Welcome to another episode of The Fertility Podcast! This week is a special week as it is National Fertility Awareness week.

Joining Kate are two incredible women, Jane and Toni, who are here to talk all about fertility and their new book, What Every Woman Needs to Know About Fertility.

This episode, Jane and Toni talk about what it is that they do. Jane, being a Fertility nurse specialist, taught Kate everything she knows about fertility awareness. And Toni, who specializes in sexual and reproductive health information.

Together, they have written a book that is somewhat a guide for a woman all about fertility. From the essentials like understanding your cycles to the bits of information that you might not know like what does IVF mean and how does it work?

They talk about how they have spent their entire professional lives talking to women who don’t have any knowledge around fertility or their body, and then are saddled with fertility issues that they weren’t aware of.

When they wrote the book, they had the intention to deliver clear and honest information about fertility to the world, giving women the opportunity to find out more about their bodies, how they can plan or avoid pregnancy. The book is a guide, like a dictionary for those who are curious as to what a certain term means. It is there to dip into when you need it.

Lastly, they talk about going through fertility, what you can do to prepare your body for pregnancy, what menopause is like and what different terms mean in the fertility world.

Hello again! This episode Kate is joined by the founders of the Swimmers Charity, Tara and Henry.

In this episode, Kate talks with the couple about how this charity is the first and only charity for male factor infertility. Started as a result of their own fertility journey, this charity aims to provide support for those going through infertility and to restore sperm health.

Before Kate and the couple dove into what the charity does and aims to do, Tara and Henry shared their own fertility story that led them to creating the charity.

Back before Tara and Henry were to be married, they decided to check that everything was okay for them to hopefully have children in the future. Through doing all the tests, Tara found that she was perfectly healthy and that there was nothing that flagged concern. Unfortunately, Henry’s results didn’t have the same outcome.

Henry’s results told him that he had low sperm, and that it was decreasing. However there was never an actual reason or explanation as to why this was the case.

The couple decided to go through the IVF process but sadly, they had to abandon the cycle. Tara and Henry tried again, this time with 3 embryos, however, these embryos failed the transfer.

Through all of this, the couple were still trying to achieve their dream of one day having a family. So, after many talks with doctors they were pointed towards DNA fragmentation testing. This unfortunately, came back inconclusive, which Henry explained was incredibly frustrating.

After this, they found out that Henry’s sperm was decreasing in numbers, so Henry made the decision to freeze his sperm, something which he recommends anyone does. Then, Henry made some lifestyle changes, like stopping drinking caffeine, taking cold diets and more.

They then started another IVF cycle and this time it was successful and now they have a baby boy.

They both explain how through this journey, they didn’t tell their family or friends about what it was that they were going through. Although they are wanting to try IVF again, the two of them have said that they would tell their family and friends.

Kate asks about the reasons for setting up the charity and what their goals, and both Tara and Henry shared that they want to help others achieve their dreams of having children of their own. Henry tells Kate about all the exciting things that the charity is going to be doing over the next couple of months such as grants to help those fund their own fertility journey and funding research into finding out why so many people have unexplained infertility.

OUR SPONSOR:

We are delighted that the current series is being sponsored by Proceive who are kindly offering all listeners to The Fertility Podcast 15% off any Procieve purchase, when you use the discount code FP15.

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Hello, this is a little bit of a special episode as The Fertility Podcast is sharing The F Word at Work!

We’re thrilled to have you here, and if this is your first time tuning in, we encourage you to explore our previous episodes.

They feature thought-provoking discussions about why fertility and family-building topics should be a priority on workplace wellbeing agendas. This fourth series focuses specifically on how to support colleagues through various family-building challenges.

In this episode, we’re delighted to welcome Katy Schnitzler, an esteemed trainer and founder of Mist. Katy is an academic whose work revolves around pregnancy loss, miscarriage, and the experiences of those who are childless not by choice, particularly their impact in the workplace.

She is also a lead trainer at the Miscarriage Association, and we're excited to delve into this vital conversation together.

Here’s a glimpse into our conversation:

• Katy emphasizes the holistic approach needed when discussing pregnancy loss, highlighting both the physical and emotional implications for those affected in the workplace.
• We explore common misconceptions surrounding pregnancy loss and the potential physical challenges that individuals face, which can significantly impact their work life.
• Katy offers practical advice for managers and HR professionals on how to compassionately support colleagues experiencing pregnancy loss. This includes the importance of using appropriate language and demonstrating genuine empathy.
• We discuss the emotional toll of pregnancy loss not only on the individual but also on their partner, stressing the importance of acknowledging their feelings and experiences as well.
• We talk about the need for workplace policies that address pregnancy loss and how to implement them, as well as the importance of peer support and training for colleagues
• Katy shares strategies for initiating open conversations about pregnancy loss, emphasising that it's crucial for workplaces to foster an environment where employees feel safe discussing their experiences.

As we approach Baby Loss Awareness Week, we encourage organisations to consider how they can acknowledge this sensitive topic thoughtfully and inclusively.

Thank you for joining us for this important discussion. We hope you find these insights helpful in fostering a supportive workplace culture.

Thank you to Apricity who are sponsoring this series of The F Word at Work. To find out more about how they can support your employees with inclusive fertility care please get in touch with its expert corporate team here. We'd love your support and feedback so please do hit follow and if possible leave a review in the app you are listening to.

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