The Agora Fertility Journals

Agora
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Conversations about empowering the freedom of reproductive choice for everyone, featuring a wide range of individuals and couples on their road to parenthood with wisdom, compassion and honesty.

Episodes

  1. 04/05/2020

    Donor Conception and Vasectomy reversal: Julie and Mike

    In this episode, Julie and Mike spoke to Natalie, with baby Finley on their lap so you will hear baby noises and we wanted to make sure you were aware, in case it may be a trigger for you.  Julie and Mike talk through their incredible journey of reversing procedures, failed treatment, serious health issues and amazing family members as well as dealing with loss and how they celebrate their family as a whole. Julie had the condition hypogonadism, which meant hormonal stimulation of the ovary wasn't working and once she started to think about having a family her fertility was already starting to decline. Julie was advised to consider egg donation. Mike had also had a vasectomy and therefore had to have a reversal. Julie talks about the amazing conversations she had with her sister who offered to donate her eggs,  however Julie was taken ill with a brain tumour which meant they had to halt all treatment.  Once she recovered they continued with IVF however the treatment was unsuccessful and the couple had to try again, this time they were successful but lost the baby.  Julie and Mike share their grieving process so openly and honestly and it's amazing to hear.  The pair went on to have ultimately have successful treatment, and their son Finley is who you can hear in the podcast.  Visit our website for more info SOCIAL MEDIA Instagram Twitter Facebook  You Tube  The Fertility Podcast

  2. 03/29/2020

    Same Sex Parenting: Thomas and Jason

    In this episode, Thomas and Jason tell us about their surrogacy journey. It’s a whirlwind of emotions between finding an egg donor, a surrogate and learning about their own fertility health! But the best part is all the difficult yet inspiring conversations their route to parenthood has opened up with both their friends and family Thomas and Jason talk about reaching their decision to start a family and how they are looking at surrogacy now and later have plans to adopt.  They explain where they went to find the right information and support from charities to clinics as well as the legal support they sought out.  They explain the fertility tests they both had to have and their surprise when they both discovered they had issues, how they then began their search for an egg donor and the open conversations they have had with their family and friends about their journey so far. Also, they talk about how they’ve managed their expectations, how their family and friends feel about it,  what they have learnt and the issues they have overcome Visit our website for more info SOCIAL MEDIA Instagram Twitter Facebook  You Tube  The Fertility Podcast

  3. 03/23/2020

    Fertility Preservation: Satch

    Satch talked about the hurdles he had to overcome in order to preserve his fertility before transitioning and his experience of treatment and how he feels about having 12 embryos to use with his fiancee Lisa when they are ready to start their family. Satch talked so honestly about the wild femininity of what it is for a man to go through and talked through his experience of fertility preservation treatment and the challenges it presented. From having the examinations to choosing a sperm donor and the triggers along the way.  He spoke about how before he went onto testosterone he had signed up to the Gender Identity Clinic (GIC) and how it is explained to you that before you have testosterone the side effects are explained,  one of them is that you will likely lose fertility.  Therefore made the decision to have the treatment before this stage.  Satch talked about the struggle to find information,  how most transgender health information online isn't reliable, that is is mainly for Cisgender and heteronormative couples with some for gay and lesbian families. He talks about how the forms they were filling in had the wrong pronouns and how that can be very triggering. Satch has been working with The Agora on their paperwork.  Visit our website for more info SOCIAL MEDIA Instagram Twitter Facebook  You Tube  The Fertility Podcast

  4. 03/16/2020

    Egg Donation: Laura

    In this episode we hear from Nurse manager Laura, who coordinates the egg donation programme and explains how she helps patients get their head around using a donor egg if they’ve have failed treatment as well as working with people have always known they will need to use a donor, regarding the waiting list the counselling also about the Agora’s egg sharing programme and who is eligible. Laura explains how you have to be under 36 to share or donate eggs and how there is a 'Sharer guarantee. The donor has to produce a minimum of eight eggs on the day, they only got seven on the day the egg shared would have to keep them, as the law is to protect them You can egg share 3 time and you can change their mind along the way. As an egg sharer - if you’ve had a successful collection, you can be aware to find out what happened with the recipient.. and they can share with you. Laura explains the basic fertility tests  A lot of egg sharers are gay women, who require donor sperm to have a family, so their philosophy is that if nobody helped them, they wouldn't have a family so I’ll help others.  When it comes to egg donation - common questions are the reasons why people do it, how long will it take, egg donation costs. A Heterosexual couple will need semen analysis and initial conversation £300 - £400. If you’re matched to an egg sharer costs are approximately £8000. If it’s a full donor £9000 Recipients are keen to know if egg donor has had children before. There are different laws in certain countries, some the egg donor is completely anonymous. In the UK it is a known donor.  Laura spoke about the support The Agora offer, such as putting potential recipients can be put in touch with people who have already been through it as patients will worry they won't feel the same love towards their child.  Visit our website for more info SOCIAL MEDIA Instagram Twitter Facebook  You Tube  The Fertility Podcast

