Big Fat Negative: TTC, fertility, infertility and IVF - podcast cover

Big Fat Negative: TTC, fertility, infertility and IVF

Big Fat Negativewww.bigfatnegative.com
Big Fat Negative is the podcast about IVF, infertility and the trials of TTC - aka trying for a baby. Co-hosted by journalists and friends Emma Forsyth Haslett and Gabriella Griffith, the show follows their stories on the not-so-simple journey to motherhood, while also interviewing a range of experts on all things infertility.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episodes

Genevieve Roberts, going solo and abnormal-shaped uteruses

Hello! Are you a new listener? Why not start from the first episode? You'll get to know us better. Emma and Gabby are joined by author Genevieve Roberts, who discusses her book, Going Solo: My Choice to Become a Single Mother Using a Donor (out now!). Professor Tim Child, medical director at Oxford Fertility, addresses abnormal-shaped uteruses: how much do they affect your chances of conceiving? Some swears. Find Genevieve's book on Amazon . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more inform...

Jul 15, 201958 minSeason 2Ep. 24

Julia Bueno on miscarriage, part 2

Hello! Are you a new listener? Why not start from the first episode? You'll get to know us better. We're joined again by author and psychotherapist Julia Bueno for the second part of our conversation about miscarriage. Julia's book, The Brink of Being, is available on Amazon and in bookshops. Meanwhile, Professor Tim Child, medical director at Oxford Fertility, discusses antihistamines - are they ok to take when TTC? Also here is a link to CoFertility as mentioned in the intro: https://cofertili...

Jul 08, 201955 minSeason 2Ep. 23

Julia Bueno on miscarriage, part 1

Hello! Are you a new listener? Why not start from the first episode? You'll get to know us better. We're joined by author and psychotherapist Julia Bueno for the first part of our conversation about miscarriage. Julia's book, The Brink of Being, is available on Amazon and in bookshops. Meanwhile, Professor Tim Child, medical director at Oxford Fertility, addresses saliva - is it good or bad for semen? Not many swears this week, but lots of adult themes. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for...

Jul 01, 20191 hr 4 minSeason 2Ep. 22

Kate Spicer, furry friends and Ibuprofen

Hello! Are you a new listener? Why not start from the first episode? You'll get to know us better. We're joined this week by Kate Spicer, the author of Lost Dog: A Love Story, to talk about pets - why they fill a gap in our hearts, and why they can help us deal with our feelings of grief. Meanwhile, Professor Tim Child, medical director at Oxford Fertility, explains why you should avoid Ibuprofen when TTC. Lots of strong swears this week. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more informati...

Jun 24, 20191 hr 1 minSeason 2Ep. 21

Fertility awareness, drugs disposal and mental health

Hello! Are you a new listener? Why not start from the first episode? You'll get to know us better. Gabby is joined this week by Lisa Hendrickson-Jack, the author of the Fifth Vital Sign, to talk fertility awareness, and how you can track your cycles to improve fertility. Meanwhile, Professor Tim explains what to do with IVF drugs once you've finished your cycles. Some swears. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....

Jun 18, 20191 hr 12 minSeason 2Ep. 20

Everything you need to know about hormones

Hello! Are you a new listener? It might be a good idea to go back to the start of the podcast and listen from there. You'll get to know us better. Gabby and Emma are joined this week by Dr Jan Toledano of the London Hormone Clinic to talk hormones and the role they play in TTC. Professor Tim addresses embryo quality - how to embryologists decide which one to put back? Some swears. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....

Jun 10, 20191 hr 8 minSeason 2Ep. 19

Egg donation, early menopause and the 12 week progesterone puzzle

Hello! Are you a new listener? It might be a good idea to go back to the start of the podcast and listen from there. You'll get to know us better. Emma and Gabby are joined by Becky Kearns to talk about how she conceived her three daughters via egg donation after she was diagnosed with early menopause. Professor Tim explains why clinics ask IVF patients to stop drugs at different stages during early pregnancy. Some swears. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....

Jun 03, 20191 hr 20 minSeason 2Ep. 18

Lina Chan, full bladders and reflectiveness

Hello! Are you a new listener? It might be a good idea to go back to the start of the podcast and listen from there. You'll get to know us better. Emma and Gabby are joined by Lina Chan to talk about her 'journey' and why she started fertility information service Adia. Professor Tim Child, medical director at Oxford Fertility, returns - this week to why you'll need a full bladder during embryo transfer. Some swears. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....

May 20, 20191 hr 1 minSeason 2Ep. 17

Infertility and Islam, more freakouts and an alien experience

Hello! Are you a new listener? Can we suggest you go back and start from the beginning of the podcast? You'll get to know us better that way. This week, Emma and Gabby are joined by their first anonymous guest, who talks about her journey and how she reconciles infertility with her Islamic faith. No Prof Tim this week! He'll be back soon. Some swears. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....

