In/Fertility In The City

TRIGGER WARNING: This episode deals with discussions of in/fertility and/or baby loss. -- In this episode Natalie and Somaya are joined by Jemma Shanley, a paediatric doctor who shares her tumultuous journey through fertility challenges while balancing a demanding medical career. From initial naivety about conceiving to enduring multiple miscarriages, IVF treatments, and the emotional toll of work...

TRIGGER WARNING: This episode deals with discussions of in/fertility and/or baby loss. --  In this episode of In/Fertility in the City we’re joined by Amy Simpson, the founder of the Mind Body Belief Method, to discuss the transformative power of emotional and physical preparation in the fertility journey. Amy shares her personal connection to the struggle through her sister's story, the success o...

TRIGGER WARNING: This episode deals with discussions of in/fertility and/or baby loss . -- In this episode of In/Fertility in the City we're joined by the inspiring Claire Burton, a family lawyer who shares her journey from confronting unexpected jealousy at a friend's pregnancy to embracing solo parenthood, navigating the complex world of sperm donation, and defying medical odds. Along the way, C...

TRIGGER WARNING: This episode deals with discussions of in/fertility and/or baby loss. -- This episode of "In/Fertility in the City" brings the spotlight onto an often-overlooked struggle: male involuntary childlessness. Dr. Robin Hadley, author and founder member of the campaign group Ageing without Children, joins us to speak candidly about his personal battle with wanting to be a dad and the co...

TRIGGER WARNING: This episode deals with discussions of in/fertility and/or baby loss. -- In this episode, Natalie and Somaya have a poignant conversation with Emma Whitney, a leading embryologist who has dedicated her life to helping others conceive. Emma discusses the delicate balance of her professional duties amidst her own fertility struggles, including the loss of a child and multiple miscar...

TRIGGER WARNING: This episode deals with discussions of in/fertility and/or baby loss. Explore the future of fertility with In/Fertility in the City as we welcome Caroline Noublanche, CEO of Apricity, a trailblazing company offering virtual fertility treatments… and our Season 4 sponsor. Learn how Apricity's unique model provides convenience, privacy, and high success rates, making the dream of pa...

We’ll be launching Season 4 next week but before that we have a bonus episode to share some news about the podcast. Since we launched the show in 2022 we’ve been a trio, but lives change and create new priorities, and Emma has decided that the time is right to step back and focus on being a mum, running her business, and lots more. In this episode, Emma talks with Natalie and Somaya about what In/...

TRIGGER WARNING: This episode deals with discussions of in/fertility and/or baby loss. -- It’s our Season 3 finale and for the first time on the podcast we are bringing you one of our live events, our third so far. Joining Natalie, Somaya and Emma at the offices of law firm Clifford Chance in London are panellists Keeley Lengthorn, Eraldo D’Atri, Nina Goswami, and Sophie Wellings. They share their...

TRIGGER WARNING: This episode deals with discussions of in/fertility and/or baby loss. -- In this episode, we are joined by ITV news anchor Andrea Byrne who shares her experience of being diagnosed with unexplained infertility and suffering multiple miscarriages. Her daughter was born naturally, defying the odds to some extent, but as with so many in/fertility stories, Andrea’s takes several twist...

TRIGGER WARNING: This episode deals with discussions of in/fertility and/or baby loss. -- In this episode we're delighted to be speaking with Yvonne John, author of ‘Dreaming of a Life Unlived: Intimate Stories and Portraits of Women Without Children’ and a leading voice for women of colour’s experience around infertility and childlessness. Yvonne was diagnosed with ‘unexplained infertility’ in Oc...

TRIGGER WARNING: This episode deals with discussions of in/fertility and/or baby loss. -- In this episode, we are joined by Jenny Saft to discuss fertility benefits and how they not only support people with their in/fertility journeys, but can also give employers an advantage in attracting and retaining talent, and creating a positive workplace culture that aligns with DE&I. Jenny candidly dis...

TRIGGER WARNING: This episode deals with discussions of in/fertility and/or baby loss. -- In this episode, we are joined by Amy McKeown who has a very unique story to tell us today about her personal experience of miscarriage, redundancy, and taking on her employer. She shares the trauma of baby loss and how this was exacerbated by employment policies that are all-too-often inadequate to truly ref...

