In this episode of The Fertility Podcast, we’re lifting the lid on Endometriosis what it is, what’s still misunderstood, and how change is (finally) coming.

You'll hear from Brianna Stayt an Endometriosis UK ambassador sharing her 20-year journey and incredible awareness raising events - Natalie was hosting the event and as well as chatting with Brianna, spoke with Professor Adnan Bunkheila, Endometriosis nurse Sam Robinson and her daughter Shannon. The episode is then a fascinating conversation with Professor Andrew Horne , leading Endometriosis researcher and the Director of the Centre for Reproductive Health at the University of Edinburgh.

• Why diagnosis takes years and how we can change that
• What endometriosis really is (and why "stages" don’t tell the full story)
• The wide range of symptoms: pain, fatigue, gut issues, fertility struggles
• How mental health, diet & acupuncture can support care see below links to research
• The realities and limitations of hysterectomy as a treatment
• The Endo1000 Project: using AI, smartwatches & patient diaries to revolutionize research
• Where to find help, support, and community

Whether you’re living with endometriosis or supporting someone who is, this episode is full of insight, hope, and real-world advice.

• Endometriosis UK
• Fertility Action –weekly support groups & free advocacy tools
• Endo1000 Project details
• The Guardian article about Andrew's paper:
• The paper: 

• DM me on Instagram: @fertilitypoddy
• Follow @fertilityaction for updates
• Email: [email protected]
• Hit subscribe so you never miss an episode

We're delighted to be partnering with Proceive this season. If you're trying to conceive, you’ll want to check them out. Their high-strength fertility supplements are designed for both men and women and are trusted by healthcare professionals.✨Get 20% off your order at www.proceive.com using the code FP20 at checkout.

Thanks for listening. I’ve got a really good feeling about this new chapter and I hope you’ll stick with me as we keep sharing stories, raising awareness, and doing what we can to support each other through this journey

In this moving conclusion to our poetry mini-series, Natalie and Stacey bring the final chapters of Stacy’s IVF journey to life through her stunning poems. If you’ve been walking this path or loving someone who is this episode is a powerful companion.

Stacey shares not just the pain and loss, but the moments of quiet courage and the slow emergence of hope. From letting go to holding on, from disbelief to the unspoken darkness, and finally to The Light.

• The Hopeless: Letting go, hitting emotional and physical limits, and facing a new reality.
• The Disbelief: Surrendering control, choosing silence for self-preservation, and the tentative reappearance of hope.
• The Unspoken Darkness: What no one tells you about after a successful IVF — fear, anxiety, and the struggle to feel joy again.
• The Light: Healing doesn’t mean forgetting. The journey shapes us — even when the darkness begins to fade.
• Navigating pregnancy after infertility — and the neuroses it brings
• Feeling robbed of joy even after good news — and why that’s okay
• Parenting one child and answering complex questions about family and origin
• Why the pain of infertility never fully disappears, but transforms over time
• How poetry became a powerful outlet — and how you can start writing, too

"The journey shaped me. It tested me. It broke us down. It built us up. It will never fully go away — but it feels distant now. Smaller. In the rearview mirror."

Also, check out the recommended podcast Finally Pregnant by Cat Strawbridge for more on pregnancy after infertility.

This episode includes discussion of IVF trauma, pregnancy loss, PTSD, and emotional distress during and after fertility treatment. Please take care when listening, and pause if it feels overwhelming.

If you’ve made it through this three-part series — thank you. Whether you're in the thick of your fertility journey or reflecting from the other side, this series is here to hold space for all the complexity, sorrow, strength, and transformation that this experience brings.

As Stacey says, "The light for everyone is going to look a little different — whether that’s a baby or peace."

You're not alone.