May 13, 201952 minSeason 2Ep. 16

Miscarriage, cider vinegar and another scary episode

Emma and Gabby are joined by Kate Pinney, a midwife from Tommy's, to talk about miscarriage, while Professor Tim tackles apple cider vinegar - can it help regulate hormones? NB. we've banished pregnancy chat to the end of the podcast, so it's easier for you to avoid if you need to. Are you a new listener? It might be better to start from the beginning. Warning: some swears. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....

May 06, 20191 hr 12 minSeason 2Ep. 15

Everything you need to know about embryologists

Why, hello there, stranger. Are you a new listener? Might we suggest you go back and start from the first episode of the podcast? You'll get a much better idea of what we're about. This week we're joined by Alpesh Doshi, a consultant embryologist and the co-founder of IVF London, who demystifies the role of the embryologist. What does an embryologist do? How do they know they've got a good embryo? Can you really not feel an embryo implant? Doshi answers all your questions. Meanwhile, Professor T...

Apr 29, 20191 hr 4 minSeason 2Ep. 14

The TWW episode, take two

TRIGGER WARNING: This episode contains audio of Gabby doing her pregnancy test. Please do not listen in you don't feel able to. It's the big one: did Gabby's embryo transfer work out? She takes you through her two week wait in her audio diary. Elsewhere, Professor Tim tackles DHEA. Some swears. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....

Apr 22, 201945 minSeason 2Ep. 13

Transfer talk, HSGs and the Infertile Mafia takeover

Ahead of National Infertility Awareness Week in the US, we're collaborating with Sarah and Kaela from the Infertile Mafia podcast, who are answering our questions this week. Meanwhile, Gabby is mid-two week wait, while Professor Tim addresses HSGs and HyCoSys: can they really make you more fertile? Pregnancy chat skippers: avoid 8:28 to 18:34. Some swears. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....

Apr 15, 20191 hr 12 minSeason 2Ep. 12

The embryo transfer prep-isode

It's the eve of Gabby's frozen embryo transfer, so we've consulted experts, the wider infertility community and, er, Emma, to help her prepare for her big day. Professor Tim Child tackles the thorny issue of folates vs. folic acid. Pregnancy chat skippers: avoid 6:00 until 12:00. Some swears. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....

Apr 08, 201945 minSeason 2Ep. 11

Bonus: The menopause episode

BONUS EPISODE – today’s installment of BFN is sponsored by Thriva. Emma and Gabby were invited to host a brilliant event with Thriva, She’s So Hormonal, which brought together experts and real-life stories to raise awareness of how female hormones can affect us. Yes that’s our old friends mood swings, fatigue, bad skin, fertility and the menopause. This episode is a recording of one of the panel discussions – Own Your Menopause – which saw some kick-ass women talking about their experiences of t...

Apr 06, 201934 min

A vagina re-education, transfer countdown and baby aspirin

The countdown to transfer begins for Gabby, as the girls are joined by author and journalist Lynn Enright to talk vaginas, vulvas and her new book. Meanwhile, Professor Tim Child, medical director at Oxford Fertility, makes his glorious return to talk about baby aspirin. Some swears. Pregnancy chat avoiders: skip 15:35 to 22:55. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....

Apr 01, 201957 minSeason 2Ep. 10

Natural fertility, cysts and TTC sex

Emma and Gabby are joined by natural fertility expert Dee Armstrong , who talks about TTC sex - how those who don't need IVF can optimise their chances of having a baby naturally. No Professor Tim this week... Some swears. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....

Mar 26, 201959 minSeason 2Ep. 9

BONUS: The pregnancy after infertility episode

**TRIGGER WARNING**: Pregnancy is discussed throughout this episode. Please do not listen if you don't feel able to right now. It turns out infertility doesn't stop at two pink lines. Gabby chairs a short discussion between Emma, Cat Strawbridge and Roma Agrawal, who discuss the effect infertility and loss have had on their pregnancies. Our usual service will return on WEDNESDAY, rather than Tuesday. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....

Mar 24, 201936 min

Miscarriages, HCG and Uber Barrens Club

This week Gabby is still thinking about her lumpy new friend, and Emma is on her high horse. They're joined by Katy Lindemann, aka Uber Barrens Club, who describes the many twists and turns of her 'journey' - including suspected PCOS, a lining that wouldn't co-operate and miscarriage. Meanwhile, Professor Tim Child, medical director of Oxford Fertility, tackles HCG - should its levels really double every 48 hours? Lots of swears. Pregnancy chat avoiders - skip from 13:17 to 21:03. The Prof Tim s...

Mar 19, 20191 hr 16 minSeason 2Ep. 8

Feeling lumpy, intralipids and Rohan Silva

It hasn't been the easiest week for Gabby, who has discovered an unwelcome new friend, while Emma has taken yet another trip to the EPU. The two are joined by entrepreneur, tech superstar and former policy wonk Rohan Silva, who talks about his oligozoospermia, and why men won't talk about their infertility. Professor Tim Child, medical director at Oxford Fertility, tackles intralipids. Pregnancy chat avoiders - skip 19:43 to 29:36. Some swears. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more inf...

