Raine is from a rural/remote property outside of Katherine in the Northern Territory. She has been on a long pre-conception journey, navigating the world of fertility treatments and IVF specialists for many years. She is now in the third trimester of her pregnancy, having relocated to birth, and is expecting to give birth any day/week now. In this interview she shares her heartaches and the mental load she carried on this journey. She goes into detail about treatments and the different tests she has had. Raine shares how she has transitioned practitioners moving from Darwin to the Gold Coast to Melbourne to have her and her partners fertility care needs met. She generously opens up about the array of different avenues she has been down, on this journey towards conception, and reminds us that transitioning care providers can open up new pathways. Raine really appreciated the services and expertise of her IVF specialist on the Gold Coast as they always explored new alternatives and looked into the many reasons for conception struggles. She offers advice for both people moving through their own fertility journey and the support people who walk alongside them.

This episode includes discussion of a variety of IVF treatments, embryo transfer, endometriosis, miscarriage and surrogacy. Raine’s rural perspective is invaluable and we hope that listening to her story helps other people.  

Connect with Raine on Instagram @barren_old_cow

Online antenatal/birth/breastfeeding/postpartum classes discussed are by ‘B’ from  @coreandfloorrestore . They can be viewed on her facebook page or website blog https://coreandfloor.com.au/blog/