Clean out your ears as you're in for a treat. Over the coming weeks, as we will the British Summer to impress us, we're going to be sharing with you right here on The Fertility Podcast feed, The F Word at Work episodes, which is the podcast created by Fertility Matters at Work and its what has kept Natalie busy for the last 18 months and why Kate has been at the helm of The Fertility Podcast.

Hopefully it will be useful for you if you've been trying to find the words to talk about what you are going through at work, as there's lots of examples of how support has been implemented and even if you share it with some colleagues so they get a better understanding of what you are going through, that will in itself make a difference.

Be sure to subscribe if you've not already, so you don't miss anything and you can also follow The F Word wherever you get your apps and also follow Fertility Matters at Work on insta to stay up to date on all the amazing work it is doing to raise awareness of fertility issues in the workplace.

In what is the last episode of this series, Kate is joined by the podcast’s editor, Ella to ask some quick-fire fertility questions.

This episode packs a variety of information, from male factor infertility, ovulation induction medication, irregular periods and what this might mean for you to what to consider when choosing your fertility clinic. Ella asks a range of different questions about topics that may peak your interest.

Kate and Ella also talk about advocating for yourself and having the confidence to do so. They also discuss the education of fertility in schools, and Kate explains how she believes that students should be taught about other fertility issues and not just how to avoid getting pregnant, which can often be the subject of most sex-ed lessons. Things like the menstrual cycle and what may affect your fertility for both females and males.

So settle down, grab a notepad, and get ready for an adventure through fertility topics as Ella racks Kate’s brain for answers!

Thank you for listening to this series of the podcast, see you in September!

SPONSORS

We are delighted that this episode is sponsored by two friends of the podcast - One Day Tests and @budfertility. One Day Tests is your one stop shop for ‘at home’ fertility blood tests and more. The lovely people at One Day Tests are offering The Fertility Podcast listeners 10% discount with TFP10. Bud make super male and female fertility supplements which we absolutely LOVE. You can use the code FP20 for a 20% discount off your order.

Socials:

Follow @YourFertilityNurse on Instagram

Follow @TheFertilityPodcast on Instagram

Follow Natalie Silverman she / her (@fertilitypoddy) • Instagram photos and videos on Instagram

Just a little trigger warning, this episode mentions miscarriage and pregnancy loss. If today is a day you’re not feeling too strong, perhaps leave this episode for another day. We have a HUGE back catalog to dive into, so there may be something else you fancy instead.

This episode of The Fertility Podcast, Kate is joined by Louise to talk about her fertility journey and her experiences with unexplained infertility AND all about the anxiety (scanxiety) you feel when you find out you're pregnant and you’re waiting for a scan.

Louise’s fertility journey started back in 2020 when she came off the pill to start trying to conceive. After several months of trying without success and with one chemical pregnancy, Louise went to the doctors and was eventually told that they had unexplained infertility. Louise and her husband were referred to the NHS for IVF, sadly experiencing a miscarriage during this time. Happily, Louise and her husband conceived using her last embryo.

Louise shares her experience of waiting until 8 weeks for her first scan and being convinced that, until she could see the baby on the scan, that she had had a missed miscarriage. Luckily for Louise and her husband, this experience of her scan was really positive and ended on a high. However Louise did find that her 12 week scan was a very different experience, which caused anxiety for Louise and her husband.

Louise and Kate talk about Sonographers and the delivery of bad news to patients during a pregnancy scan. They talk about how the Pregnancy Loss Review identified that Sonographers do not receive adequate training in the delivery of bad news. Many sonographers are caring and supportive, but some may not feel equipped with the training to deliver bad news and this needs to change.

SPONSORS

We are delighted that this episode is sponsored by a friend of the podcast - @onedaytests. One Day Tests is your one stop shop for ‘at home’ fertility blood tests and more.

Socials:

Follow @YourFertilityNurse on Instagram

Follow @TheFertilityPodcast on Instagram

You can find Louise on Instagram at Odd Ones Out (@oddonesout2023) • Instagram photos and videos

Pregnancy loss review - https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/pregnancy-loss-review

This week Kate is joined by Clinical Embryologist Victoria Wigley a.k.a @allaboutembryology, to take you on a whirlwind of an episode on, what is quite a confusing topic, Pre-implantation Genetic Testing for Aneuploidy (PGT-A).

PGT-A was first used for those who had a family history of a condition, such as cystic fibrosis. PGT-A takes a look at the chromosomes that are in the cells of the embryo. Since we all have a set amount, PGT-A makes sure that there are no aneuploidies, or in other words - an abnormal amount of chromosomes.

Victoria talks about why clinics started using PGT-A testing and she goes into detail on what’s involved with this testing and how it is done.

