The Fertility Diaries

The Fertility Diaries
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The Fertility Diaries is an unfiltered podcast hosted by Charly and Portia - two best friends navigating fertility, ambition, identity and everything in between. Each week, we share honest conversations about the realities of trying to conceive, IVF, relationships, ambition, mental health, and the emotional rollercoaster that so often goes unspoken. Alongside our personal stories, we explore the science, speak to experts, and unpack the information we wish we’d known sooner - all with humour, honesty and zero judgement. We’re not doctors. We’re not specialists. We’re two women living it in real time - asking the questions, having the awkward conversations, and talking about the parts no one prepares you for. This is fertility without the filters. New episodes every Tuesday.

  1. 9h ago ·  Bonus

    BONUS | Recommedations & RSVP's | The Fertility Diaries

    We’re back with another Recommendation Station, and this week we’re talking slow cooker favourites, magnesium before bed, compression boots, reading, and a few slightly more random recommendations! Then it’s onto this week’s listener dilemma. After experiencing multiple pregnancy losses, one listener asks how she should explain to her cousin why she was late RSVPing to an event. We chat about how much you actually owe people an explanation when you’re going through something so difficult, protecting your boundaries, and whether sometimes simply saying “I’m sorry, I’ve had a lot going on” is more than enough. New bonus episodes every Thursday. Follow along: @thefertilitydiariespod @charlyhoencoach @portia_christina_ Got a recommendation, dilemma or some feedback for our bonus episodes? Send it our way at thefertilitydiariespod@gmail.com. Use code FDP10 for 10% off Zita West supplements. 10% off valid once per customer. Applies to one-time or subscription purchase. Subscription discount applies to first month only; standard price applies thereafter. Full T&Cs at zitawest.com/terms

  2. 2d ago

    Periods, Puppies & Painful Losses | The Fertility Diaries

    This week, we’re opening up a conversation around pregnancy and baby loss, a subject neither of us has personally experienced, but one we know touches so many people within the fertility community. After finding out she doesn’t have PMOS, Portia shares what comes next, the further testing she’s decided to explore and what’s involved with Fertilysis. Charly has some questions about changes to her periods, which naturally results in Dr Portia attempting a diagnosis. Our main conversation is about pregnancy and baby loss. We talk about the anxiety that can come with finally getting pregnant after infertility, embryo transfers that don’t result in pregnancy, and the different experiences of loss that can happen during and after fertility treatment and pregnancy. We also discuss some of the ways miscarriage can be managed, and the emotional impact that can come with each experience. We’re very conscious that we haven’t lived through pregnancy loss ourselves, so this episode is about opening up the conversation, learning and signposting to people and organisations who can offer proper support. In Between the Lines, we focus on where to turn for help following pregnancy loss, as well as the support available when trying or becoming pregnant again after loss. And in Closing the Page, we’re closing it firmly on telling someone struggling to have a baby to “just adopt.” Pregnancy & baby loss support Tommy’s Baby Loss Support⁠: information and support covering miscarriage, stillbirth, neonatal death and other forms of pregnancy and baby loss.  Tommy’s Midwives Helpline: 0800 0147 800, Monday to Friday, 9am–5pm. You can also email midwife@tommys.org.  Black & Black Mixed-Heritage Midwife Helpline⁠ — a specialist service run by Tommy’s midwives in partnership with Five X More.  Tommy’s Miscarriage Support Tool & Wellbeing After Miscarriage⁠ - including personalised information for people considering another pregnancy after miscarriage, mental health support, physiotherapist-led sessions and movement sessions.  Tommy’s also runs Baby Loss and Pregnancy and Parenting After Loss Facebook support groups for peer-to-peer support.  We also discuss the early-pregnancy support available through Plan Your Baby New episodes every Tuesday. Follow along: @thefertilitydiariespod @charlyhoencoach @portia_christina_ Use code FDP10 for 10% off Zita West supplements. 10% off valid once per customer. Applies to one-time or subscription purchase. Subscription discount applies to first month only; standard price applies thereafter. Full T&Cs at zitawest.com/terms We want to hear from you. Send us your dilemmas, questions or fertility thoughts of the week to thefertilitydiariespod@gmail.com.

