In this episode of The Worst Girl Gang Ever, Maëla shares her story with honesty, courage, and a depth that stays with you long after the conversation ends. She opens up about experiencing multiple miscarriages, the quiet devastation that so often gets minimised, and the way women are expected to carry on as if nothing happened.

Maëla takes us through the moment her pregnancy changed forever, when she received a life-altering diagnosis for her unborn child - complete AVSD - and the impossible reality of making a decision no parent should ever have to face. She speaks candidly about termination for medical reasons, the layers of grief that followed, and the added weight of societal judgement that so often surrounds these experiences.

Alongside her personal loss, Maëla reflects on returning to work as a midwife, where holding space for others while tending to her own grief was both deeply challenging and unexpectedly grounding. She also names the impact of systemic racism within maternal healthcare, and how being a woman of colour intensified the barriers she faced - from pregnancy care to accessing mental health support after loss.

This episode is a powerful reminder of why these conversations matter. It’s about resilience, about being believed and supported, and about the absolute necessity of compassionate, inclusive care. Above all, Maëla’s story speaks to the importance of community - of finding people who understand, who don’t judge, and who will sit with you in the hardest moments.

We are The Worst Girl Gang Ever Foundation. We’re all about bringing people together who are going through the tough stuff — baby loss, infertility, and everything in between — and making sure no one has to face it alone. Our community is full of honesty, compassion, and real talk, offering support, understanding, and hope when it’s needed most. You can find out more and connect with us over at www.theworstgirlgangever.co.uk

In this episode of The Worst Girl Gang Ever, Bex & Laura sit down with Sophie Sulehria - content director and host of The Fertility Show - for a wide-ranging, honest conversation about fertility, hormones, and the parts of women’s health we’re still not talking about loudly enough.

Sophie shares her own experience of navigating fertility challenges, including living with endometriosis - a condition that is far too often missed, minimised, or diagnosed far too late - and the emotional and physical toll of IVF. She speaks candidly about the strain infertility can place on relationships, the quiet grief that comes with cycles that don’t work, and the anxiety-soaked limbo of the two-week wait.

Together, Bex and Sophie dig into the bigger picture - the lack of awareness around IVF success rates, the impact of hormonal treatments on mental health, and the unrealistic societal pressures placed on women to just “get on with it.” As always, the conversation comes back to community: the power of finding people who get it, the importance of sharing stories, and why open, honest conversations are essential if anything is ever going to change.

This episode is about advocacy, visibility, and refusing to stay silent about women’s health - because we all deserve better information, better care, and a whole lot more compassion.

Key Takeaways

• Sophie Sulehria is the content director and host of The Fertility Show.
• Endometriosis can have a significant impact on fertility and is frequently misdiagnosed.
• Infertility can place enormous emotional strain on relationships.
• IVF is rarely straightforward and can involve repeated loss and disappointment.
• The two-week wait during IVF is an intense period of anxiety and uncertainty.
• Having a supportive community can make a profound difference during fertility challenges.
• Hormonal treatments can heavily affect mental health and emotional wellbeing.
• Advocacy is crucial to improving awareness and resources for women’s health.
• Many people begin IVF without clear information about realistic success rates.
• Open conversations about fertility and women’s health are vital for meaningful societal change.

We are The Worst Girl Gang Ever Foundation. We’re all about bringing people together who are going through the tough stuff — baby loss, infertility, and everything in between — and making sure no one has to face it alone. Our community is full of honesty, compassion, and real talk, offering support, understanding, and hope when it’s needed most. You can find out more and connect with us over at www.theworstgirlgangever.co.uk

In this episode, Lauren bravely shares her story of pregnancy loss, including the stillbirth of her twin boys, and the long, winding road that followed. She talks honestly about the emotional weight of carrying grief through subsequent pregnancies - the fear, the hyper-vigilance, and the loneliness that can come with trying to hold hope and heartbreak at the same time.