Mar 12, 20191 hr 6 minSeason 2Ep. 7

Baby-less blues, embryo glue and Jessica Hepburn

The girls are still on their backup mic this week, so bear with them. Gabby's had a wobble - and so has Emma. Luckily, they're joined by Fertility Fest organiser, channel swimmer and all-round fertility superstar Jessica Hepburn to cheer them up. Meanwhile, Professor Tim Child tackles embryo glue - is it worth it? Pregnancy chat skippers - avoid 13:08 to 21:00. Some swears. Check out Fertility Fest and buy tickets here . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....

Mar 05, 20191 hr 8 minSeason 2Ep. 6

Faith, fertility and IVF as a black woman

Happy Tuesday, yo. Gabby is still agonising over whether to fly to NYC after her transfer, while Emma is having a(nother) anxious moment. Gabby speaks to Vanessa Haye, a social entrepreneur and fertility campaigner, who talks about her faith and her experiences of infertility as a black woman. Meanwhile, Professor Tim tackles drugs timing: if you forget to take a pill, should you panic? To get tickets to the Thriva event, visit https://blog.thriva.co/shes-so-hormonal-event-launch. Pregnancy chat...

Feb 26, 201949 minSeason 2Ep. 5

Our Big Gay Journey, OHSS and flying after FET

It's a scary week: Gabby's fallen off the wagon, and Emma is gearing up to ditch the IVF drugs. They're talking to Amy and Lucy from Our Big Gay Journey about TTC as a single-sex couple, while Professor Tim Child of Oxford Fertility addresses flying after embryo transfer - is it ok? Find Amy and Lucy at youtube.com/ourbiggayjourney . Some swears. Pregnancy chat avoiders: please skip 5:43 to to 14:17. Enjoy! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....

Feb 19, 201957 minSeason 2Ep. 4

The egg collection episode

*** SMUG PREGNANCY CHAT AVOIDERS: PLEASE SKIP 06:50 TO 10:13 *** It's a big day for Gabby, as she has her eggs collected during her first round of IVF. Listen to her audio diary, plus a post-match analysis. Meanwhile Professor Tim Child, medical director at Oxford Fertility, explains why clinics choose to freeze all instead of doing a fresh transfer. Some swears. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....

Feb 12, 201940 minSeason 2Ep. 3

Childlessness, Infertility as a Woman of Colour and the Final Jab

*** PREGNANCY CHAT SKIPPERS - avoid 5:49 to 8:47 *** It's almost the big day for Gabby, and Emma is getting hands-on. Elsewhere, Emma meets Yvonne John to discuss what it's like to be childless not by choice, and her experience of infertility as a woman of colour. Professor Tim Child of Oxford Fertility addresses symptom spotting during the two-week wait. Find Yvonne on her blog at findingmyplanb.wordpress.com , or find her book on Amazon . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more informa...

Feb 05, 20191 hr 13 minSeason 2Ep. 2

2.1: Surrogacy, Asherman's Syndrome, centrist dads

Team BFN are back for their second series.Emma gives us an update on her pregnancy, while Gabby takes her first steps in IVF. They talk to Clare Johnson, who discusses her experiences of Asherman's and her subsequent decision to use a surrogate, while Professor Tim Child of Oxford Fertility is on hand to explain whether jumping up and down before sex will really put your cervix in a better position for conception. Some swears. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....

Jan 29, 201954 minSeason 2Ep. 1

21: The Christmas episode

 See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dec 25, 201850 min

20: The TWW episode

TRIGGER WARNING: This episode includes audio of Emma receiving the result of her pregnancy test.  Is she? Isn't she? Emma has recorded all the twists and turns of her two-week wait - and the eventual result of the dreaded pregnancy test. Gabby and Emma talk about the result, and what happened afterwards, while Gabby discusses her preparations for IVF. Professor Tim Child, medical director of Oxford Fertility, tackles food supplement Inositol.  Swears (including a liberal smattering of ...

Dec 18, 201849 min

19: Mothering solo, a tale of two appointments and unobtainium

Gabby's had a big week, with two important appointments which may make or break her first IVF cycle. Meanwhile, Emma's finally in her two-week wait - but you won't hear about that until next week. In the meantime, they're joined by Jocelyn, aka Motheringsolo, to talk about what it's like to do IVF when you don't have a partner (and her criteria for the perfect sperm donor). Professor Tim Child of Oxford Fertility tackles CoQ-10 - can it really help you to get pregnant? Swears a-plenty this week....

Dec 11, 20181 hr 3 min

18: Lovely lining, BPAs and author Richard Mackney

Both Gabby and Emma are playing the waiting game this week as they get ready for big dates with their clinics. Before that, though, they're joined by Richard Mackney, co-author of Get A Life: His & Hers Survival Guide to IVF . He talks about IVF from a male point of view, and describes (in pretty graphic detail, FYI) his disastrous first attempt at producing sperm during a round of treatment.  It's an adult one this week - graphic descriptions, F bombs from the beginning. #sorrynotsorry...

Dec 04, 20181 hr 8 min