Fertility Life Raft

Trigger Warning: Mentions of suicidal ideation, mental health struggles, and rape I had the pleasure of chatting to Kat Brown in today's episode. I first met Kat at a women's circle I was hosting. She was so honest and open and raw and just had this magnetic quality, that I really wanted to learn more about her. This conversation with Kat is no different. She shares her honest and important story,...

I had the pleasure of chatting to Dr. Anita Mitra, Gynae Geek, in this episode How to Self Advocate. It was so great to hear her perspective on the doctor/patient relationship and hear what we can do to advocate for ourselves even in the middle of everything. I hope this episode will be helpful to you and give you the tools and empowerment to self advocate for the treatment that you need and want!...

Trigger Warning: Infertility I had the pleasure of chatting to Samantha Busch in this episode Strength, Empowerment, and Community. I was so excited when I approached Samantha to see if she might be happy to speak with me, and I was really moved by her honesty and openness as she shared her story with me. I hope this episode will be an encouragement to you! Samantha Busch is a wife (to NASCAR cham...

Trigger Warning: Baby Loss This week I had the pleasure of chatting to Sophie Martin, otherwise known as @theinfertilemidwife on Instagram. This chat is really packed with helpful information, personal insight and it’s so moving to listen to Sophie’s story but so uplifting too. So looking forward to sharing this conversation with you! Sophie Martin is a Registered Midwife and has worked in a Centr...

Trigger Warning: Infertility I had the honor of chatting to Amber Izzo in this episode IVF Postcode Lottery and Taking Ownership. We speak about her amazing Fight For IVF Campaign, and talk about working through the frustration of being told, "You're young. You'll be fine!" and what it feels like on the other side of those words. We also have a good chat about how to stay in your own lane while st...

Trigger Warning: Infertility I had the pleasure of starting off Series 3 by chatting to Aisha Balesaria in this episode Finding Happiness, Whatever Happens. This is a powerful conversation which I hope will encourage you to feel empowered in taking space and time to process your experiences, as well as to find happiness for yourself each and every single day. Aisha and her husband spent 10 years t...

I feel very humbled to be able to bring you this episode. I recently had this conversation with my friend Zara Dawson. Afterwards, I was really struck by the power of just sitting down with a cuppa, and listening. I hope you'll do the same... We speak about: - Zara and Lex's experience of going through a termination for medical reasons - the positive change Zara is doing so much to drive to suppor...

Heads up: we cover miscarriage and loss in this episode, but we also talk about dealing with the unique grief that comes from failed fertility treatment and any difficult path to bringing home a baby. My guest is grief expert, trained counsellor, author, CEO of the Mariposa Trust and Saying Goodbye, and government advisor: Zoe Clark Coates. We cover so much in this episode including: Zoe's story a...

I had the honour of chatting to Jen Roberts and her Mum, Eileen, (back when the weather was a tad less icy!) and it’s one of my favourite podcast episodes yet. Eileen’s insight from a mother’s perspective on what it’s like to watch your child experience infertility, miscarriage, IVF- and then to share it all on Instagram- is just so moving and important. These two are such personalities!! And both...

Chloe Brotheridge is the Anxiety Expert. We talk about lots of different ways we can approach the kind of anxiety that might show up when we're in the middle of waiting for a result; in between cycles of treatment...or just in general. Chloe has been featured in Women’s Health, Glamour, Stylist; she has two books out and coaches people to help them become calmer versions of themselves. We referenc...

Hi guys! We're just a few days away from Fertility Week and I share a bit about the BBC work I've been creating and working on behind the scenes in this episode; I also share a wonderful, open and honest conversation with Kate Meakin. Kate and her husband Phil are trying to have their second child while going through unimaginably trying circumstances after Phil was recently diagnosed with a brain...

Trigger warning: we talk in quite a lot of detail about miscarriage and the reality of it. Please don't listen if you don't feel able to at this point. Emily is also mum to Arthur and pregnant at the time of recording, so we talk a little bit about her pregnancy too as well as mental health. My old school friend and I, Emily Merry, sat down and talked all about her journey - we cover a lot. Pre-na...

I had an amazing time chatting to Sara from IVF Babble; an online magazine which also runs a charity, Babble Giving. They do incredible work linking up with fertility clinics to organise free rounds of IVF; have an established, thriving online community as well as their IVF Stronger Together campaign (backed by the likes of Fearne Cotton and Holly Willoughby) this powerhouse team are making huge i...