Kate and Victoria discuss the HFEA grading system, which currently grades PGT-A testing as ‘red’, meaning that ‘there are potential safety concerns and/or, on balance, the findings from moderate/high quality evidence shows that PGT-A testing may reduce treatment effectiveness’.

Victoria also discusses her concerns that patients are being offered PGT-A when they do not need it. Victoria tells Kate how she believes that all patients should know everything about what they are being offered, including the risks and hidden costs. She goes on to explain how many of her patients struggle to find the confidence to say ‘no’ to their clinics, when being offered treatment that they don’t necessarily think they need.

Lastly, Victoria and Kate talk about the cost of PGT-A, what you need to consider and managing patients expectations.

We are delighted that this episode is sponsored by a friend of the podcast - @onedaytests. One Day Tests is your one stop shop for ‘at home’ fertility blood tests and more.

SOCIALS

You can find Victoria on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok at All about Embryology (@allaboutembryology) • Instagram photos and videos

And you check out her website Home | All About Embryology | Independent Advice and Support | UK

You can also listen back to a previous episode of the podcast all about the darker side of fertility treatments here - Navigating Private IVF & The Darker Side Of Fertility "Treatments" (thefertilitypodcast.com)

This week’s episode of The Fertility Podcast, Kate is joined by the Grammy nominated singer, songwriter, and producer, Nelly Joy @nellyjoymusic to talk about her experience of pregnancy loss. The Fertility Podcast is honored to be sharing Nelly’s story, as this is the first time that she is openly talking about her experiences. Thank you Nelly.

As a result of her experiences, Nelly has written a breathtakingly beautiful song and we have a sample for you to hear in this episode. Nelly’s song, ‘Baby Showers’ was written after she’d organised a Baby Shower for a friend. On the way home from the Baby Shower, Nelly felt overwhelmed with emotion for her loss, and found herself crying ‘baby showers’. Baby Showers was released on the 7th June and you’ll find it ready to stream.

Nelly starts by explaining that and after numerous trips to her doctor with heavy and painful periods, and being told it’s normal to experience painful periods (note from Kate - It’s not!), she was eventually diagnosed with endometriosis. She talks about how women are often dismissed and gaslighted and the importance of being persistent and pushing for a diagnosis when you know something is not quite right.

After her diagnosis, Nelly then had surgery which changed her life for the better. Nelly talks about the relief that she had from the surgery and how it helped her with the pain she was experiencing.

In 2017, Nelly unfortunately lost a third of her left ovary, and this started to make her think about how this might affect her fertility. In 2020 Nelly and her husband started to try to conceive. A year later, after trying naturally unsuccessfully, Nelly and her husband turned to IVF.

Nelly tells Kate that after her first two round of IVF were unsuccessful, the couple decided to try naturally again, and in October of 2023, Nelly fell pregnant. However, after 7 weeks, her pregnancy sadly resulted in an ectopic pregnancy and the loss of one of her fallopian tubes.

Nelly has not given up and is continuing to try to conceive naturally. Nelly strongly believes that the stigma surrounding fertility needs to change and people need to start talking more, and this is one of the reasons Nelly wrote ‘Baby Showers’ as a way of breaking down taboos and to get people talking. We hope you enjoy listening to Nelly’s beautiful track. I’m sure many of you will relate…….

Thank you so much to Nelly for sharing this with us.

You can now stream the song here! Baby Showers by Nelly Joy (empi.re)

We are delighted that this episode is sponsored by two friends of the podcast - One Day Tests One Day Tests is your one stop shop for ‘at home’ fertility blood tests and more. The lovely people at One Day Tests are offering The Fertility Podcast listeners 10% discount with TFP10.

SOCIALS:

Follow @YourFertilityNurse on Instagram

Follow @TheFertilityPodcast on Instagram

Follow Nelly Joy (@nellyjoymusic) • Instagram photos and videos on Instagram

In this week’s episode of The Fertility Podcast, Kate is joined by the Ro Huntriss - fertility dietitian to answer some quick fire nutrition FAQ’s. Ro shares lots of interesting evidence based facts and little tips. So buckle up for a speedy episode and don’t forget to grab a note pad!

During this episode, Ro and Kate cover topics such as whether you should stop drinking alcohol when trying to conceive, and if diet can help to improve sperm DNA fragmentation. Ro breaks down some myths and drops in little pieces of advice and information on how to optimise your fertility through diet and good nutrition.

One of the big questions was, whether the craze of having a Big Mac and Fries after IVF, is a good idea or not and is there really a best way to eat when TTC? Tune in to listen to Ro’s answer on these and many more fertility nutrition questions.

We are delighted that this episode is sponsored by two friends of the podcast - @onedaytests and @budfertility. One Day Tests is your one stop shop for ‘at home’ fertility blood tests and more. The lovely people at One Day Tests are offering The Fertility Podcast listeners 10% discount with TFP10. Bud make a Vitamin D which we absolutely LOVE. You can use the code FP20 for a 20% discount off your order.

