Finally Pregnant

We’re here at the final episode of this season of the Finally Pregnant Podcast! Thank you for being here, I truly hope you are enjoying the episode and conversations. Please do head over and drop me a review if you can and also feel free to email me with any feedback, guest suggestions etc too. I’m all ears!

If you follow me on insta you’ll know that we did finally make it on our hols! I share a little more about that in the episode and also mention my blog post on Toddler Travel Essentials. 

For this last episode I want to especially thank my sponsors TMRW Life Sciences. Not only because they have made this series possible but also because they introduced me to today’s guest - Elizabeth Carr, America’s very first IVF baby!! 

Elizabeth, who has been in the media since she was just 3 cells old, is a passionate advocate for those fighting for fertility rights and strives to educate and empower people based on her life experiences and expertise within the fertility world.

As I say in our chat, I know all babies are precious but I also know just how incredibly precious the babies that we have had to wait for and in some cases fight to get here are. Babies like my little Wren. Talking to one of those ‘babies’, having an idea of how much her parents went through to get her. Well, it was very special for me and I truly hope you enjoy the moment too!

If you are finally pregnant or parenting you can find out more about the support I offer at www.catstrawbridge.com/support.

Thank you again to sponsors TMRW Life Sciences. TMRW has created the world’s first and only automated platform for the safe management and care of the frozen eggs and embryos used in IVF. Find out more here.

Much love,

Cat x

@tryingyears @finallypregnant

Welcome to the penultimate episode of this series of the Finally Pregnant Podcast. Huge thanks to all who have shared their stories and to you for listening! If you have enjoyed the podcast and haven’t yet left a review, now is your chance! 

This week I’m joined by writer, presenter and brand consultant Pippa Vosper. 

During our conversation Pippa shares her heartbreaking story of losing her second son Axel, an IVF pregnancy, in her second trimester. Pippa and her partner went on to have multiple rounds of IVF and she finally gave birth to daughter Audrey in Spring 2019.

Pippa has done so much to raise awareness of babyloss and infertility, sharing her story in publications such as Vogue – where it was the most shared article. She has also recently brought together some heartbreaking and yet inspiring stories as part of her upcoming book Beyond Grief: Navigating the Journey of Pregnancy and Baby Loss, out August 2022.

Preorder Beyond Grief here

If you are finally pregnant or parenting you can find out more about the support I offer at www.catstrawbridge.com/support.

Thank you to sponsors TMRW Life Sciences. TMRW has created the world’s first and only automated platform for the safe management and care of the frozen eggs and embryos used in IVF. Find out more here.

Much love,

Cat x

@tryingyears @finallypregnant

Huge thanks to this week’s guest, Emma Belle. Emma is a podcast host and, among other things, she is an advocate for Bipolar UK, having been diagnosed with the condition 11 years ago. Whilst living and managing her condition Emma and her other half Gareth have spent the last few years ttc. As you’ll hear they have been through a lot including fertility treatment, a miscarriage and in 2021 they terminated a pregnancy for medical reasons, losing their daughter Willow. Emma has since created TFMR Mamas.

Find out more about Emma’s story by listening to the episode. 

If you are finally pregnant or parenting you can find out more about the support I offer at www.catstrawbridge.com/support.

Jump on a FREE call with me to find out more about the support I can offer!

Thank you to sponsors TMRW Life Sciences. TMRW has created the world’s first and only automated platform for the safe management and care of the frozen eggs and embryos used in IVF. Find out more here.

Much love,

Cat x

@tryingyears @finallypregnant

This week I'm joined by writer and reproductive health advocate Vanessa Haye 

Vanessa is also mum of 2 boys, the youngest being just 7 months old. Vanessa only shared she was finally pregnant after he was here safely, something she talks about during our chat. We also talk in detail about her experiences of having polycystic ovaries which seemingly went undiagnosed for years – something that it seems happens all too often!

As promised in the episode, please see lots of links below.

Huffington Post article about lack of finally pregnant care from fertility clinics

Below the Belt Film

VanessaHaye.com

Jay Shetty - Think Like a Monk

If you are finally pregnant or parenting you can find out more about the support I offer at www.catstrawbridge.com/support.

Thank you to sponsors TMRW Life Sciences. TMRW has created the world’s first and only automated platform for the safe management and care of the frozen eggs and embryos used in IVF. Find out more here.

