Fat and Fertile

Nicola Salmon
  • 5.0 (4)
  • Alternative Health
  • Updated Monthly

Navigating getting pregnant in a weight-obsessed world can be really flipping hard, especially when everyone is telling you that you have to lose weight to access any kind of support.Join Nicola Salmon - fat-positive fertility coach and author of the book “Fat and Fertile” - as she explores the complexities that fat folks face when they want to grow their family.If you identify as fat or being in a bigger body, want to get pregnant and want to find a community of other folks navigating this, this podcast is for you.Learn more and get full show notes and transcripts at http://nicolasalmon.co.uk/fatandfertilepodcast fatpositivefertility.substack.com

  1. I Want to Come Off GLP-1s Before Getting Pregnant: What Do I Need to Know?

    4d ago

    I Want to Come Off GLP-1s Before Getting Pregnant: What Do I Need to Know?

    Coming off GLP-1s before getting pregnant is not as simple as just stopping. Here is what to realistically expect. In this episode: What the clinical guidance says about when to stop GLP-1s before trying to conceive or starting fertility treatment What to expect physically when you stop, including the truth about weight regain that nobody is preparing you for How to take care of your body, your cycle, and your mental health through this transition Weight regain after stopping GLP-1s is clinically expected and not your fault. Your body is not broken. It is doing exactly what the research says it will do, and you deserved to know that before you ever started taking this medication. Resources: Book a Fat Positive Fertility Roadmap Session Get the book: Fat and Fertile Have questions? Share your story in the Substack comments. I would love to hear from you. Get full access to Fat and Fertile at fatpositivefertility.substack.com/subscribe

    29 min
  2. What Fat Folks Need to Know About Sperm Health

    May 26

    What Fat Folks Need to Know About Sperm Health

    What fat folks need to know about sperm health, and why the research is far less alarming than the system wants you to believe. In this episode: Why the association between BMI and sperm parameters is not the same as causation, and what the research actually found How weight stigma and weight cycling are the unaccounted variables most likely driving any reduction in sperm health Practical, weight-neutral steps to support sperm health that can make a real difference within three months This episode is sponsored by Rejoova. Formulated by three fertility experts, Rejoova have created supplements to support folks with their fertility: Rejoova Eggs, Rejoova Sperm, and Rejoova Repair. Use code POSITIVE for 10% off at getrejoova.com. Your body is not the problem. The research shows the reductions are small, the system is not telling you the full story, and there is plenty you can do right now that has nothing to do with weight loss. Resources: Rejoova fertility supplements - use code POSITIVE for 10% off Book a Fat Positive Fertility Roadmap Session Get the book: Fat and Fertile Have questions? Share your story in the Substack comments. I would love to hear from you. Get full access to Fat and Fertile at fatpositivefertility.substack.com/subscribe

    31 min
  3. 5 Things You Need to Know If You're Taking GLP-1s to Help With Your Fertility

    May 19

    5 Things You Need to Know If You're Taking GLP-1s to Help With Your Fertility

    Taking a GLP-1 while navigating your fertility? This episode is five practical ways to make sure your body is still getting what it needs. Whether this medication was your choice or something you felt you had no option but to do, your body deserves support through this process. Here is what to know. In this episode: Why GLP-1s deplete the exact nutrients that fertility supplements exist to replace, and how to get yourself tested The signal that gets suppressed alongside hunger and why most people never hear about it If this medication has actually been regulating your cycles, what that means and what to do when you want to stop taking it This episode is sponsored by Rejoova. Supplements designed to support mitochondrial health for egg and sperm quality. Use code POSITIVE for 10% off at getrejoova.com. Whatever brought you to this medication, your body still deserves to have its needs met. Here is how to make sure it does. Resources: Rejoova Supplements. Use code POSITIVE for 10% off at getrejoova.com Book a Fat Positive Fertility Roadmap Session Get the book Fat and Fertile Have questions? Share your story in the Substack comments. I would love to hear from you. Get full access to Fat and Fertile at fatpositivefertility.substack.com/subscribe

    35 min
  4. Egg Quality: What Fat Folks Actually Need to Know (with Marc Sklar)

    May 12

    Egg Quality: What Fat Folks Actually Need to Know (with Marc Sklar)

    If you've been told your weight is affecting your egg quality, that claim does not have the scientific backing your doctor implied. Here is what actually matters. In this episode, I'm joined by integrative fertility specialist and Rejoova co-founder Marc Sklar to talk about the real science of egg quality, and why so much of what fat folks are told to do works against them. We look at: - What the research actually shows about weight and egg quality - The factors that do affect egg quality: stress, sleep, blood sugar stability, and mitochondrial health - Why restrictive dieting can actively harm your fertility - How to stop making decisions from a place of fear This episode is sponsored by Rejoova. Rejoova's supplements are designed to support mitochondrial health for egg and sperm quality. Use code POSITIVE for 10% off at getrejoova.com. You do not have to change your body to support your egg quality. Rejoova supplements (code POSITIVE for 10% off): getrejoova.com Have questions? Share your story in the Substack comments. I would love to hear from you. Get full access to Fat and Fertile at fatpositivefertility.substack.com/subscribe

    59 min
  5. Told to Take Ozempic Before Fertility Treatment - Do You Have to?

    May 7

    Told to Take Ozempic Before Fertility Treatment - Do You Have to?