Lauren reflects on how deeply these experiences shaped her, not just as a parent but as a person. We talk about the complicated layers of grief that come with losing one or more babies while still showing up for the life in front of you, and the guilt and self-blame that so often creep in after loss. She opens up about the pivotal moments in her journey, including surgery for twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome, and the impossible decisions and emotions that followed.

Throughout the conversation, community emerges as a lifeline - particularly the comfort of knowing you’re not the only one feeling this way. Lauren speaks about finding solace in shared stories, the importance of talking openly with your partner, and giving yourself permission to grieve without timelines or expectations.

At the heart of this episode is Lauren’s ongoing journey towards healing and acceptance, and the quiet, powerful ways motherhood continues to shape her. Her daughter, Edie, carries an understanding of her brothers that reminds us how love and memory can exist side by side, even in the face of profound loss.

We are The Worst Girl Gang Ever Foundation. We’re all about bringing people together who are going through the tough stuff — baby loss, infertility, and everything in between — and making sure no one has to face it alone. Our community is full of honesty, compassion, and real talk, offering support, understanding, and hope when it’s needed most. You can find out more and connect with us over at www.theworstgirlgangever.co.uk

Sands’ Work with African, Caribbean and South Asian Communities

Sands pregnancy and baby loss charity is committed to ensuring every bereaved parent has access to compassionate, inclusive, and culturally sensitive support following pregnancy and baby loss. To help achieve this, Sands has two dedicated Outreach Coordinators working with communities that continue to face inequalities in maternity outcomes and barriers to support. Madhuri Bedi, Outreach Coordinator for South Asian Communities, and Jordan Russell, Outreach Coordinator for African and Caribbean Communities, work closely with bereaved parents, community stakeholders, and faith leaders to break the silence and stigma that can surround baby loss. Their work includes creating positive partnerships and spearheading initiatives tailored to the unique needs of both communities. These efforts aim to improve outcomes and provide compassionate support for parents and families navigating their grief.

Working alongside all the teams across the charity, their work ensures that Sands is grounded in allyship, representation and cultural understanding. Through their outreach, Madhuri and Jordan help Sands to ensure that every bereaved parent feels seen, supported, and understood, and that no one feels they must face loss alone. If you would like to know more about the support Sands offers to anyone affected by pregnancy or baby loss, or the dedicated culturally sensitive support groups facilitated by Madhuri and Jordan, please visit the Sands pages for more information and culturally specific support: Support for Black and South Asian communities | Sands - Saving babies' lives. Supporting bereaved families.

Sands | Saving babies' lives. Supporting bereaved families.

Helpline: 0808 164 3332 -10am to 3pm Monday to Friday and 6pm to 9pm Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday evenings. 

Email: [email protected]

Sands Listening Report through which you can read the experiences of bereaved parents from African, Caribbean and South Asian Communities:  Sands_Listening_Project_Report_Publication_of_Findings_2023.pdf

We are The Worst Girl Gang Ever Foundation. We’re all about bringing people together who are going through the tough stuff — baby loss, infertility, and everything in between — and making sure no one has to face it alone. Our community is full of honesty, compassion, and real talk, offering support, understanding, and hope when it’s needed most. You can find out more and connect with us over at www.theworstgirlgangever.co.uk

Episode take-aways 

In this emotional episode of The Worst Girl Gang Ever, Joanna shares her story of pregnancy, loss, and the complicated, tender reality of becoming a mother when things don’t go to plan. We talk about the headspace of infertility - the waiting, the wondering, the quiet heartbreak - and how isolating it can feel when everyone else seems to be moving forward.

Joanna also speaks to the power of community - of having people who can sit in the hard stuff with you, without trying to fix it or rush you through it. Together, we explore what it means to grieve out loud, to tell the truth about loss, and to keep someone’s memory alive in a world that often expects you to “move on.”