Much love,

Cat x

@tryingyears @finallypregnant

Join me for today's episode where I hear from Lisa Penny aka Fertilityism. Lisa is a qualified nutrition coach who specialises in women's health and fertility. Through her own experiences, she has a deep understanding and knowledge of boosting fertility naturally with the foods to nourish our bodies and why. I have to say I love Lisa’s philosophy centres on nourishment from within – I’m all about that!!

Her work isn’t the reason we’re chatting though. Lisa, who is mum to 2 year old Milo, is finally pregnant following a natural loss and subsequent IVF treatment since having Milo. During this pregnancy, Lisa had an amniocentesis which is an invasive test you may be offered during pregnancy to check if your baby has a genetic or chromosomal condition. As you’ll hear this is something we explored when pregnant with Wren and when I was researching I couldn’t find too much about it so I’m really honoured that Lisa is sharing her story with us and I hope it helps you if you have or may experience this in the future, or simply because it’s good to know so you can understand and support others.

A couple of things I mentioned in the episode and promised to link to.

Wren's birthday presents

ASDA shop

8ft trampoline (affiliate link)

NIPT Testing

Episode explaining more about NIPT testing with Dr. Donna Fullerton, Consultant Clinical Scientist in charge of NIPT at Nottingham Universities Trust.

If you are finally pregnant or parenting you can find out more about the support I offer at www.catstrawbridge.com/support.

Thank you to sponsors TMRW Life Sciences. TMRW has created the world’s first and only automated platform for the safe management and care of the frozen eggs and embryos used in IVF. Find out more here.

Much love,

Cat x

@tryingyears @finallypregnant

Welcome to the latest epsiode of the Finally Pregnant Podcast where we hear from Mardochee who shares openly on her insta page @mermaidmaman that she is normalizing black women and infertility. Now finally pregnant, I’m honoured she has brought that conversation to the podcast. 

Recognising that it is Pride month – Mardochee is a gay woman married to her wife Yvette - I also want to link to one specific post which I mention in the episode. 

If any of the issues raised in our chat affect you please know that you are not alone. Please know that there are millions of people who want to change things and that if I can do anything to help progress that change I am here.

As promised in the episode please find the link to the recent Five X More report. Please do put some time aside to read through it and give them a follow too!

Huge thanks again to Mardochee for sharing her story with me. Please do go and give her a follow. Why not screenshot the episode whilst you’re listening, share it on your insta and tag us both right now!

If you are finally pregnant or parenting you can find out more about the support I offer at www.catstrawbridge.com/support.

Thank you to sponsors TMRW Life Sciences. TMRW has created the world’s first and only automated platform for the safe management and care of the frozen eggs and embryos used in IVF. Find out more here.

Much love,

Cat x

@tryingyears @finallypregnant

Seetal Savla @SavlaFaire and her husband have been trying to conceive for six years after a diminished ovarian reserve diagnosis. Having experienced a devastating miscarriage and four unsuccessful IVF cycles, Seetal got pregnant on their first donor egg IVF cycle, but sadly suffered a traumatic miscarriage at 9 weeks. 

Since Mother's Day 2019, Seetal has been documenting her ongoing journey on her blog www.savlafaire.com and in the media to raise awareness of infertility, destigmatise the subject – particularly among South Asian communities – and support others in similar situations.

Seetal and Neil are now pregnant again having conceived naturally which is absolutely wonderful news but even when you get pregnant naturally, as you’ll hear us discuss, you carry the grief, fear and anxiety of the journey with you throughout the pregnancy. In addition to what we cover in our chat Seetal also mentioned to me her fears around buying or receiving mat clothes, and baby paraphernalia and only feeling able to do it when it was absolutely necessary and I know that’s something I and many others will relate to too!

As discussed in this episode, please find Seetal's series with Ferring Pharamceuticals here.

You can also find the reports we discussed below.

Birth Rights

Five X More

It was the Five X More report that came out most recently (I said the opposite within the episode).

If you are finally pregnant or parenting you can find out more about the support I offer at www.catstrawbridge.com/support.

Thank you to sponsors TMRW Life Sciences. TMRW has created the world’s first and only automated platform for the safe management and care of the frozen eggs and embryos used in IVF. Find out more here.