    Episode 36: Told to Take Ozempic Before Fertility Treatment - Do You Have to? If you have been told that taking a GLP-1 is your only option before you can access fertility treatment, that is not a choice. That is coercion. Here is what you can do instead. In this episode: - Why doctors telling fat folks to take Ozempic before fertility treatment is coercion, not informed consent - The 2025 Novo Nordisk-funded study being used to justify it, and why that should raise alarm bells - Four real alternatives to explore if you have been put in this position You do not have to make your body smaller to deserve fertility care. There are options, even if the system has not shown them to you. Resources: - BMI-inclusive clinic list updated regularly with clinics from around the world - Book a Fat Positive Fertility Roadmap Session - Get the book: Fat and Fertile Have questions? Share your story in the Substack comments. I would love to hear from you. Get full access to Fat and Fertile at fatpositivefertility.substack.com/subscribe

    21 min
  6. Should I Take a GLP-1 for My Fertility?

    Apr 7

    Should I Take a GLP-1 for My Fertility?

    Should I Take a GLP-1 for My Fertility? If you're being told you need to lose weight before you can access fertility treatment, and GLP-1 medications like Ozempic, Wegovy, or Mounjaro are part of that conversation, this episode is for you. Because you deserve to make this decision with the full picture, not just the version the pharmaceutical companies want you to hear. In this episode: Why GLP-1s are increasingly being offered to fat folks wanting to get pregnant, and why the logic behind that recommendation is shakier than it's presented as The genuine potential benefits worth knowing about, including for folks with PCOS, insulin resistance, or type 2 diabetes, and why access to care is a real and valid consideration The risks that often go unmentioned, including nutritional deficiencies, weight regain after stopping, and the absence of long-term human pregnancy safety data Why the research linking weight loss to better fertility outcomes tells a more complicated story, and what it's more likely actually showing Four questions to sit with before making your decision, so that whatever you choose, you're choosing it with your eyes open This is the first in a four-part series on GLP-1s this month. Useful links: Fat Positive Fertility Roadmap Sessions Free download: Fat Person's Guide to Getting Pregnant Follow Nicola on Instagram: @fatpositivefertility Get full access to Fat and Fertile at fatpositivefertility.substack.com/subscribe

    35 min
  7. Healing from Healthcare Trauma While Still Advocating for Your Care

    Mar 31

    Healing from Healthcare Trauma While Still Advocating for Your Care

    If you've been hurt by the healthcare system while trying to access fertility care, you are not alone, and you are not broken. This episode is for anyone who has experienced harm, dismissal, or humiliation from healthcare providers and is now caught in the incredibly difficult position of needing care from a system that has already hurt them. In this episode, we cover: What healthcare trauma actually looks like, and why so many fat folks experience it without ever naming it that way How your nervous system responds to perceived threats (fight, flight, fawn, and freeze) and why your fear is not self-sabotage The Prepare and Care framework: practical steps to support yourself before and after appointments The difference between advocacy mode and survival mode, and why it matters How to find trauma-informed providers, and what to do when that's not possible Key takeaway: Your fear of being harmed again is a completely rational, protective response. You do not have to be in advocacy mode all the time. Sometimes just getting through the appointment is enough. Resources & Links 📖 Fat and Fertile 🌿 Work with Nicola: Fat Positive Fertility Roadmap 📱 Instagram: @fatpositivefertility 📧 Email: nicola@nicolasalmon.co.uk Get full access to Fat and Fertile at fatpositivefertility.substack.com/subscribe

    36 min
  8. Trapped by the System: When BMI Requirements Create Impossible Barriers to Fertility Care

    Mar 24

    Trapped by the System: When BMI Requirements Create Impossible Barriers to Fertility Care

    This week's episode is about something I hear constantly and it makes me genuinely angry. You can't access fertility care until you lose weight. But you can't access support to lose weight. And they won't investigate the health condition that might be causing everything in the first place. Round and round you go. If you're stuck in this loop right now, this one is for you. And the first thing I want you to know is: it is not your fault. In this episode we cover: Why the NHS BMI cutoffs for fertility treatment are arbitrary, not evidence based, and not actually NICE guidelines Why this catch 22 is intentional and how the system has been designed to exclude people in bigger bodies How to advocate for your health conditions separately from your fertility goals, and why this matters Practical steps to document refusals, push back, and escalate if you have the capacity to do so How to take care of your mental and emotional health when you're fighting a system that should be fighting for you Useful Links: Download: Fat Person's Guide to Getting Pregnant Book a Fat Positive Fertility Roadmap Call Follow me on Instagram Email me a question for a future episode Get full access to Fat and Fertile at fatpositivefertility.substack.com/subscribe

    22 min
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5
out of 5
4 Ratings

About

Navigating getting pregnant in a weight-obsessed world can be really flipping hard, especially when everyone is telling you that you have to lose weight to access any kind of support.Join Nicola Salmon - fat-positive fertility coach and author of the book “Fat and Fertile” - as she explores the complexities that fat folks face when they want to grow their family.If you identify as fat or being in a bigger body, want to get pregnant and want to find a community of other folks navigating this, this podcast is for you.Learn more and get full show notes and transcripts at http://nicolasalmon.co.uk/fatandfertilepodcast fatpositivefertility.substack.com

Information

  • Creator
    Nicola Salmon
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2026
  • Episodes
    39
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Nicola Salmon
  • Show Website
    Fat and Fertile

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