At the centre of this episode is Ray - Joanna’s daughter, deeply loved and deeply missed - and Joanna’s determination to honour her while still allowing space for hope, healing, and whatever might come next. This one is about resilience, remembrance, and finding a way to carry love forward.

• Joanna's journey is filled with emotional highs and lows.
• The importance of community support during difficult times.
• IVF is not the only option for those facing infertility.
• Sharing stories can help others feel less isolated.
• Grief is a complex process that varies for everyone.
• Open conversations about loss are crucial for healing.
• Remembering loved ones keeps their memory alive.
• Hope can coexist with grief in the journey of motherhood.
• The impact of shared experiences can be profound.
• Resilience is key in navigating life's challenges.

We are The Worst Girl Gang Ever Foundation. We’re all about bringing people together who are going through the tough stuff — baby loss, infertility, and everything in between — and making sure no one has to face it alone. Our community is full of honesty, compassion, and real talk, offering support, understanding, and hope when it’s needed most. You can find out more and connect with us over at www.theworstgirlgangever.co.uk

In this episode, we sit down with Alex, who opens up about the heartbreak, confusion, and sheer emotional exhaustion of navigating multiple miscarriages while living halfway across the world from home. Now based in Singapore with her husband - and with zero plans to head back to the UK - Alex has had to make sense of her losses within a healthcare system that doesn’t always cushion its words or soften the blows. Cultural differences meant that some of the medical conversations she faced landed with a thud: blunt, clinical, sometimes bordering on cruel.

Throughout the episode, Alex describes the emotional toll of repeated miscarriages - the way each loss chips away at you until you feel like this cracked, fragile version of yourself, desperately trying to glue the pieces back together again. Her IVF journey has involved genetic testing, endless decisions, and the constant tug-of-war between hope and self-protection. She’s made lifestyle changes, like going gluten-free, in her determination to give future embryos the best possible chance.

And woven through all of this is the gang: the friends, the online communities, the people who show up and get it when the world feels impossibly heavy. Alex’s story is a powerful reminder of how vital compassion and understanding are when talking about pregnancy loss - and how much it matters when someone finally says, “I see you… and you’re not alone.”

Key Takeaways

• Alex relocated to Singapore for her husband’s work and is settled there long-term.
• She has experienced multiple miscarriages, each bringing its own unique heartbreak.
• Cultural differences in Singapore’s healthcare system can lead to abrupt or blunt communication.
• After receiving a harsh diagnosis, Alex trusted her instincts and sought a second opinion.
• The emotional impact of loss can feel like being a cracked vase, with resilience chipped away piece by piece.
• Her IVF journey included genetic testing after repeated miscarriages.
• She has made lifestyle changes, including going gluten-free, to support her fertility.
• Support from friends and online communities has been essential throughout her journey.
• The episode highlights how deeply compassion and sensitivity are needed when discussing pregnancy loss.

We are The Worst Girl Gang Ever Foundation. We’re all about bringing people together who are going through the tough stuff — baby loss, infertility, and everything in between — and making sure no one has to face it alone. Our community is full of honesty, compassion, and real talk, offering support, understanding, and hope when it’s needed most. You can find out more and connect with us over at www.theworstgirlgangever.co.uk

In this episode, we chat with the brilliant and brave Caiti, who takes us through the emotional chaos that is pregnancy, miscarriage, and trying again when life has already knocked the wind out of you. She talks about falling pregnant for the first time - the excitement, the dreams, the absolute gut-punch heartbreak of losing her son, Miles - and the way grief seeped into every corner of her life, including her relationship with her wife.

Caiti opens up about the complicated dance of navigating grief as a same-sex couple, where both partners are hurting but not always in the same way, at the same time, or with the same intensity. She speaks honestly about the guilt, the questioning, the feeling of her body having somehow betrayed her, and the loneliness that can creep in even when you're surrounded by love.