Socials:

Follow @YourFertilityNurse on Instagram

Follow @TheFertilityPodcast on Instagram

Follow @fertility.dietition.UK on Instagram

Ro’s book - Deliciously healthy fertility is available on Amazon

*Just a little trigger warning for this episode as there are mentions of termination for medical reasons and pregnancy loss, so if you aren’t feeling in the right place today, perhaps come back another day when you feel a little bit stronger. But don’t forget that The Fertility Podcast has plenty of back catalog for you to listen to!

On today’s episode, Kate is joined by Anita who is a fertility and pre-natal dietitian. Anita is here to talk about her making the difficult decision to end her pregnancy for medical reasons. This is called Termination for Medical Reasons or TFMR for short.

In the beginning of the episode, Anita talks about how her and her partner wanted to start trying to conceive back in 2019. After trying naturally for sometime, Anita and her husband embarked on IVF. After many rounds of IVF the couple were at at last successful and were overjoyed.

Anita shares that at her 20 week scan, the hospital staff started checking the scans and whispering to each other. This started to cause Anita concern and she just knew that something wasn't right. After a few weeks and scans later, Anita and her husband then received the information they were dreading. They knew that they had a difficult decision to make.........

Anita tells Kate in the few weeks that followed and due to the uncertainty that her pregnancy could continue, she felt the need to hide her pregnancy from her family and friends. Anita talks about how she felt receiving the diagnosis and making the heartbreaking decision to end her pregnancy. She explains that she would rather take the pain of losing her son herself, rather than Alexander, as they chose to name him, not being able to live a life. And as someone beautifully put, it wasn’t his time yet.

However, Anita's story has a happy ending. She and her husband now have their beautiful little boy, Oliver, Alexander’s little brother. Anita’s story is a rollercoaster of ups and downs, but she has proven there is always a rainbow after a storm.

We are delighted that this episode is sponsored by two friends of the podcast - One Day Tests. One Day Tests is your one stop shop for ‘at home’ fertility blood tests and more. The lovely people at One Day Tests are offering The Fertility Podcast listeners 10% discount with TFP10.

Socials

Follow @YourFertilityNurse on Instagram

Follow @TheFertilityPodcast on Instagram

Find Anita - Fertility✨IVF✨PCOS✨Diabetes (@fertility.hormone.dietitian) • Instagram photos and videos on Instagram

Find Anita also Diabetes:T1,T2,GDM| Fertility (@anitab_rd) • Instagram photos and videos here on Instagram

Fertility and Weight loss study - https://plymouth.onlinesurveys.ac.uk/2024wlm

*Just a little trigger warning, this episode mentions miscarriage and ectopic pregnancy. If today is a day you’re not feeling too strong, perhaps leave this episode for another day. We have a HUGE back catalog to dive into, so there may be something else you fancy instead. *

Joining Kate on The Fertility Podcast this week is Jade. In this episode, Jade talks about her traumatic and life-changing experiences with ectopic pregnancy. For those who don’t know, an ectopic pregnancy is a pregnancy that is outside of the uterus. Unfortunately, an ectopic pregnancy isn’t viable and is not able to continue.

Jade’s story begins back in January 2022, when she first became pregnant. Unfortunately, this first pregnancy ended in a miscarriage. Later on, Jade fell pregnant again, however, this time, it was an ectopic pregnancy. Ectopic pregnancies can cause pain and in some circumstances, bleeding, however, Jade didn’t have any symptoms. It wasn’t until after a few trips to the doctor, that she was told she had an ectopic pregnancy.

Jade eventually had surgery to remove the ectopic pregnancy. She was advised by her doctor that she had an increased risk of having another ectopic, and unfortunately, this happened to Jade again in 2023. However, this time around, Jade knew something was wrong. Jade talks about how hard it was to advocate for herself. Regrettably, this pregnancy ruptured her fallopian tube. An ectopic pregnancy is a serious medical condition which can become a medical emergency.

Jade talks about how her experiences have left both her and her body scarred. She explains she is scared to get pregnant and risk going through it all again. However Jade is a fabulous example of the importance of being your own fertility advocate and being persistent if you think something is wrong. In Jade’s words “We do always have more strength than we think we have”.

We are delighted that this episode is sponsored by two friends of the podcast - One Day Tests and Bud Nutrtion. One Day Tests is your one stop shop for ‘at home’ fertility blood tests and more. The lovely people at One Day Tests are offering The Fertility Podcast listeners 10% discount with TFP10.

Socials

Follow @YourFertilityNurse on Instagram

Follow @TheFertilityPodcast on Instagram

Find The Ectopic Pregnancy Trust - Support For You And Your Loved Ones for more information

Find Request a baby loss certificate - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Find The Premature Menocast podcast

Read Endometriosis time to diagnosis report