  3. Sep 30 ·  Bonus

    BONUS | Functional Favourites & Failed Transfers | The Fertility Diaries

    We’re back with another Recommendation Station, and this week Portia has us talking functional drinks, our favourite coffee alternatives and a little daily positivity courtesy of her acupuncturist. We also answer a listener looking for recommendations around losing weight ahead of IVF, and Charly shares some unflavoured electrolytes she’s been testing. Then we move onto this week’s listener question… or at least the part Instagram actually let her send us! After three failed embryo transfers and a diagnosis of adenomyosis, we unpack what we can from her message, share our thoughts and talk about the realities of facing repeated failed transfers when there may be another piece of the fertility puzzle involved. New bonus episodes every Thursday. Follow along: @thefertilitydiariespod @charlyhoencoach @portia_christina_ Got a recommendation, dilemma or some feedback for our bonus episodes? Send it our way at thefertilitydiariespod@gmail.com. Use code FDP10 for 10% off Zita West supplements. 10% off valid once per customer. Applies to one-time or subscription purchase. Subscription discount applies to first month only; standard price applies thereafter. Full T&Cs at zitawest.com/terms

  4. Sep 28

    Patients, Perspectives & Putting You First | A Plan Your Baby Special | The Fertility Diaries

    This week, we’re joined by Marija Skujina, founder of Plan Your Baby, for a refreshingly different conversation about fertility care, second opinions and what it really means to put the patient first. But first, Dear Diary. Portia has her PMOS results and takes us through what she’s learnt, while Charly shares a HYROX update and some of the complicated feelings that can come with continuing to train, race and make plans while also navigating TTC. Then Marija joins us to share her background, why she created Plan Your Baby and her perspective on how fertility care could be done differently. Marija is an ESHRE-certified fertility nurse specialist who founded Plan Your Baby after more than a decade working in fertility care.  We talk about when IVF might be the right next step, the importance of second opinions, overlooked investigations and treatments, affordable IVF and what truly personalised care looks like in practice. We also hear what Marija wishes every patient knew before walking through a fertility clinic’s doors and why going into appointments equipped with the right questions can help you advocate for yourself. We loved hearing Marija’s perspective as a professional working within the fertility world, so of course we had to ask her: if she had a magic wand and could change just ONE thing about fertility care, what would it be? In Closing the Page, we head into the world of women’s football, egg freezing and fertility support for professional athletes, including the recent programme launched in Spain offering female players and referees access to fertility preservation and treatment.  Find out more about Plan Your Baby: https://planyourbaby.co.uk/ Plan Your Baby offers fertility assessment and treatment across the UK, with virtual appointments and a network of partner locations designed to make monitoring and treatment more accessible.  New episodes every Tuesday. Follow along: @thefertilitydiariespod @charlyhoencoach @portia_christina_ Use code FDP10 for 10% off Zita West supplements. 10% off valid once per customer. Applies to one-time or subscription purchase. Subscription discount applies to first month only; standard price applies thereafter. Full T&Cs at zitawest.com/terms We want to hear from you. Send us your dilemmas, questions or fertility thoughts of the week to thefertilitydiariespod@gmail.com.

  5. Sep 23 ·  Bonus

    BONUS | Baby Names & Boundaries | The Fertility Diaries

    We’re back with another Thursday bonus and another Recommendation Station! This week we’ve got a listener recommendation involving Jamaican tea, Portia recommends a day out with her bestie, and we chat about some fertility support groups that might be worth knowing about. Then it’s onto this week’s dilemma: what happens when one of your closest friends gives her baby the name you’ve always dreamed of using for yours, knowing exactly how much that name meant to you? We chat about whether anyone can really claim a baby name, why names can hit surprisingly hard when you’re going through infertility, whether we’d still use it anyway and, naturally, share a few baby-name stories of our own. Tallulahgate included. New bonus episodes every Thursday. Follow along: @thefertilitydiariespod @charlyhoencoach @portia_christina_ Got a recommendation, dilemma or some feedback for our bonus episodes? Send it our way at thefertilitydiariespod@gmail.com. Use code FDP10 for 10% off Zita West supplements. 10% off valid once per customer. Applies to one-time or subscription purchase. Subscription discount applies to first month only; standard price applies thereafter. Full T&Cs at zitawest.com/terms