TRIGGER WARNING: This episode deals with discussions of in/fertility and/or baby loss. In this episode, we’re joined by Sara Van Der Meer, who is an HR business partner at Cancer Research UK and head of their Fertility and Baby Loss Network. Following a difficult journey with fertility struggles, she successfully created her family through adoption and now has two girls, aged six and four. We met...

TRIGGER WARNING: This episode deals with discussions of in/fertility and/or baby loss. -- In this episode we are joined by Hannah and Lewis, who are both journalists and met at journalism college many moons ago! Lewis presents on the BBC News channel while Hannah anchored CNN International until she finally got pregnant in 2019. They have been very public about their infertility struggle since 201...

TRIGGER WARNING: This episode deals with discussions of in/fertility and/or baby loss. For this episode, Natalie, Somaya, and Emma are joined by Lisa Finnegan. Lisa is Vice President of LinkedIn’s International Human Resources organisation, leading LinkedIn’s HR Business Partners across EMEA, LATAM and APAC regions. Since joining LinkedIn in 2016, Lisa’s work has been recognised, with the company...

TRIGGER WARNING: This episode deals with discussions of in/fertility and/or baby loss. For this episode, Natalie, Somaya, and Emma are joined by Zita West. For over 40 years, Zita West has been working in the field of fertility in pregnancy as a midwife and acupuncturist. In that time, she has written 9 books, founded an IVF clinic and launched a range of fertility supplements, baby products as we...

TRIGGER WARNING: This episode deals with discussions of in/fertility and/or baby loss. We’re back for Season 3 with some more incredible, insightful, and inspirational guests. For this first episode, Natalie and Somaya (Emma’s back soon!) are joined by Jeremy Holmes. Jeremy is a lawyer who has worked in international law firms, one of the UK financial regulators and now works in-house at ClearBank...

TRIGGER WARNING: This episode deals with discussions of in/fertility and/or baby loss. -- It’s an emotional season finale of In/Fertility in the City as Emma, Natalie, and Somaya are joined from Dublin by Elga Long. Her story resonates so much with us that there were tears as she described her challenges with IVF and trying to navigate a workplace without clear policies or support for those underg...

TRIGGER WARNING: This episode deals with discussions of in/fertility and/or baby loss. There is also mention of suicidal thoughts. -- In/fertility in the City is all about crossing new borders in the discussion about fertility challenges and how that is managed in the workplace, but in this episode we are also crossing the Atlantic. Canadian lawyer Fariya Wajli joins us to talk about a devastating...

One of the most important aims of what we do at In/Fertility in the City is to get people talking more about fertility issues, not just when they occur but as part of the narrative around becoming a parent. Our guest today wishes that he had known more about male infertility well before he and his wife had started trying for a baby. Shawn Greenaway, a police detective who worked on the Salisbury P...

TRIGGER WARNING: This episode deals with discussions of in/fertility and/or baby loss. -- There’s a growing trend towards establishing a career path before considering starting a family, but this is not right for everyone and traditionally was not so prevalent. Our guest today began her fertility journey and became a mum in her early 20s, but not without many struggles – not least polycystic ovari...

TRIGGER WARNING: This episode deals with discussions of in/fertility and/or baby loss. Suicidal thoughts are also mentioned. -- Much discussion about infertility focuses on the woman, but sometimes it’s male factor infertility that causes issues for couples. Abnormal or low-quality sperm or blockages in sperm delivery can be investigated, but is often not even considered, especially in the early s...

TRIGGER WARNING: This episode deals with discussions of in/fertility and/or baby loss. -- The sad reality is that sometimes the desperate wish to become pregnant is met with the realisation that it just isn’t going to happen. Despite doing everything you can to maximise your chances, and the medical wonders of IVF and other treatments, pregnancy is never guaranteed. For Kat Brown, not being able t...

TRIGGER WARNING: This episode deals with discussions of in/fertility and/or baby loss. -- We’re excited to bring you a great guest on this episode… Joeli Brearley is the founder of the charity and campaign group, Pregnant Then Screwed which she established in 2015 after her own experience of pregnancy discrimination. Her organisation is rewriting the narrative for mothers in the UK, whilst working...

TRIGGER WARNING: This episode deals with discussions of in/fertility and/or baby loss. -- On this episode we’ll hear a perspective we haven’t covered so far on the podcast, the male experience of baby loss and fertility challenges within a heterosexual couple. We’ve found that men are often reluctant to share this part of the in/fertility story, so we were delighted when Jonathan Crompton stepped...