That Fertile Feeling

The side effects of fertility treatment can be really bad. They’re actually a major reason why many women drop out of treatment completely. On this episode of the podcast, I discuss the three most important tools that I have learned over the years to deal with pain, stress and the negative feelings these may create within you. I talk about what you can do to create space for treatment and how you...

When you’re dealing with (in)fertility, your life can easily start to revolve around this one thing. You’re stuck in doing mode - trying to figure out which steps to take to maximise your chances of getting pregnant. On this episode of the podcast, I talk to Anoshe Overington and Gita Spruit about their experiences with (in)fertility, pregnancy loss and how they have used - and continue to use - E...

(Recurrent) pregnancy loss can be a very heavy burden to carry. The grief and sadness can take a big toll on your (mental) health and your relationship. In addition, it can be really scary to get pregnant again after loss. On this episode of the podcast, I talk to Lindsay Blair about her experience carrying two healthy twins to term after having suffered nine losses. We discuss how to heal yoursel...

A couple of years ago, I worked with a ‘fertility coach’ who really exploited my vulnerability as an aspiring mother. She was recommended to me by someone I really trusted, so I really wanted to work with her. When we connected, I felt right away that something was off but my fear that this was my only chance of having a baby was stronger. Thousands of dollars later, I was left with empty pockets...

One complaint I often hear from the women I work with is that fertility treatment can feel so cold and clinical and like you’re put on a conveyor belt where one procedure just leads to the next one. On this episode of the podcast, I talk to medical anthropologist Trudie Gerrits, who specializes in assisted reproductive technology. We discuss how the interaction between the doctors, the people faci...

When your fertility journey is a complicated one, it can involve a lot of grief and loss. There’s also a lot of different hurts, such as pregnancy loss, failed fertility treatment, not being able to conceive (naturally), grieving for the carefree you ‘pre your fertility journey’, even grieving over something as ‘simple’ as getting your period. On this episode of the podcast, I talk to Death Doula...

The two-week-wait can be an agonising time. It confronts us with some of life’s ultimate lessons: that we don’t know what tomorrow will bring, that we have no control over the outcome of our fertility journeys, and that sometimes all you can do in life is just wait. On this episode of the podcast, I talk about how you can use the two-week-wait as the ultimate mindfulness tool. A first step is to n...

It is becoming more common to hear women talk about their (in)fertility journeys. What’s less common is to hear about the partner’s perspective. On this episode of the podcast, I talk to Martin Stoker about his experience losing three unborn children and giving up on his dream of becoming a father. Although Martin himself would be the first to say that he still is a father - even though his childr...

The burden of (in)fertility can put a huge strain on your romantic relationship. You and your partner might be dealing with intense emotions in different ways, you might be unable to support each other throughout this journey, you might not be on the same page when it comes to next treatment steps and/or your relationship may have lost all sense of fun and intimacy. On this episode of the podcast,...

As compassionate as many doctors may be, they aren’t necessarily focused on creating an atmosphere that truly allows your nervous system to relax. On this episode of the podcast, I share the three steps that I took during my frozen embryo transfer yesterday to really be able to relax and turn my procedure into a magical moment. I discuss how you can create space for relaxation, ask for what you ne...

Your pelvic region is home to your life force, creative power, and intuitive wisdom. Yet we have never been taught how to truly listen to what this part of our body has to say. On this episode of the podcast, I discuss the importance of having a healthy connection with your womb and pelvic region and I highlight a number of reasons why I feel we’ve become so disconnected from the womb in the first...

I recently found myself in a state of intense emotional turmoil. My clinic called me to schedule an intake for our next frozen embryo transfer and it just triggered a sandstorm of feelings of grief, fear and resistance - all of them boiling down to the feeling that I might be blocking myself from getting pregnant. On this episode of the podcast, I discuss what I did to get myself out of that black...

Connecting to your cycle and your womb are key tools to access your body’s inner wisdom. On this episode of the podcast, I talk to yoga teacher and fellow fertility warrior Viki Lefler about her experiences with cycle & moon tracking and womb healing. We discuss how our bodies often carry the stories, experiences and traumas that were passed on through our mothers and grandmothers - and how we can...

Getting pregnant is one of those processes in life that, ultimately, you have no control over. That can be a very hard pill to swallow, as we've been taught from a young age that if we just work hard enough, we'll be able to achieve anything we want. On this episode of the podcast, I talk to stress and vitality expert Bas Snippert on how to deal with the uncertainty and stress that this lack of co...

When getting pregnant doesn’t come easily, it can be very hard to deal with the feelings of uncertainty and desperation this creates. We’ve never really been taught how to deal with situations that are beyond our control. On this episode of the podcast, I share with you how I learned to surrender to my fertility journey and all the bumps that I encountered along the way. I discuss the importance o...

Has your love life suffered because of your fertility issues? Then you are definitely not alone. On this episode, I talk to intimacy coach Diana Ciolca about how to reclaim passion in your relationship when your attempts at conception have started to dull things down. We discuss how you can stop treating your body as a baby making instrument, how to rekindle desire and love making, and how to deal...

When you've been trying to conceive for a while, it may feel like you will never be truly happy again until you have a baby. On this episode, Instagram reel-star Abbie Clark and I discuss how you can move out of this mindset and build an inner reservoir of resilience. We focus on the importance of investing time and energy in things you are passionate about, developing a practice of gratitude and...

In this episode of That Fertile Feeling – The Podcast, I talk to two women who I’ve had the pleasure of meeting in my women’s circles. Kyara Skura is my long-time friend and co-host of the ‘Shakti circles’: a place where women meet to unwind and invest in self-care. Ilse was one of the participants of my first group for women facing unwanted childlessness. We discuss what women’s circles are and w...

In this episode of That Fertile Feeling – The Podcast, I talk to women’s coach Jessica Fawn on how you can stop seeing your body as just an instrument when #TTC and how you can find back the love for your body. We also discuss how you can create a more feminine, yin approach to getting pregnant, how to deal with stress, trauma, and grief, and how you can use cycle tracking to improve your quality...

In this episode of That Fertile Feeling – The Podcast, I talk to perfectionism coach Evelien Bijl. Evelien sheds her light on how you can let go off perfectionism about your fertility regimen. We also discuss how you can ease up on emotional perfectionism, i.e. the idea that you’re not allowed to feel fear or stress because that might harm your chances of conceiving. In addition, Evelien provides...

In this first episode of That Fertile Feeling - The Podcast I tell you about my own fertility journey and the important lessons I've learned along the way. I use my own experience as an example of how you can tune in to your body and step out of your mind to take care of yourself and make the whole process feel a little less heavy.