Stacy’s poems are now available in a self-published collection on Amazon here

Let’s Stay Connected 

💬 DM me on Instagram @fertilitypoddy 

🌐 Follow @fertilityaction for updates and support 

🖥 Check out their free weekly support groups and downloadable advocacy tools at fertilityaction.org 

📧 Got thoughts, feedback, or ideas for future episodes? Email me at [email protected] 

📱 Don’t forget to hit subscribe so we land in your feed each week 

A Word From Our Sponsor – Proceive 

We're delighted to be partnering with Proceive this season. If you're trying to conceive, you’ll want to check them out. Their high-strength fertility supplements are designed for both men and women and are trusted by healthcare professionals. 

✨ Get 20% off your order at www.proceive.com using the code FP20 at checkout. 

In this heartfelt episode, Natalie is speaking with Stacy, a listener who reached out to share a series of powerful, deeply personal poems written throughout her fertility experience. What began as a simple message turned into a beautiful collaboration and the start of a special three-part poetry mini-series as Natalie asked Stacy if she could record her poems and the pair talk them through - which is what you're going to hear across two episodes.

Stacy opens up about the emotional weight of infertility, the isolation she felt while navigating treatment, and how writing helped her process what words often couldn’t express. We explore the tension between staying silent and speaking out, and how she found her own balance between vulnerability and protection.

We also discuss:

• How her first poem, The Waiting Room, was born out of shared silence and communal pain and how seemingly simple questions like “How are you?” can become painfully complex
• The emotional symptoms of fertility trauma, and why it's okay to be both open and guarded
• The healing value of putting pen to paper and the power of being seen and heard
• Why poetry can provide a safe space for reflection, release, and connection
• The overwhelming pressure to "do things right" in the beginning from switching soaps to trying acupuncture and tea and the illusion of control many experience before receiving a diagnosis.
• The complexity of receiving a male factor infertility diagnosis, the emotional balancing act it requires in a relationship, and the importance of staying united as a couple. 
• The lack of adequate support for male partners and the growing awareness around this gap.
• The realization: This is now my story.
• Moments of empowerment and collapse from filming herself doing shots, to sobbing on the floor after work, to injecting herself at a wedding or even in a clinic exam chair.
• The most absurd injection stories from toilets at awards shows to wedding receptions. It’s a reminder of the humor, resilience, and community in this often isolating process.

Stacy’s poems are now available in a self-published collection on Amazon here

Let’s Stay Connected 

💬 DM me on Instagram @fertilitypoddy 

🌐 Follow @fertilityaction for updates and support 

🖥 Check out their free weekly support groups and downloadable advocacy tools at fertilityaction.org 

📧 Got thoughts, feedback, or ideas for future episodes? Email me at [email protected] 

📱 Don’t forget to hit subscribe so we land in your feed each week 

A Word From Our Sponsor – Proceive 

We're delighted to be partnering with Proceive this season. If you're trying to conceive, you’ll want to check them out. Their high-strength fertility supplements are designed for both men and women and are trusted by healthcare professionals. 

✨ Get 20% off your order at www.proceive.com using the code FP20 at checkout. 

Thanks for listening 💜 

Welcome to The Fertility Podcast. This episode is something a little different and a little special. I’ve always used the podcast as a way to process, reflect, and hopefully offer support to you wherever you are on your fertility journey. But in this episode, we’re exploring how poetry can become a powerful emotional outlet especially when words are hard to find.

I’m joined by the brilliant perinatal psychologist Julianne Boutaleb (you might know her as @parenthoodinmind on Instagram), who offers her clinical and deeply human insights into fertility trauma, identity loss, and psychological support. You’ll also be hearing the beginnings of a heartfelt mini-series inspired by a listener named Stacy, who sent me a set of poems that absolutely floored me.

This episode is part one of a three-part poetry series and I would love to know what you think.

Here’s what we covered in this episode:

• What the “reproductive story” is and how infertility shatters it
• The emotional symptoms of fertility trauma, including avoidance and identity loss
• The value of early psychological support and how to tailor it to where you are in your journey
• How poetry can provide safety, validation, and emotional release
• Why Julianne and Stacey both use poetry to process their experiences
• A beautiful live reading of Julianne’s original poems: Unrequited and Waiting and Trying
• How putting pen to paper might just help you feel seen—and less alone

Thank you to Julianne and Stacy and you'll hear more from Stacy and her poems in the next two episodes so make sure you've subscribed.

