The Fertility Podcast NATCHAT PRODUCTIONS LTD

In this episode of the Fertility Podcast, I am joined by Mike Johnson-Ellis who is here to talk all about surrogacy. We talked about the ins and outs of surrogacy, his own surrogacy journey and how that led to the launching of TwoDadsUK and Your Surrogacy Journey. Mike and his partner Wez aim to support couples who are starting their own surrogacy journey, and are passionate about paving the way for a better future for surrogacy. 
What we discussed:
Mike shares his surrogacy journey which resulted in two beautiful children.We talked about TwoDadsUk which launched back in 2016 and the success of the company, then the decision to launch a new non profit surrogacy organisation called My Surrogacy Journey in Feburary of 2021. Mike shared why many women choose to become a surrogate - the ultimate altruistic act. We talked about the feeling of empowerment and accomplishment that surrogates feel.We then discussed what it is like from the other side, for those who make the decision to have a family via surrogacy and the apprehensions of doing so.Mike highlighted the importance of building a relationship with the surrogate and their partner if they have one, and developing a friendship with them.Mike and I talked about where to start, what the options are for those who are looking into surrogacy, for both heterosexual couples, gay couples and single parents.We talked about the recent changes in surrogacy law. However, please note that since the recording of this episode there have been further changes not discussed here.
Mike’s 3 top tips for those considering surrogacy are: 
Do your research - don’t rush into surrogacy, do your research on the organisation or the country your doing your journey in.Always get legal advice - just in case. Understanding that like everything, surrogacy has its highs and its lows.
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Find Best Surrogacy Agency in UK for Surrogacy Support in UK and US (mysurrogacyjourney.com)  
Find My Surrogacy Journey - Season 1 | Podcast on Spotify on Spotify

This week is National Fertility Awareness Week and we thought it was important to discuss male factor infertility. MFI is sometimes hidden in plain sight, as far too often (both by medical professionals and the TTC community) the focus is on the impact on us women. Therefore, joining me today on the Fertility Podcast is Frank Fallon a.k.a @betatwindad to talk about male factor and infertility. Frank and I talk about his diagnosis and the lack of answers from doctors, how he learned to advocate for himself and his drive to seek out his own support. 
Frank shares how low and shell shocked he felt when he was told that he was infertile.This was compounded sadly by his experience of unhelpful the doctors. Frank talks about how he was directed straight to IVF with no explanation or answers about the cause of his infertility. 
Eventually Frank was told that he had low sperm motility and that trying to conceive naturally was unlikely, however he felt there had to be a reason for his infertility and wanted to find out.
Frank describes how he felt guilty and shameful, but the biggest part of it all was not having anyone to talk to. Frank wasn’t offered any support, so made the decision to seek it out himself.
Frank talks about how fortunate he and his partner were to conceive on their first round of IVF and twins at that! After having the twins in 2022, Frank explains how he found out that there were tests that should have been done at the beginning of their fertility journey but were not done. Frank has now been diagnosed with a varicocele. Had this been diagnosed they may not have needed IVF treatment.
Frank's advice to listeners is to find out as much as you possibly can about tests and treatments that are available to you, and make sure you reach out for the support you need.
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In this episode of the Fertility Podcast, I am joined by Doctor Siobhan O'Sullivan and my friend and colleague - Women's Nurse Specialist Kate Pleace to talk about premature ovarian insufficiency (POI) and World Menopause day. We talk about Siobhan's experience of being diagnosis with POI in her early 30's, and Kate discusses the fertility options available and what it's like growing older with POI.
To start us off, Siobhan shares her story of talks stopping the contraceptive pill and experiencing hot flushes. At first, Siobhan thought nothing of it until it got worse over the winter. Siobhan decided to get some blood tests done and how she felt when she received her results.
Siobhan makes the decision to access private care and was told that she had no ovarian reserve left. She tells us about how she wasn’t able to process it all and that she found herself not really wanting to accept her diagnosis. She felt too young for this to be happening to her and she felt that there was a part of her missing.
Sadly, Siobhan diagnosis coincided with a break up from her long term partner and she explains what it is like to cope alone without the support of a partner.
Over time, Siobhan has came to terms with her diagnosis of POI however she says that she is still processing it all. We talk about the impact of a diagnosis of POI on relationships and work. Kate refers to a woman in Leicester who had to quit her job because of the lack of understanding/support that she received during her menopause transition and how this is now being heard by an employment tribunal. This could pave the way for significant changes in how the menopause is viewed in the workplace.
When then move on to Kate who share talks her own experience with POI and how different it can be depending on your age. Kate also talks about fertility treatments for POI including egg donation.
Both Siobhan and Kate share one piece of advice for you if you are finding yourself in a similar situation. Siobhan’s advice is to get support from those who are on the same or a similar journey to you and to never be afraid to reach out for support. Kate advises to take your take your time in finding the right fertility treatment for you.
You can also read Siobhan’s book ‘My life on pause’, check out the link below!
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My Life on pause by Siobhan O'Sullivan
Daisy Network - for advice and support on POI
HFEA IVF Add ons - New HFEA IVF add ons rating as mentioned in this episodes intro