Much love,

Cat x

@tryingyears @finallypregnant

Welcome to today’s episode of the Finally Pregnant Podcast, which is a fun and also serious chat with a childhood friend Amy. Amy is a 46 year old solo mum to be who has been through and made some tough decisions to get where she was when we spoke which was 14 weeks pregnant following loss and multiple rounds of IVF. Amy is currently pregnant following double donor IVF.

We cover a lot including a topic which, as you’ll hear me say, hasn’t come up on the podcast before and that is having previously had a termination or abortion. Now I know this can be a topic filled with opinion and passion but as always with everything discussed on this podcast I ask you to be respectful when discussing this – not just for Amy but for anyone who has been through this experience. As she says so eloquently in our conversation, this decision is never easy and comes with a lot of grief which is often – from the conversations I’ve had with others too – is brought to the fore when going through a ttc journey.

Some of the other topics that come up today are ones that I go into more detail in other episodes. Here are the links -

Severe pregnancy sickness

Bonding and attachment

If you are finally pregnant or parenting you can find out more about the support I offer at www.catstrawbridge.com/support.

Thank you to sponsors TMRW Life Sciences. TMRW has created the world’s first and only automated platform for the safe management and care of the frozen eggs and embryos used in IVF. Find out more here.

Much love,

Cat x

@tryingyears @finallypregnant

Hello and welcome to episode two of this series! Did you listen to last week’s chat with Amber? If you did and you enjoyed it why not drop me a rating and review right now whilst you’re listening! It would mean the world to me. 

Today’s guest is Shannon who shares all about the ups and downs of pregnancy after IVF. Her story particularly resonated with me because she was expecting twins but very sadly lost one of them early on in her pregnancy. 

Whatever your experience of being finally pregnant, finding the place where you belong and where you can share the challenges but also the celebrations is so important. As you’ll hear Shannon is working with a doula to help support her emotional needs but if you can’t stretch to that please know I run finally pregnant support groups as part of my Hang Out community which is just £9.99 a month. 

I also run finally pregnant yoga and pilates courses, at the start of which we have a check in so everyone can share how they are feeling. It really gives an opportunity for you to be and feel heard and to find people who you share common ground with. Don’t just take my word for it though, 

“I’m not sure if it’s just me but after being discharged from my clinic and told ‘it’s just like a normal pregnancy from here’ I couldn’t have felt less normal. The thought of no more appointments, check ins etc made me feel anxious. The space that Cat and Sim have created weekly has grounded me each Wednesday and put me in the same virtual room as ladies who understand. It’s such an open space and hearing from ladies who are just starting their pregnancy or who are near the end has been the best experience and full of so much love. To have a space where those of us who are ‘finally pregnant’ and can be there for each other in ways that other family and friends don’t really understand has been the perfect pregnancy accompaniment for me!”

Find out more about this and all the support I offer at www.catstrawbridge.com/support.

Thank you to sponsors TMRW Life Sciences. TMRW has created the world’s first and only automated platform for the safe management and care of the frozen eggs and embryos used in IVF. Find out more here.

Much love,

Cat x

@tryingyears @finallypregnant

Welcome to Series 6 of the Finally Pregnant Podcast!

Today’s guest is the wonderful Amber Izzo who is Pregnant after IVF. Amber is the host of Am I Ovary Acting Podcast. She was also the brains and the brawn behind the Fight for IVF campaign. 

When we spoke Amber was just over 14 weeks pregnant and she openly shares the ups and downs of what that time has been like. 

A couple of things Amber mentioned that I wanted to share links to here if you are feeling the same.

If, like Amber, you are a fan of affirmations, please do check out my Pregnancy Affirmation Cards created specifically for those who are finally pregnant. They also make a great gift!

We also discussed how difficult it can be to move from a fertility clinic to NHS maternity care. I did a survey on this a little while back and I know it’s something people struggle with as we just don’t know what happens next! When you join the Hang Out you’ll get access to a back catalogue of speakers including the infertile midwife Sophie who talks us through that NHS maternity pathway. Find out more and join here.

Click here for my Top 5 Strategies to Enjoy Your Pregnancy.

Find out more about the rest of the support I offer here.

If you enjoy the podcast please do take a moment to subscribe, rate and review it wherever you listen!

Thank you to sponsors TMRW Life Sciences. TMRW has created the world’s first and only automated platform for the safe management and care of the frozen eggs and embryos used in IVF. Find out more here.

Much love,

Cat x

Come and find me @tryingyears @finallypregnant