Big Fat Negative: TTC, fertility, infertility and IVF

Poppy Child isn't our usual guest: she's a doula whose social media feeds are stuffed with advice on giving birth. But she has also experienced pregnancy loss, and that's what we're talking about today. TRIGGER WARNING: This episode covers pregnancy loss and miscarriage in detail. Please don't listen if you can't. Meanwhile, Professor Tim is talking about recurrent implantation failure: what tests...

This week we're joined by Leah Hazard, the author of Womb: The Inside Story of Where We All Began. We talk about the things we don't know about the womb - like sperm crypts! - and current research which gives those suffering infertility just the tiniest glimmer of hope. Meanwhile, Professor Tim is talking about sugar - should we avoid it when we're TTC? Swears throughout. Hosted on Acast. See acas...

We're joined today by the TV host Scarlette Douglas, who tells us about her experiences of freezing her eggs. There's a bit of chat in here about possible side-effects of egg freezing: suffice it to say that if you experience numbness during your stim cycle, please go straight to A&E. Meanwhile, Professor Tim is answering an interesting question: are babies born from the same egg retrieval lik...

We're kicking off the seventh series by examining the problem of childless cat ladies: who, exactly, were JD Vance's comments aimed at? Not us, apparently - and yet we have taken great offence anyway. We're joined by Kat Brown, a self-confessed childless cat lady, to discuss what it all means. Meanwhile, Professor Tim is looking at probiotics - can they help implantation? Swears throughout. Hosted...

It's Gabby's last spin of the wheel, as she uses her final embryo. How did it go? Find out here. TRIGGER WARNING: This episode reveals the result of a round of IVF. If you are not ready to hear that, please look after your heart and listen some other time. Contains swears. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A bonus episode: Gabby prepares for the transfer of her final embryo. Swears throughout. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

*** TRIGGER WARNING: THIS EPISODE INCLUDES DISCUSSION ABOUT A PREGNANCY TEST RESULT AFTER AN IVF ROUND. PLEASE DO NOT LISTEN IF THIS ISN'T THE RIGHT TIME FOR YOU *** It's the end of the TWW, which means... pregnancy test time. But it isn't straightforward for Gabby. The girls discuss the result of the (eventual) test, how it feels when she already has one child and what it means for her future. Sw...

It's just after transfer day and Gabby, stuck in the two-week wait (TWW) isn't doing well. The girls discuss symptom spotting, when to test and how to get through the TWW without losing your mind. Swears throughout. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hi! Are you a new listener? We suggest you go back and start from the beginning, so you get to know us properly. BFN is back for a special mini-series, as we follow Gabby on her second jourrrrney! In the second episode she prepares for her transfer, enjoys a moment of notoriety and worries about her scan - for an uncharacteristically gross reason. Enjoying the series? Please rate and review it - i...

Hi! Are you a new listener? We suggest you go back and start from the beginning, so you get to know us properly. BFN is back for a special mini-series, as we follow Gabby on her second jourrrrney! In this episode we're talking about her decision to go again, the process so far and why she's worried about her timing. Enjoying the series? Please rate and review it - it helps others to find the podca...

It's the last episode of the series, so we've got a special guest for you: Izzy Judd, one of the first celebrities to speak out about her infertility. We talk about what it was like to go through IVF in the public eye, and how she discovered what had stopped her periods. Meanwhile, Prof Tim is talking about endometriosis - can it prevent implantation? Swears - including one big one - throughout. H...

'Embabies', 'frosties' - we give our embryos many names, but there may come a time when we reach the end of the TTC road and have blastocysts left over. Today we speak to fellow fertility podcaster Natalie Silverman about how she came to the decision to say goodbye to hers, while embryologist Millie Kanani explains how the process works. Meanwhile, Prof T addresses bleeding during the TWW - is it...

This week we're joined by Natalie Sutherland, the world's first fertility officer, and Somaya Ouazzani. With a shared background in corporate law, the two have started In/Fertility in the City, a space to share stories about going through fertility struggles while working in high-powered roles. Meanwhile, Professor Tim addresses Covid and its effect on embryo quality. If you don't want to hear Emm...