Julianne’s voice always grounds me, and her words in this episode are powerful. Stacy’s poems will be featured in our next episodes, and I can’t wait for you to hear them. Whether you’re a poet or not, I hope this gives you permission to feel, to reflect, and to find your own release.

Let’s Stay Connected 

💬 DM me on Instagram @fertilitypoddy 

🌐 Follow @fertilityaction for updates and support 

🖥 Check out their free weekly support groups and downloadable advocacy tools at fertilityaction.org 

📧 Got thoughts, feedback, or ideas for future episodes? Email me at [email protected] 

📱 Don’t forget to hit subscribe so we land in your feed each week 

A Word From Our Sponsor – Proceive 

We're delighted to be partnering with Proceive this season. If you're trying to conceive, you’ll want to check them out. Their high-strength fertility supplements are designed for both men and women and are trusted by healthcare professionals. 

✨ Get 20% off your order at www.proceive.com using the code FP20 at checkout. 

Thanks for listening 💜 

The Fertility Podcast is back with Big News: The Fertility Podcast Joins Forces with Fertility Action!

Welcome to the first episode in our brand new series of The Fertility Podcast, it's Natalie and I’m so excited to be back behind the mic and even more thrilled to share that this season, we’re doing something special. I’ve teamed up with Fertility Action, a new charity doing vital work to improve access to fertility support and treatment. 

In this episode, I’m joined by the inspiring Katie Rowlings, the founder of Fertility Action.

Katie shares her deeply personal story seven years, five rounds of IVF, the trauma, the heartbreak, the hope and what led her to launch a charity during Fertility Week.

We also talk about the bigger picture: how we can create fairer access to treatment, build better support networks, and make sure no one feels alone on this path. 

Here's what we talked about: 

• Katie’s raw and honest account of her fertility journey, including the emotional and physical toll 
• Why she founded Fertility Action and the real change it's already creating 
• How the charity is tackling the postcode lottery in NHS fertility access 
• The incredible power of community, and how support groups (for both women and men) are helping people feel less alone 
• Why psychological safety and trauma informed support are at the heart of everything they do 
• The importance of involving medical experts and how some of the best in the field are backing the charity 
• Tips for attending the Fertility Show without feeling overwhelmed 
• And the exciting news: The Fertility Podcast is now the official podcast of Fertility Action 🎉 

A Huge Thank You to Katie 

Katie’s passion is infectious. Her drive to turn pain into purpose is exactly what our community needs right now. If her story resonated with you—or if you know someone who could use this kind of support please share this episode. 

Let’s Stay Connected 

💬 DM me on Instagram @fertilitypoddy 

🌐 Follow @fertilityaction for updates and support 

🖥 Check out their free weekly support groups and downloadable advocacy tools at fertilityaction.org  and you can sign up for the support right here

📧 Got thoughts, feedback, or ideas for future episodes? Email me at [email protected] 

📱 Don’t forget to hit subscribe so we land in your feed each week 

A Word From Our Sponsor – Proceive 

We're delighted to be partnering with Proceive this season. If you're trying to conceive, you’ll want to check them out. Their high strength fertility supplements are designed for both men and women and are trusted by healthcare professionals. 

✨ Get 20% off your order at www.proceive.com using the code FP20 at checkout. 

Thanks for listening. I’ve got a really good feeling about this new chapter and I hope you’ll stick with me as we keep sharing stories, raising awareness, and doing what we can to support each other through this journey. 💜 

We couldn't stay quiet, so make sure you subscribe wherever you get your podcasts to find out what's coming on The Fertility Podcast.

In the heartfelt final episode of this series—and the podcast—Kate hosts one last time, joined by fellow podcaster Kate Cocker, to explore happiness, positivity, and the emotional rollercoaster of the fertility journey. Do listen to the end as you'll also hear a message from Natalie, with a small ask about a survey we'd like you to complete.

