Episodes

  • S6 Ep10: #73 USA's First IVF Baby - Elizabeth Carr

    S6 Ep10: #73 USA's First IVF Baby - Elizabeth Carr
    Jul 12 2022
    We’re here at the final episode of this season of the Finally Pregnant Podcast! Thank you for being here, I truly hope you are enjoying the episode and conversations. Please do head over and drop me a review if you can and also feel free to email me with any feedback, guest suggestions etc too. I’m all ears!
    If you follow me on insta you’ll know that we did finally make it on our hols! I share a little more about that in the episode and also mention my blog post on Toddler Travel Essentials. 
    For this last episode I want to especially thank my sponsors TMRW Life Sciences. Not only because they have made this series possible but also because they introduced me to today’s guest - Elizabeth Carr, America’s very first IVF baby!! 
    Elizabeth, who has been in the media since she was just 3 cells old, is a passionate advocate for those fighting for fertility rights and strives to educate and empower people based on her life experiences and expertise within the fertility world.
    As I say in our chat, I know all babies are precious but I also know just how incredibly precious the babies that we have had to wait for and in some cases fight to get here are. Babies like my little Wren. Talking to one of those ‘babies’, having an idea of how much her parents went through to get her. Well, it was very special for me and I truly hope you enjoy the moment too!
    If you are finally pregnant or parenting you can find out more about the support I offer at www.catstrawbridge.com/support.

    Thank you again to sponsors TMRW Life Sciences. TMRW has created the world’s first and only automated platform for the safe management and care of the frozen eggs and embryos used in IVF. Find out more here.

    Much love,
    Cat x

    @tryingyears @finallypregnant
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    38 mins
  • S6 Ep9: #72 Pregnancy after infertility and loss with Pippa Vosper

    S6 Ep9: #72 Pregnancy after infertility and loss with Pippa Vosper
    Jul 5 2022
    Welcome to the penultimate episode of this series of the Finally Pregnant Podcast. Huge thanks to all who have shared their stories and to you for listening! If you have enjoyed the podcast and haven’t yet left a review, now is your chance! 
    This week I’m joined by writer, presenter and brand consultant Pippa Vosper. 
    During our conversation Pippa shares her heartbreaking story of losing her second son Axel, an IVF pregnancy, in her second trimester. Pippa and her partner went on to have multiple rounds of IVF and she finally gave birth to daughter Audrey in Spring 2019.
    Pippa has done so much to raise awareness of babyloss and infertility, sharing her story in publications such as Vogue – where it was the most shared article. She has also recently brought together some heartbreaking and yet inspiring stories as part of her upcoming book Beyond Grief: Navigating the Journey of Pregnancy and Baby Loss, out August 2022.
    Preorder Beyond Grief here
    If you are finally pregnant or parenting you can find out more about the support I offer at www.catstrawbridge.com/support.

    Thank you to sponsors TMRW Life Sciences. TMRW has created the world’s first and only automated platform for the safe management and care of the frozen eggs and embryos used in IVF. Find out more here.

    Much love,
    Cat x

    @tryingyears @finallypregnant
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    41 mins
  • S6 Ep8: #71 Juggling Bipolar with TTC, loss and pregnancy

    S6 Ep8: #71 Juggling Bipolar with TTC, loss and pregnancy
    Jun 28 2022
    Huge thanks to this week’s guest, Emma Belle. Emma is a podcast host and, among other things, she is an advocate for Bipolar UK, having been diagnosed with the condition 11 years ago. Whilst living and managing her condition Emma and her other half Gareth have spent the last few years ttc. As you’ll hear they have been through a lot including fertility treatment, a miscarriage and in 2021 they terminated a pregnancy for medical reasons, losing their daughter Willow. Emma has since created TFMR Mamas.

    Find out more about Emma’s story by listening to the episode. 

    If you are finally pregnant or parenting you can find out more about the support I offer at www.catstrawbridge.com/support.

    Jump on a FREE call with me to find out more about the support I can offer!

    Thank you to sponsors TMRW Life Sciences. TMRW has created the world’s first and only automated platform for the safe management and care of the frozen eggs and embryos used in IVF. Find out more here.

    Much love,
    Cat x

    @tryingyears @finallypregnant
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    54 mins
  • S6 Ep7: #71 PCOS and finally pregnant with Vanessa Haye

    S6 Ep7: #71 PCOS and finally pregnant with Vanessa Haye
    Jun 21 2022
    This week I'm joined by writer and reproductive health advocate Vanessa Haye 

    Vanessa is also mum of 2 boys, the youngest being just 7 months old. Vanessa only shared she was finally pregnant after he was here safely, something she talks about during our chat. We also talk in detail about her experiences of having polycystic ovaries which seemingly went undiagnosed for years – something that it seems happens all too often!

    As promised in the episode, please see lots of links below.

    Huffington Post article about lack of finally pregnant care from fertility clinics
    Below the Belt Film
    VanessaHaye.com
    Jay Shetty - Think Like a Monk

    If you are finally pregnant or parenting you can find out more about the support I offer at www.catstrawbridge.com/support.

    Thank you to sponsors TMRW Life Sciences. TMRW has created the world’s first and only automated platform for the safe management and care of the frozen eggs and embryos used in IVF. Find out more here.