TRIGGER WARNING: CONTAINS THE RESULT OF A PREGNANCY TEST. PLEASE TURN OFF AFTER 44:19 IF YOU CAN'T LISTEN - and please look after your heart first. Model, presenter, singer and generally impressive woman Erin Holland joins us to talk about her slightly unusual fertility journeeey , and the circumstances in which she finds herself having to hoard embryos. Meanwhile, Emma announces the results of he...

The people we're talking to today need no introduction: The Worst Girl Gang ever is one of the UK's biggest podcasts on pregnancy loss and miscarriage - so big they've just published their first book. We speak to Bex and Laura about losing their babies, the 'uglies', and why they started their gang. Meanwhile, Professor Tim explains whether you can ever have too much progesterone. Swears throughou...

Author Claire Lynch joins us to talk about her book Small: On Motherhoods, same-sex TTC, and what it's like to have premature twins. Meanwhile, Emma has Some News and Professor Tim addresses our second-silliest question so far. Swears throughout. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What is wrong with Emma's mic today? We don't know, but we're sorry. Normal service will resume next week. We're joined by Shaun Greenaway, aka Knackered Knackers, who talks about what it's like to find out you have azoospermia and how he came to the decision to use a sperm donor. Meanwhile, Professor Tim explains why you can't breastfeed and go through IVF treatment at the same time. Swears throu...

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH GAIA: We're here on a Monday for a special episode to discuss funding IVF and fertility treatment. We've got an amazing panel including campaigners Wegan, journalist Alex Holder and Nader AlSalim, the founder and CEO of Gaia, to talk about the ups and downs (mainly downs) of financing your fertility treatment. To find out more about Gaia, visit https://gaiafamily.com/. Hosted o...

Amy Davies moved thousands of viewers to tears (and dozens of you to message us) when she shared her experiences of infertility on the show Interior Design Masters. Today she joins us to talk about the multiple miscarriages she has suffered, and how she used her time on the show to pull herself out of the IVF trench. Elsewhere, we are speaking to Wegan about their triumph after the Women's Health...

Emma Barnett is the host of Woman's Hour and Newsnight - and she's also struggling to conceive her second child. In May this year she wrote a tell-all piece for the Times, in which she described her six (now seven) rounds of IVF and the miscarriage she suffered. Here, she tells Emma and Gabby what she's been through, how she holds down her career with debilitating endometriosis, and why she keeps...

Gabby and Emma speak to Sophie Sulehria and Laura Biggs from the Fertility Show ahead of their appearance at the show next month, and in IVF WTF, Gabby asks Dr Wael Saab, fertility consultant and Deputy Clinical Director at the CRGH, about some of the basics of IVF. If you want tickets to the show, use the code BFN20 to get 20% off at checkout, valid until midnight on 7 May. Book tickets at fertil...

TRIGGER WARNING: This episode contains people describing the result of fertility treatment. if you can't listen right now, switch off when we tell you (after 18:14). Emma and Gabby catch up with Sophie, their guest from last season, to find out what happened after her egg collection - and where she's at now. Swears throughout. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Gabby talks to TikTok star and embryologist Alease Daniel about how embryos are made, what embryologists are looking for - and whether embryo grades really make a difference. Emma and Gabby also discuss This Is Going to Hurt , the new BBC series. Swears throughout. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Gabby and Emma speak to Toby Trice, a racing driver with a mission to spread the word about male infertility, and why men need to be checked out too. He talks about his jourrrney and why he is committed to helping men talk about their experiences. Swears throughout. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What happens to your body after miscarriage? Emma speaks to Lyanne Nicholl, the author of Your Postnatal Body, who explains why focusing on the physicality of loss and grief is important - and why doctors' suggestion that 'it's just like a heavy period' is often wrong. Swears (and rampant Britishisms) throughout. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.