Infertility and Us

Nina deals with structural infertility due to a uterine defect and an unexpected surgery at the age of 24. Two rounds of IVF over 18 months eventually resulted in a real life baby. In this episode, Nina candidly talks about the personal implications of having a reproductive defect, the impact infertility and later motherhood has had on her sense of identity, the financial and emotional costs of IVF and how we should be talking about infertility in an ideal world.

Bilge and Valerie came together to work on one common goal: to shatter the stigma surrounding (in)fertility and to build a brave and supportive community.  In this special episode, Bilge talks about how she met Valerie the night she gave her taboo-breaking Tedx talk: Coming out of the Fertility Closet, and Valerie bravely walks us through the process of social freezing — freezing her eggs on her own terms. Together, they share how their company, The Tiny Pea, is providing practical information and tools for men and women’s reproductive health. Learn more and join the waitlist for their Fertility Workbook here: www.thetinypea.com .

Will and his wife Kate have been on their IVF journey for 2+ years after Kate was diagnosed as being a carrier for Fragile X. Will speaks openly about his role in their fertility journey, confronting social anxiety and envy of not being on the same path as his friends, navigating the constant stop and go of the IVF process and the importance of asking for help.

My friend Kate was diagnosed as a carrier of Fragile X when she was 23 years old. At the time, her geneticist said it was nothing to be concerned about, and to get in touch when she wanted to start a family. In 2020, Kate and her husband Will started their fertility journey, and are still in the messy middle of it. Kate talks with great warmth and poise about the consequences of her diagnosis, the highs and lows of IVF treatments and what helps her get through the lows (hint: bring ice cream!).

In this episode, Megan shines a light on the topic of choosing to be child-free, starting with how a childhood accident shaped her thoughts about motherhood, making it easier to picture a life without children. We explore the importance of being happy in yourself above all else, the benefits and challenges of being child-free, choosing your “people” - even your Golden Girls - and breaking the stigma around being child-free by choice.

Imagine being diagnosed with stage IV endometriosis and blocked fallopian tubes just 3 weeks before your wedding. This is exactly what happened to Katrin, who wanted to have kids from an early age. In this episode, she shares how her world was flipped on its head in the space of a day, how she shared her diagnosis at work and how they supported her, and everything that she’s learned on this journey. Katrin is now a mom to 2.5 year old James, who was conceived through IVF.

Basia is a happy mom and totally in love with her 4 year old sunshine boy. When she and her husband decided to have kids, they knew they would like to have more than one. The first one came easily, the second is a different story. Basia talks about the longing that accompanies her in motherhood and hoping for a second child, and her path to acceptance. She also gives helpful insights into how to communicate with someone who’s trying to conceive.

Joke prioritised her career and other adventures over starting a family, until she met her ex-wife and embraced the idea of starting a family. When they divorced, Joke decided to try to become a single mom by choice (SMBC) instead. Five years and many struggles later, her fertility journey sadly ended without a baby. In this episode, Joke talks about grief, how she decided to try to become a SMBC, emotional burnout and how to move on and try to live with the trauma of infertility and being childless, not by choice.

Büsra is an ambitious woman who never wanted to have kids, until she met her husband. When trying to conceive “just wouldn’t work”, their lives changed. Navigating loneliness, family expectations, reduced intimacy, and feelings of being “incomplete” are some of the challenges Büsra has faced. Now, she and her husband have a beautiful little daughter, but the scars remain. Listen to the end for Büsra's message to others feeling lonely on their fertility journey.

Welcome to the first episode of Infertility and Us with Ella Stadler-Stuart. In this short episode, Ella shares her personal infertility journey, from the moment she met her husband in a green fairy dress to deciding to start a family, and their two-year struggle with unexplained infertility. Ella also talks about what's helped her on this emotional rollercoaster and how you can support others dealing with infertility.