Chief Exec of Hockey Wales Ria Burrage-Male and sports/business consultant Fern Burrage-Male chat to me about their rollercoaster of an IVF journey and explain how using a sperm donor works.  A really revealing conversation and something I knew little about, so I hope I have asked all the questions anyone listening might want to know! Ria & Fern speak openly about the challenges of a donor and what it's like now being mums to their gorgeous little boy.  Their journey had many ups and downs - losses and failures - it's incredibly relatable and they have some really good advice for coping with infertility and IVF as well.  

Including whether or not we should all be eating pineapple, this week we bust some nutrition myths with The Positive Birth Company, who you may have seen on Dragon's Den. It's a bit of a departure from my celebrity chats this series.  As a company, they started out pioneering for positive birth experiences - as the name suggests - but they have now ventured into helping people  who are embarking on a journey to try to conceive.  As part of a pack which they have created, specialists help with everything from mental health and nutrition to the effect on our sex lives and relationships.  On the podcast I'm chatting to founder Siobhan Miller and nutritionist Katherine Kimber - a 'non-diet' dietician.

Former Good Morning Britain weather presenter, now with Channel 5 - Clare Nasir - talks to me about struggling for years with large 'alien' fibroids - one the size of rugby ball'.  Operations consumed her 30s followed by a harrowing IVF journey with her husband BBC DJ Chris Hawkins.  

I found talking to Clare really insightful & inspirational as she - like me - spent a very long time consumed by fertility issues.  She talks to me here candidly about how that affected her and how she coped with presenting daily network breakfast TV on GMB daily alongside IVF - plus she explains how she came very close to losing Sienna.  

Most importantly though,  her and her husband Chris - are just thriving - living life to the full with their daughter.

For the second episode, it's Baby Loss Awareness Week, and an emotional conversation with Jess Hayes - Love Island winner and fashion and beauty influencer.  Please be aware this contains sensitive subject matter which might be a difficult depending on your own situation.   Whilst Jess believes it’s really important to speak about this to help others and open up the conversation - it is, of course, not easy to talk about personal trauma either.  Thank you to Jessica for having the courage and strength to have this chat.  She lost her baby Teddy at 19 weeks of pregnancy in November last year.  She is an ambassador for the Saying Goodbye Charity and - as you’ll hear - she’s dedicated to changing the way we think and talk about baby loss and the way society deals with it.  Please contact the charity yourself if you feel you need help.

In this episode, newscaster and podcaster Andrea Byrne looks at alternative ways to help and support a fertility journey using practices such as  reflexology, yoga and acupuncture.  How is the mind and body connected and how can we approach treatment holistically to help our whole being.  Many of you will be familiar with the medicalised route of injections, egg collection and, hopefully, transfers.  In this session we look at alternatives to traditional IVF treatment such as reproductive reflexology and we look at possible holistic ways to support your treatment and 'de-stress' with yoga, breathing, meditation, reflexology or acupuncture.  Andrea is joined by Diana Brook from Diana Brook Yoga and Chrissie Bonner from The Reflexology Studio.  Alice Matthews also joins the conversation from Fertility Network UK to provide an impartial overview.

This episode is poignant to me because it’s something we looked into.  There are all sorts of reasons couples look at surrogacy and there are also different types of surrogacy.  And this will all be explained! I’ll be chatting to Natalie Gamble from NGA Law who will talk us through the details and legalities of surrogacy arrangements in this country and abroad, Stephen Ashe who is client manager for those who are hoping to find a surrogate to have a baby - who you will hear a lot called intended parents - and he works for the non-profit service Brilliant Beginnings. Other services are available including Surrogacy UK and COTS.  I should say Stephen and his partner started their family with a surrogate, so he really does have first-hand knowledge.  And I’m delighted to say joining the conversation Teresa Cootes - a surrogate mum herself.  So all angles covered here today!