The Fertility Podcast

Ed Coates is a fertility consultant, hysteroscopic and laparoscopic surgeon and medical director at the ⁠Evewell⁠ West London clinic. He joins us to share his experiences and thoughts on assisted conception and IVF. He explains, who can benefit from treatment, why and when you might consider IVF as an option.

Acupuncture is one of the most popular therapies used to support people who are trying to conceive. This is for both assisted and natural conception and a recent study showed the positive benefits to both pregnancy and live birth outcomes when used alongside IVF. So we look at what acupuncture is, why it’s so good for fertility support and how we work in clinic.

At home hormone & fertility testing has become increasingly popular. We discuss this with Dr Helen O’Neil is CEO and Founder of Hertility, a company providing at home tests and support for women who want to understand more about their health and fertility.

I am joined by Pilar Manzanaro, a registered Nutritional Therapist and certified Functional Medicine Practitioner by the Institute of Functional Medicine, Pilar runs a highly successful pre-conception and fertility clinic for men and women trying to conceive naturally or undergoing IVF treatment. And in this episode she shares bucket loads of information on nutrition, supplements and lifestyle for good sperm health.

It is estimated that 30 to 50% of people with Endometriosis will experience fertility problems. To discuss this in more detail I am joined this week by ⁠Louise Collyer⁠, a highly experienced TCM acupuncturist, Chinese Medicine herbalist and Functional Medicine practitioner, who specialises in women’s health, fertility and endometriosis.

It is now widely acknowledged that there is not enough testing, investigation or treatment is done into male factor fertility issues. We see many people in clinic who have had every test under the sun, and yet their partner has been offered one sperm test. We look at why and how we got into this situation and where and how you can get further testing for male factor fertility.

We think that testing and investigating your fertility should be encouraged more and done sooner. So in this week’s episode we look at what the current situation is around testing, what’s available from the NHS, what the guidelines say and what tests we would recommend as first step investigations into your fertility.

This week I am joined by Alice Rose, who is a Fertility Mindset Mentor and Transformation coach, working to support people through her membership and courses. This isn’t about thinking positive, this is about feeling safe to sit with how you’re actually feeling, rather than feeling you have to stay positive all the time.

PCOS is a common condition that can impact many areas of health including your fertility. In this episode I discuss PCOS with Lauren, London Wellness Coach and her personal experience of being told she had PCOS from at a young age and would struggle to conceive. We discuss the impact of this and how she addressed her PCOS, went on to conceive and now works supporting other people with hormone imbalances and PCOS.

Reflexology is a popular therapy used to support women’s health, fertility and pregnancy and this week we have lovely Katy (reflexologist, fertility awareness teacher and regular co-host on this podcast) talking to us all her about her love for reflexology.

The Vaginal Microbiome plays an important part for health and fertility. Research shows that a well balance Vaginal Microbiome is linked to positive fertility outcomes for natural conception and for IVF. We discuss this and how to test and treat if you have concerns.

Does stress affect my fertility? Is one of the most common questions we are asked in clinic. The research is mixed and there really is no conclusive evidence either way. What is definitive though, is that going through fertility problems is stressful and is linked to increased rates of anxiety and depression.

There is often a lot of confusion, misinformation and fear around exercise when you’re trying to conceive. With no clear guidelines many people find they give up or custom what they do, despite the evidence showing exercise is good when you’re trying to get pregnant.

BBT charting can be a helpful tool for understanding your menstrual cycle, fertility and confirming ovulation. However, it’s not for everyone and in this episode we discuss the how to, the do’s and don’ts and when to stop!

A diagnosis of low AMH can often cause stress and anxiety, but does low AMH always mean your fertility is declining and this is why you’re struggling to conceive?

Final Episode for this series and we cover progesterone issues, sperm health, peri-menopause, conceiving over 40, plus how to find a fertility acupuncturist or reflexologist.

Almost everyone with a menstrual cycle will at some point be affected by PMS. And yet there is still very little understanding and not enough research into why is happens.

Cycle tracking is one of the best ways to get to know your own cycle, understand your fertility and increase your chances of conception each month.

The luteal phase is the part of the cycle where it can be common to experience problems.

All phases are important for fertility, but the follicular phase is important to understand, there is a lot going on!

Your period has the potential to tell you a lot about your fertility.

In this episode we look at why understanding your menstrual cycle is a vital part of understanding and enhancing your fertility.

We need better Fertility Education! In all my years in clinic I have rarely met anyone who doesn’t agree. Education about of cycles and our fertility are key if we want to improve our fertility experiences and address the fertility crisis so many people now face.