  6. Sep 21

    Aperols, Anniversaries & Adventures | The Fertility Diaries

    This week, we’re taking you to London with us as we finally get to catch up in person for a very special Zita West event celebrating 25 years of Zita West supplements. But first, Portia updates us on her PMOS testing with Randox Health, including what was tested, what the fasted appointment involved and how she got on. Meanwhile, after putting it off since May, Charly has FINALLY put on the heart monitor she was prescribed and now has 14 days of wearing it to look forward to. Then it’s off to London! We take you behind the scenes of the Zita West event, share some of the people we met, what we learnt about Zita herself and, obviously, have a rummage through our goodie bags. The day also sparks a much deeper conversation about our own fertility journeys and how being surrounded by so many conversations about fertility made us feel about what might come next for both of us. And because no London trip is complete without rooftop Aperols at Selfridges… we obviously made time for those too. In Between the Lines, Embryogate is BACK. This time, we’re talking sperm donors withdrawing consent and what that can mean when embryos have already been created.  Portia’s PMOS test: Randox Health PMOS Screen⁠ - measuring more than 45 biomarkers across areas including reproductive hormones, AMH, metabolic health, thyroid health and nutritional health.  http://www.randoxhealth.com/ Listener discount: stacieC25 New episodes every Tuesday. Follow along: @thefertilitydiariespod @charlyhoencoach @portia_christina_ Use code FDP10 for 10% off Zita West supplements. 10% off valid once per customer. Applies to one-time or subscription purchase. Subscription discount applies to first month only; standard price applies thereafter. Full T&Cs at zitawest.com/terms We want to hear from you. Send us your dilemmas, questions or fertility thoughts of the week to thefertilitydiariespod@gmail.com.

  7. Sep 16 ·  Bonus

    BONUS | Collagen Coffee & Complaining About Children | The Fertility Diaries

    We’re back with another Thursday bonus, and this week’s recommendations take us from natural skincare and collagen coffee to a woman Charly has become slightly obsessed with following after falling down an endometriosis and anti-inflammatory rabbit hole. Then it’s onto this week’s listener dilemma. After nearly three years of trying for a baby, one listener is struggling with a close friend who constantly complains about her children, including the occasional “you can have one of mine if you want” joke. We chat about the difference between expecting people to walk on eggshells around you and knowing when something has crossed a line, protecting yourself when certain conversations hurt, and whether sometimes you simply need to set boundaries. New bonus episodes every Thursday. Follow along: @thefertilitydiariespod @charlyhoencoach @portia_christina_ Got a recommendation, dilemma or some feedback for our bonus episodes? Send it our way at thefertilitydiariespod@gmail.com. Use code FDP10 for 10% off Zita West supplements. 10% off valid once per customer. Applies to one-time or subscription purchase. Subscription discount applies to first month only; standard price applies thereafter. Full T&Cs at zitawest.com/terms

  8. Sep 14

    PCOS, PMOS & Pushing for Answers | The Fertility Diaries

    It’s PCOS Awareness Week, so this week we’re talking all things PCOS… or should that now be PMOS? But first, our weekly catch-up. Portia shares an update on the testing she’s having, talks us through what’s included, and reveals what she thinks her next steps might be depending on the results. We also discuss what she would do if everything comes back completely normal. Charly shares some exciting Soul Fries news, although it comes with a knock-on effect for fertility treatment plans. She also opens up about some symptoms she’s experienced during intense exercise sessions and asks whether any listeners have experienced something similar. Our main topic this week is all about PCOS/PMOS. We discuss the recent name change, what it means, and why it’s sparked so much conversation. We talk about common symptoms, our own experiences, and some of the things we’ve learned along the way. As always, we’re not medical professionals and this episode isn’t intended as medical advice - we’re simply sharing what we’ve learned through our own journeys and conversations within the fertility community. We also chat about exercise, training and movement with PCOS/PMOS, and some of the myths and misconceptions that still exist around the condition. In Between the Lines, we discuss a new initiative aimed at supporting people living with PCOS/PMOS and what developments like these could mean for the future. New episodes every Tuesday. Follow along: @thefertilitydiariespod @charlyhoencoach @portia_christina_ Use code FDP10 for 10% off Zita West supplements. 10% off valid once per customer. Applies to one-time or subscription purchase. Subscription discount applies to first month only; standard price applies thereafter. Full T&Cs at zitawest.com/terms We want to hear from you. Send us your dilemmas, questions or fertility thoughts of the week to thefertilitydiariespod@gmail.

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About

The Fertility Diaries is an unfiltered podcast hosted by Charly and Portia - two best friends navigating fertility, ambition, identity and everything in between. Each week, we share honest conversations about the realities of trying to conceive, IVF, relationships, ambition, mental health, and the emotional rollercoaster that so often goes unspoken. Alongside our personal stories, we explore the science, speak to experts, and unpack the information we wish we’d known sooner - all with humour, honesty and zero judgement. We’re not doctors. We’re not specialists. We’re two women living it in real time - asking the questions, having the awkward conversations, and talking about the parts no one prepares you for. This is fertility without the filters. New episodes every Tuesday.

Information

  • Creator
    The Fertility Diaries
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    53
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The Fertility Diaries
  • Show Website
    The Fertility Diaries

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