Together, Kate and Kate reflect on the challenges of navigating hope and disappointment. Kate shares how the ups and downs can feel overwhelming, often leaving people afraid to hope for fear of being let down. It's an emotional struggle that can be all-consuming.

In response, Kate Cocker introduces The 7 Pillars of Happiness: be self-full, accept the now, practice gratitude, check your self-talk, make a rainbow, manage your energy, and clear your mind. These principles offer a foundation for finding joy and balance, even in difficult times.

This heartfelt conversation encourages you to seek out moments of happiness and hold onto them as a source of strength through your journey.

Tune in to this inspiring episode for wisdom, comfort, and practical advice to support you on your path.

OUR SPONSOR:

We are delighted that the current series is being sponsored by Proceive who are kindly offering all listeners to The Fertility Podcast 15% off any Procieve purchase, when you use the discount code FP15.

Socials:

Follow @YourFertilityNurse on Instagram

Follow @TheFertilityPodcast on Instagram

Check these out!

https://www.thepresentercoach.co.uk/

https://www.instagram.com/thepresentercoach/ and https://www.instagram.com/officialeverydaypositivity/

Every Day Positivity Podcast available on Spotify

Survey Link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScBD3cObrjlqP9KQzYVeRL4m9jjTTtk403oiX7jsaLQ-FRW2Q/viewform?usp=sf_link

Also please check out the archive episodes of The Fertility Podcast as we also have: 

Getting Pregnancy Ready: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/getting-pregnancy-ready/id1642701326

Pregnancy Loss: 

https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/pregnancy-loss/id1608905862

Male Fertility: 

https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/male-fertility/id1608905647

Donor Conception and Surrogacy: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/donor-conception-and-surrogacy/id1609413884

Infertility Support: 

https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/infertility-support/id1608905639

As this is the last episode of the podcast... a little message from us

So much has gone into this podcast and so much has come of it. So now, it is with a heavy heart that we, The Fertility Podcast team, want to say a huge thank you to everyone who has tuned in over the years, we are so grateful for every one of you, it has been an incredible journey, thank you for riding along with us.

And of course a big thank you to our two amazing hosts of the pod, Natalie and Kate, who have had the courage to speak up when no one else would and shed light on a topic that is often seen as a taboo. 

So thank you for listening, it has been an honour and a privilege.

The Fertility Podcast.

In this episode, the penultimate episode that Kate is hosting, Kate is joined by Professor Tim Child. 

Tim is Associate Professor of Reproductive Medicine at the University of Oxford. He has published more than 100 research papers, and has brought new treatments and techniques to the UK, increasing both the success and safety of fertility treatment.

In 2021, he was appointed by the Secretary of State for Health to the board of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA), the UK’s regulator of assisted conception treatment and research. Tim Chairs its Scientific and Clinical Advances Advisory Committee (SCAAC), responsible for the IVF Add-Ons traffic light system. 

And not only that but Kate and Tim worked together many moons ago in Oxford, and Tim was rather partial to Kate’s homemade strawberry cheese cake!

So, Tim is here to talk all things IVF Add-ons with us and I’m sure you’ll agree he’s absolutely best placed to do so!

Kate and Tim discuss exactly what are IVF add ons, whether you should be using them, how they are graded and the importance of making the right decision for you with as much information from your doctor as possible.

The pair also discuss the rise of misinformation on social media, how to filter through this fake information and where to find evidence based information. Go and take a look at Tim’s excellent Instagram account where he shares so much top quality information to help you along your fertility journey.

Thanks for joining

OUR SPONSOR:

We are delighted that the current series is being sponsored by Proceive who are kindly offering all listeners to The Fertility Podcast 15% off any Procieve purchase, when you use the discount code FP15.

Socials:

Follow @YourFertilityNurse on Instagram

Follow @TheFertilityPodcast on Instagram

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

Follow Fertility Doctor (@drtimchild) • Instagram photos and videos on Instagram

Find HFEA: UK fertility regulator website

Back to The Fertility Podcast archive for this episode to celebrate the release of the Netflix movie 'Joy' - Natalie has shared a conversation she had Connie Orbach about how she started her research to curate the British Science Museum's exhibition about the story of IVF.