  5. 03/09/2020

    The Sonographer: Jane Brooke

    In this episode, Natalie speaks to  spoke with Ultrasonographer and expert on psychosexual issues Jane Brooke and we discussed some of the issues and struggles she has to address with her patients regarding examinations and the internal investigations Jane talked through how she works very closely with patients to ensure they are comfortable with the procedures talking through what they will involve and also discussing sedation options.  She talks about the support she offers to everyone she sees, how everyone's problems are individual and how she works with everyone on a case by case basis.  Jane explains how when it comes to transvaginal procedures, there are a lot of things that only come up when people realise what the procedure involves once they are in the clinic and there are other ways to consider - particularly with same-sex and transgender clients and Jane has been doing further research into psychosexual medicine.  Jane also talks about the assumptions we make about women and how they function and how as a Sonographer she explains to her clients that she will work with them to find a way around the problems and explains how she supports people through the actual IVF treatment, as the most important thing at The Agora is that everyone who wants to have a baby, has a chance to.  If you have any questions regarding what has been discussed in this episode please do get in touch with us.  Visit our website for more info SOCIAL MEDIA Instagram Twitter Facebook  You Tube  The Fertility Podcast

  6. 03/09/2020

    The Support: Michelle and Megan are part of the Agora's daily support team

    In this episode, Michelle who is the Clinical Care Coordinator talks about how she supports people daily with their queries and concerns as well as how the clinic support patients during the dreaded two week wait, plus her views on egg freezing as she’s not long out of University and the importance of fertility education for University. We also speak to Megan who talks about her role supporting the Trans community who come to the Agora for treatment and advice and shares her own regrets about not knowing more about her options. Michelle explains how she helps patients in clinic and over the phone - from questions about booking time off work for scans to side effects of progesterone, to dealing with having to go into work after you may have taken a pregnancy test. She also talks about making sure patients plan in times to have calls with the clinic if they are likely to be at work in case they get distressed by the news.   She talks about the LGBT community The Agora work with and how they put a big emphasis on making sure everything is right, in terms of the right pronouns used in their paperwork. She also spoke about the advice The Agora gives on Egg Freezing highlighting the issue with the current 10-year storage limit.  Megan shares her experience of when she transitioned and how she didn’t have enough information and if she did, she would have done a lot of things differently however there just wasn’t the knowledge. For example, GP’s didn’t know the options, healthcare professionals didn’t know and there wasn’t the funding from the NHS.  She spoke about how most trans people aren’t that well off as transitioning tends to hit most people’s careers quite badly, so you don’t really have the option to think about fertility preservation as there are so many other things you’re spending money on. She also spoke about how gender dysphoria affects your self-esteem so much that you don’t think you’d make a good parent. Visit our website for more info SOCIAL MEDIA   Instagram  Twitter  Facebook  You Tube  The Fertility Podcast

  7. 10/28/2019

    What is The Agora all about? Dr Carole Gilling Smith, Consultant Gynaecologist and Medical Director explains

    Welcome to the first episode of The Agora Journals.  We can't wait to share this series with you and to mark Fertility Awareness Week 2019 in the UK we're starting off with a conversation with Dr Carole Gilling-Smith to hear the history of The Agora Gynaecology & Fertility Centre in Hove, East Sussex.  The clinic specialises in diagnosing and treating the causes of infertility and welcome people from all walks of life to support alternative parenting. The clinic offers specialised programmes for same-sex couples and single women who wish to conceive using donor sperm. Carol set up her clinic Agora in Surrey as a desire to create the ‘perfect’ clinic to experience for patients and is interested in fertility education and believes strongly that we should be educating young people about fertility in schools but also for people in their 20’s before they start thinking about making a family. She works with the LGBTQ community to help them in the different ways that can make a family and importantly get the communication right with this group of patients. Fertility preservation and the LGBTQ community is a key part of the clinic's work and Carol highlights that at the time when an individual is considering transitioning, is generally not the time that they are also considering their fertility. It is important to start having these discussions and consider fertility preservation before commencing hormone treatment, to avoid later regrets. Carole explains the fertility preservation care and processes that transgender individuals receive at the Agora and that the Agora are very sensitive to their specific concerns. The Agora Clinic is leading the way in Fertility Care for the Trans community and actively celebrates alternative families. More clinics are beginning to open their doors to this community. We talk about the support that The Agora offers individuals and couples in terms of counselling and other resources they share with patients on how and when to discuss their story with their children. Carole recommends that these discussions start with their child from a young age. You will also hear Carole talk about some of the Agora's amazing patients who have joined in this conversation about their route to parenthood and we will be sharing those with you shortly, so make sure you subscribe right here today.  You can also sign up to the Agora Journals newsletter  SOCIAL MEDIA:  The Agora  Instagram The Fertility Podcast  Instagram

  8. 10/17/2019

    The Agora Journals trailer

    Welcome to this trailer for the upcoming Agora Fertility Journals, where we talk about empowering the freedom of reproductive choice for everyone.  Our first episode will be launching for Fertility Awareness Week 2019 on Monday 28th October via The Fertility Podcast and then we'll be sharing our stories with you very soon.  Be sure to subscribe so you don't miss an episode.

    The Agora Journals trailer
  • 8 Episodes

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Conversations about empowering the freedom of reproductive choice for everyone, featuring a wide range of individuals and couples on their road to parenthood with wisdom, compassion and honesty.

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