This week's episode comes with a trigger warning as we are discussing pregnancy loss. If you are struggling right now, perhaps leave this episode for when you are feeling a little bit stronger and please do access all the support out there that is available to you.
On what is Baby Loss Awareness Week, I am delighted to be joined by the lovely Tess Souray, model, actress and wellness influencer in the US. Tess shares her experiences of IVF, pregnancy loss and her decision to try genetic screening.
Whilst navigating her fertility journey, Tess found out that her ovarian reserve levels were much lower than they should be for her age and that in fact her egg age was 10 years older than her biological age. This came as a huge shock as Tess assumed that as she young she wouldn't have any problems getting pregnant.Tess shares her frustrations of not being able to progress her fertility journey during the pandemic and the isolation she felt during this time, which has been common to many.Tess tells me about how much IVF has taught her about herself and her body, and that during a fertility journey you have to learn a whole new language with all the different words and acronyms that she had to get familiar with. We talked about the decision to go through IVF and the support that she had from her friends and other women who had gone through fertility treatments. Tess talks openly about how she coped with IVF and the challenges they went through.Tess explains how it felt, to find out at her 10 weeks scan, that there was no heartbeat. The devastating news no one wants to ever hear.Tess unfortunately had a miscarriage just before Thanksgiving, an American National holiday at the end of November. She talks about her down she felt during the holiday.Like many women, Tess felt that there was something wrong and made the decision to get further medical opinion. One specialist mentioned blood clotting, something that hadn’t been raised before with Tess.Tess made the decision to try an IVF add on tests and treatment, currently not available in the UK, called Pregmune which is a comprehensive, AI-powered fertility assessment. During these tests, Tess discovered that she had 3 active blood clots that were only present when she was pregnant. Tess shares that she was able to get the right support from her doctor and happily went on to conceive again.Tess offers some good advice that you are your best advocate, so research and find out everything you can to support your fertility journey.
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Baby Loss Awareness Week
Pregmune

This episode of The Fertility Podcast is all about the practice of Fertility awareness. Fertility Awareness may not be a term that you’ve heard previously, or you might be an expert! Essentially the term means understanding your body and becoming more aware of the changes throughout your cycle. I discuss how you can become more aware of what is happening in your body and just how to become fertility aware. 
In the second half of the episode, I’m joined by my colleague Laura, who has developed the ‘Read Your Body’ App. This fabulous little App, which I highly recommend, helps you get to know and understand your body. Listen in to hear what Laura has to say about her app and how it can help you when trying to conceive.

What’s in this episode:

In the first half of the podcast, I explain what we mean by the term ‘fertility awareness’, and share the 3 indicators of fertility to help you better understand both your body and your fertility.These three indicators are: Temperature, Cervical Mucus and your Cervix.I discuss how ovulation predictor kits and fertility monitors may help but also some of the pitfalls……I talk about how you can observe these indicators to help you identify when you’re fertile and the all important fertile window.Laura joins me to explain just what the Read Your Body app does and how it can help support you to conceive naturally.There are many methods available to help you understand your body and fertility better. From period tracking apps, to ovulation predictor kits and fertility monitors. It’s all about finding what works for you.Fertility Awareness is not currently recommended by NICE based on lack of evidence, but also concerns that women will become overwhelmed. This guidance, based on women’s curiosity and a desire to become empowered, is perhaps outdated.Becoming fertility aware is under your control. It is incredibly empowering and can provide you with so much insight. As Laura says, knowledge is power, so why would you not want to explore all the options that are available to help move you along your fertility journey?


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Look at Read Your Body (RYB) - Home website
The OvuSense Fertility Monitor
Find out more about Ovom Care here

Joining us this week, on what is World Childless Week, is a familiar face. As some of you will know, Kate Pleace is one half of the ‘Kate’ double act, as she works with me in my practice seeing many of our fertility and menopause patients. However, Kate is more than just that - she’s also my beautiful friend.
Kate and I first met here on The Fertility Podcast, many moon's ago, when Nat and I interviewed her to find out more about her experiences of a rare condition called progesterone sensitivity, which sadly ended her fertility journey. Kate is living a life without children but that hasn't held her back from living her life to the full.
What we discussed:
Kate tells us about her fertility journey that started back in 2012, like the majority of her patients, she had some time trying to conceive.Kate then moved onto IVF treatment using her own eggs which then lead to one unsuccessful cycle and one cycle that was cancelled.Kate talks about how she discovered that she had Premature Ovarian Insuffiency (POI) Her husband and Kate looked at using egg donation. This was Kate’s last cycle of treatment, and she became pregnant for the first time.Unfortunately, Kate develped a condition called progesterone hypersensitivity which made her very ill and resulted in a miscarriage.After Kate started to feel better, her and her husband made the decision to end their fertility journey. Kate talked about she felt she was childless but not by choice and how the decision was made for her.Kate and I talked about World Childless Week and what the campaign is doing during the week. We talked about how employee’s who are childless feel underrepresented within the workplace, and how companies should start to include them in the fertility programmes that are in place. How those who are single, childless or alone should receive something as well so that they feel like they are seen too. Kate and I discussed how the language we use when talking about trying to conceive is important, and even if it was not meant to upset the other person, it is still hurtful. Kate talks about her experience with comments and the language used when she was going through her fertility journey. We also talked about moving forward, and not moving on. Understanding that there is an after.Kate mentions legacy and how she felt like legacy was meant for someone else, that she was supposed to leave a legacy behind when in actual fact it is your legacy. Do it for yourself. Kate’s advice to you is: take the time to just be and to reflect with your partner and don’t try to force yourself to go to those baby showers or events like it. Be brave enough to say that you aren’t feeling up to it. Remember that you need to support yourself as well as others. 
If you would like to listen to more episodes on The Fertility Podcast that cover childlessness take a look at these:
https://www.thefertilitypodcast.com/childless-not-by-choice/
https://www.thefertilitypodcast.com/worldchildlessweek/
https://www.thefertilitypodcast.com/robin/
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