We also dive into the world of IVF - the needles, the hormones, the hope, the fear, the spreadsheets of appointments, and the emotional whiplash of trying to plan for a future when you're still carrying the weight of a past loss. And because this is TWGGEF, we talk about the absolutely essential act of advocating for yourself in a healthcare system that doesn’t always get it, especially when it comes to pregnancy loss and same sex families.

As always, the conversation circles back to community - the people, the spaces, the podcasts (hello there) that make this nightmare ride a little less isolating. Caiti’s courage in sharing her story reminds us that breaking the silence breaks the stigma, and that speaking our truths helps someone else feel less alone.

Key Takeaways

• Caiti’s first pregnancy began smoothly, making the loss even more devastating.
• Miscarriage can trigger crushing guilt and feelings of not being “enough”.
• Grief looks different for every partner, and that mismatch can be incredibly hard.
• Advocating for yourself in the healthcare system is essential, especially after trauma.
• Open, honest communication is vital for surviving impossible moments in relationships.
• Pregnancy loss can be profoundly isolating, even with a strong support system.
• Community spaces and resources - including podcasts - can bring comfort and connection.
• IVF is a complex, emotional rollercoaster, but it also offers genuine hope.
• Medical environments need far more sensitivity and awareness around pregnancy loss.
• Sharing her story has helped Caiti feel connected, supported, and part of a wider healing community.

We are The Worst Girl Gang Ever Foundation. We’re all about bringing people together who are going through the tough stuff — baby loss, infertility, and everything in between — and making sure no one has to face it alone. Our community is full of honesty, compassion, and real talk, offering support, understanding, and hope when it’s needed most. You can find out more and connect with us over at www.theworstgirlgangever.co.uk

In this episode of The Worst Girl Gang Ever, we sit down with former X factor contestant Talia Dean as she walks us through the messy, magical, utterly heartbreaking rollercoaster that is trying to grow a baby in a world that doesn’t always play fair. She opens up about those first fluttery days of early pregnancy - the joy, the whispered hopes, the secret-keeping that can feel like both a protective bubble and an unbearable weight.

Talia shares, with incredible courage, the story of her miscarriage: the trauma, the fear, the life-threatening complications that no one prepares you for, and the way her faith became the thread she clung to when everything else fell apart.

We talk about the wonky way grief works, how loss can leave you searching for meaning in all the wrong (and occasionally right) places, and how trauma can tangle itself into the healing journey in ways that are anything but straightforward. And, as always, we come back to community - the gang - the space where stories like Talia’s aren’t “too much,” where women’s healthcare failures are named out loud, and where connection starts with three simple words: me too, friend.

Because when we share the messy bits, we make the world a little less lonely for the next person walking this path.

P.S - if for nothing else, listen out for the quote 'I felt like I'd be shot in the vagina...' no other baby loss podcast brings you this kind of gold. 

Key Takeaways

• Talia’s road to motherhood was hopeful, heart-wrenching, and everything in between.
• Early pregnancy can feel magical and terrifying all at once.
• Keeping a pregnancy under wraps isn’t always protective - sometimes it’s isolating.
• The bond that forms between you and your tiny secret is real and powerful.
• Pregnancy complications can escalate frighteningly fast and deserve better recognition.
• Faith, whatever that looks like, can be a lifeline in crisis.
• Searching for meaning after loss is rarely linear and never simple.
• Trauma leaves marks that healing doesn’t always erase quickly.
• Having a supportive community is nothing short of essential.
• Sharing our stories makes the world safer for others to share theirs.

We are The Worst Girl Gang Ever Foundation. We’re all about bringing people together who are going through the tough stuff — baby loss, infertility, and everything in between — and making sure no one has to face it alone. Our community is full of honesty, compassion, and real talk, offering support, understanding, and hope when it’s needed most. You can find out more and connect with us over at www.theworstgirlgangever.co.uk

TW - there is chat about pregnancy after loss in this episode 

This week we’re joined by Jess, who so beautifully shares the story of her little boy, Charlie.

