016

Also have a listen to one of my previous podcast episodes when I visited Boston Place clinic in Marylebone, London. Dr. Anna Carby explains how she works with women who have Rokitansky syndrome