What was discussed:

• Connie herself admitted how she didn't realize how much content she would find in the archives from Leslie Brown, regarding the correspondence she received from all around the world.
• Connie talked about Jean Purdy who I've learned all about over the last couple of weeks and she is talked about as being IVF's forgotten pioneer, despite being written about by Patrick Steptoe and Robert Edwards as one of the three of them.
•  Connie has written a really good blog here Jean was hired as a lab technician however she was tasked with managing the laboratory and in reality, she did much more. Jean Purdy was not just central to the running of the lab but also to the scientific work. Connie and I spoke about whether her gender meant she was taken less seriously by reporters? Possibly, seeing as she was recorded in the photos as being the 'midwife'. 
•  Was her role as a lab technician seen as unimportant next to that of the surgeon and the scientist? This is so ironic seeing as she is credited with first discovering the blastocyst embryo stage, one of the key breakthroughs in our understanding of an embryo's development.
• Whatever the reason, it was not for lack of trying from Edwards. He repeatedly emphasized Purdy’s importance and unsuccessfully lobbied her name to be added to the commemorative plaque placed at the site of their original clinic. Read more in Connie's blog and here are some other articles that are written for the exhibition
• Sally Cheshire, chair of the HFEA has also written a  blog for the exhibition. Martin Johnson discussing the challenges faced by Bob Edwards developing IVF.
• Gareth Downs on the male perspective: Bristol Archives wrote  a blog recently about receiving the Lesley Brown Archive

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To celebrate the release on Netflix of the new film about IVF 'Joy' this is an old episode of The Fertility Podcast, which Natalie produced in celebration of Louise Brown's 40th Birthday and the fact that at that point in time, over 300,000 babies have been born through IVF treatment with more than 1 million cycles having taken place. TheHFEA asked Natalie to make a podcast with them, so Natalie is in conversation with its chair Sally Cheshire and one of its Inspectors, a lady called Janet Kirkland MacHattie, who worked as a nurse at Bourne Hall in 1982, under Patrick Steptoe, Robert Edwards and Jean Purdy.

In fact, it was during this conversation with Janet, that Natalie first learnt about Jean, and found herself feeling somewhat ashamed that she didn't know about her sooner!

What was discussed:

• Sally Cheshire talked about how at the time the treatment was quite experimental and Louise Brown's parents were quite brave in putting themselves forward
• She explains how the Government and Parliament decided to investigate how treatment should be regulated and asked Mary Warnock to form a committee in 1984 to look at how infertility should be regulated. The law came into being in 1990 and the HFEA came to be in 1991.
• Sally talked about her role at the HFEA and what has changed over the last 40 years and the importance of the focus of its work being on the 70% of people who aren’t successful with their treatment.
• The HFEA has a vital role, thinking about how emotional support can be improved in clinics because, as she explains 'We do know that even if you are pregnant after IVF there’s a level of anxiety you carry with you".
• The importance of being medically, emotionally and financially equipped to try again when going through fertility treatment. Sally explained how 'We still feel a lot of media stories about fertility treatment are positive… very often, there’s a lot of around celebrities with the example of Bridget Neilson who gave birth at 54. Are they being truthful about using donor eggs? Some of those stories give you a false impression."
• Janet explained how she went for the job at Bourn Hall, to join the nursing team - not really knowing what was involved and when she asked Patrick Steptoe his advice on a book she could read to learn more, his reply was 'My dear, they've not been written yet
• What the treatment process was like initially, with Ladies staying at Bourn Hall for ten day periods and how as they didn't have blood tests, the Ladies urine was tested every three hours to find out if they were ovulating.
• Janet talked about an interview Patrick Steptoe gave where he spoke about his vision for the future being "centres set up where people have been properly trained and this technique will be available to women all over the world"

To compare clinics like for like, or rate your clinic visit the HFEA website

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