Together, we talk about those first, fleeting moments of parenthood - the ones that take your breath away and never really leave you. We chat about the choices we make in those early hours: whether to take photos, what and how we want to remember, and what we decide to leave just as it was.

Jess opens up about letting the midwives take the lead, the incredible charity Remember My Baby. We explore how time shifts in grief - how the smallest details, like how he looked then, can stay vivid in your heart.

It’s an emotional, honest, and beautifully human conversation - one that reminds us that however we choose to remember, it’s the love that lasts.

Spoiler alert... it DID rain at the London to Brighton... big time.

Takeaways

• Holding onto those first memories of when he was born
• Trusting the midwives and letting them guide the moment
• The amazing work of Remember My Baby
• The small, unmistakable signs that time has passed
• Remembering exactly how he looked
• Finding ways to cherish those first moments, whatever that looks like for you

We are The Worst Girl Gang Ever Foundation. We’re all about bringing people together who are going through the tough stuff — baby loss, infertility, and everything in between — and making sure no one has to face it alone. Our community is full of honesty, compassion, and real talk, offering support, understanding, and hope when it’s needed most. You can find out more and connect with us over at www.theworstgirlgangever.co.uk

This one’s for the women who’ve been told to “just move on,” for those crying in the shower or clutching their partner’s hand at 3am. Because miscarriage is one of the hardest, loneliest things you’ll ever face. It deserves to be spoken about, felt, honoured.

In this episode, we talk about the panic, the fear, and the sheer helplessness of managing a miscarriage at home. When you realise you don’t have a manual, no one’s told you what to expect, and suddenly you’re dealing with it on your own - scared, heartbroken, and trying to keep it together.

We talk about:

• What it’s really like to go through this without immediate medical support - the frantic Googling, the “what do I do now?” moments, and the fear that no one seems prepared to address.
• The crushing loneliness of it all. When the world carries on scrolling through baby showers and gender reveals, and you’re just trying to make it through the day.
• How normal it is to feel panic, fear and disbelief. You’re not weak for feeling them. You’re human.
• The different ways people cope - from baths and blankets to complete emotional shutdowns. There’s no one right way.
• How the lack of clear guidance makes it so much worse. The not knowing, the silence, the absence of proper information.
• Using everyday things - towels, bowls, slotted spoons - as makeshift lifelines. Because sometimes, that’s all you’ve got.
• The power of emotional support: your partner’s hug, your friend’s text, your mum showing up with tea. They all matter more than words can say.
• How healthcare responses can feel cold or clinical, leaving you unseen when you’re at your most vulnerable.
• And most importantly, how sharing your story connects you to others who’ve been there. This is how we build a tribe - by speaking the truth.

Big love to the Dignity Care Network and the Miscarriage Collection Cradle

We also want to give a massive shout-out to the Miscarriage Collection Cradle from Dignity Care Network
. Because when you have to deal with the physical side of loss, you deserve care and dignity - not improvisation.

The cradle was designed with compassion and practicality in mind. It’s used inside the toilet bowl, with a removable insert to keep everything secure and separate. It allows you to collect gently and hygienically, without direct contact or distress. It was developed with healthcare professionals and families who’ve been through miscarriage themselves, and it makes an impossible situation that little bit more bearable.

It’s about giving you control, privacy and respect at a time when you feel you’ve lost everything else. It’s small, simple, and incredibly meaningful.

You can find out more at dignitycarenetwork.com
.

We are The Worst Girl Gang Ever Foundation. We’re all about bringing people together who are going through the tough stuff — baby loss, infertility, and everything in between — and making sure no one has to face it alone. Our community is full of honesty, compassion, and real talk, offering support, understanding, and hope when it’s needed most. You can find out more and connect with us over at www.theworstgirlgangever.co.uk