Dr. Zoe Williams and I had such a great chat about all things fertility; her own personal story; the problem with getting GPs to take fertility issues seriously and how we can be brave enough to take opportunities when they come knocking. Such an inspirational woman! I also share more about the new Tommy's campaign, #tellmewhy which is pushing for further pregnancy research. 82% of women worry it...

Honoured to share three women, Nicole Val, Jocelyn Bell and Mel Johnson at different stages of their journey into becoming mothers with the help of science, by themselves. I wanted to respond to news that an NHS body has banned single women from accessing IVF stating research which included phrases like 'single mothers are a burden on society' and a " sole woman is unable to bring out the best out...

Hannah and Lewis Vaughan Jones are both broadcast journalists with the most beautiful speaking voices! They've been through 15 rounds of IVF and after mentally moving onto double donor conception, their last FET with their own embryo worked and they are currently pregnant. We had such a juicy, honest, funny but frank conversation about relationships, the problems with the ‘staying positive’ and ‘n...

Elle Wright, author ('Ask Me His Name'), instagram queen and general excellent person speaks to me about her story so far from finding her way through the aftermath of losing her 3 day old baby, Teddy; a miscarriage after that, and the trials of trying to conceive via IVF since then. We cover all sorts and I've deliberately kept in most of our chat rather than edit it too much as...well, there's j...

I'm so excited to be finally bringing back my podcast! I've got a brand new name.. Fertility Life Raft (previously The TTC Life Raft) but the aim is the same: to make this experience just a tiny bit brighter. I've been lucky enough to speak to some amazing guests so far with more lined up and in this trailer you will hear from: Elle Wright Sara Marshall Page Dr. Zoe Williams Jocelyn Bell Hannah an...

For this final episode in the series, I'm delighted to welcome back Cat Strawbridge (Instagram: @tryingyears) and Keeley Dwight (Instagram: @_tryingtobeamum_) who you will remember from Episode 1. We cover loads of issues here. All three of us are very honest and it does get a little emotional at times. I think these conversations are so important to have and I hope that by having them, we can mak...

Facing Christmas and New Year when you don't feel you have achieved your dream; you're dealing with grief and you're bracing yourself for all of the questions from family and friends... can be soul destroying, exhausting and sad for many people. I know this feeling so well and my guest Emily Hodge does too. Emily also happens to have an incredibly moving personal story and happens to be a life coa...

This episode I have a big juicy chat with the wonderful Dr. Larisa Corda, fertility specialist from the telly box! I loved this conversation because we covered such a broad range of topics. Dr. Larisa has an amazing, holistic approach to all things fertility and health, married with totally down to earth communication (which, don't get me wrong if you're a medic reading this, can be hard to find!)...

A fascinating conversation with clinical pyschologist and Mum to Orla, stillborn at full term, and Esme; Michelle shares insights into her own personal story of healing. We cover all kinds of topics in this episode and focus on how we can practice self-compassion, what it means when we change as people through our experiences and how we can learn to be OK with the people we become. Fave quotes: “t...

A bumper episode this week with top tips from: Melanie Brown, Fertility Nutritionist Andreia Trigo from inFertile Life Sarah Banks, Fertility Coach Mr and Mrs Lemon-Ade Baby (Claire and Dan!) Barbara Scott, Chair of the Association of Reproductive Reflexologists... AND if that wasn't enough: ...a lovely, cosy, uplifting chat with the brilliant Emma and Gabby from Big Fat Negative Podcast, my compe...

It's Fertility Week here in the UK and people all over the country are working hard to raise awareness, smash stigmas and normalise conversations. I'm so proud to share this episode of the podcast with Fat Positive Fertility Coach Nicola Salmon. "fat women feel like they're not worthy of being mothers" "you don't have to climb the mountain, you just have to take the step" "the damage that diet cul...

What a busy week it's been. On Episode 4, I share with you what it's been like sharing a blog which got the most response I've ever had and include an interview with LBC radio on the back of it. I also have a wonderful chat with Sophie Sulehria and her husband Jonny Baker. Sophie is a BBC reporter. Sophie and Jonny have been through 6 rounds of unsuccessful IVF and have shared their journey with R...