    Much love,
    Cat x

    @tryingyears @finallypregnant
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    46 mins
  • S6 Ep6: #70 Having an amniocentesis when finally pregnant

    S6 Ep6: #70 Having an amniocentesis when finally pregnant
    Jun 14 2022
    Join me for today's episode where I hear from Lisa Penny aka Fertilityism. Lisa is a qualified nutrition coach who specialises in women's health and fertility. Through her own experiences, she has a deep understanding and knowledge of boosting fertility naturally with the foods to nourish our bodies and why. I have to say I love Lisa’s philosophy centres on nourishment from within – I’m all about that!!

    Her work isn’t the reason we’re chatting though. Lisa, who is mum to 2 year old Milo, is finally pregnant following a natural loss and subsequent IVF treatment since having Milo. During this pregnancy, Lisa had an amniocentesis which is an invasive test you may be offered during pregnancy to check if your baby has a genetic or chromosomal condition. As you’ll hear this is something we explored when pregnant with Wren and when I was researching I couldn’t find too much about it so I’m really honoured that Lisa is sharing her story with us and I hope it helps you if you have or may experience this in the future, or simply because it’s good to know so you can understand and support others.

    A couple of things I mentioned in the episode and promised to link to.

    Wren's birthday presents
    ASDA shop
    8ft trampoline (affiliate link)

    NIPT Testing
    Episode explaining more about NIPT testing with Dr. Donna Fullerton, Consultant Clinical Scientist in charge of NIPT at Nottingham Universities Trust.

    If you are finally pregnant or parenting you can find out more about the support I offer at www.catstrawbridge.com/support.

    Thank you to sponsors TMRW Life Sciences. TMRW has created the world’s first and only automated platform for the safe management and care of the frozen eggs and embryos used in IVF. Find out more here.

    Much love,
    Cat x

    @tryingyears @finallypregnant

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    44 mins
  • S6 Ep5: #69 Finally pregnant as a black woman with Mardochee

    S6 Ep5: #69 Finally pregnant as a black woman with Mardochee
    Jun 7 2022
    Welcome to the latest epsiode of the Finally Pregnant Podcast where we hear from Mardochee who shares openly on her insta page @mermaidmaman that she is normalizing black women and infertility. Now finally pregnant, I’m honoured she has brought that conversation to the podcast. 
    Recognising that it is Pride month – Mardochee is a gay woman married to her wife Yvette - I also want to link to one specific post which I mention in the episode. 
    If any of the issues raised in our chat affect you please know that you are not alone. Please know that there are millions of people who want to change things and that if I can do anything to help progress that change I am here.

    As promised in the episode please find the link to the recent Five X More report. Please do put some time aside to read through it and give them a follow too!
    Huge thanks again to Mardochee for sharing her story with me. Please do go and give her a follow. Why not screenshot the episode whilst you’re listening, share it on your insta and tag us both right now!

    If you are finally pregnant or parenting you can find out more about the support I offer at www.catstrawbridge.com/support.

    Thank you to sponsors TMRW Life Sciences. TMRW has created the world’s first and only automated platform for the safe management and care of the frozen eggs and embryos used in IVF. Find out more here.

    Much love,
    Cat x

    @tryingyears @finallypregnant
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    54 mins
  • S6 Ep4: #68 Natural Pregnancy after TTC and loss with Seetal Savla

    S6 Ep4: #68 Natural Pregnancy after TTC and loss with Seetal Savla
    Jun 1 2022
    Seetal Savla @SavlaFaire and her husband have been trying to conceive for six years after a diminished ovarian reserve diagnosis. Having experienced a devastating miscarriage and four unsuccessful IVF cycles, Seetal got pregnant on their first donor egg IVF cycle, but sadly suffered a traumatic miscarriage at 9 weeks. 
    Since Mother's Day 2019, Seetal has been documenting her ongoing journey on her blog www.savlafaire.com and in the media to raise awareness of infertility, destigmatise the subject – particularly among South Asian communities – and support others in similar situations.
    Seetal and Neil are now pregnant again having conceived naturally which is absolutely wonderful news but even when you get pregnant naturally, as you’ll hear us discuss, you carry the grief, fear and anxiety of the journey with you throughout the pregnancy. In addition to what we cover in our chat Seetal also mentioned to me her fears around buying or receiving mat clothes, and baby paraphernalia and only feeling able to do it when it was absolutely necessary and I know that’s something I and many others will relate to too!

    As discussed in this episode, please find Seetal's series with Ferring Pharamceuticals here.

    You can also find the reports we discussed below.

    Birth Rights
    Five X More

    It was the Five X More report that came out most recently (I said the opposite within the episode).

    If you are finally pregnant or parenting you can find out more about the support I offer at www.catstrawbridge.com/support.

    Thank you to sponsors TMRW Life Sciences. TMRW has created the world’s first and only automated platform for the safe management and care of the frozen eggs and embryos used in IVF. Find out more here.

    Much love,
    Cat x

    @tryingyears @finallypregnant
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    49 mins
  • S6 Ep2: #66 Losing a twin in pregnancy with Shannon

    S6 Ep2: #66 Losing a twin in pregnancy with Shannon
    May 10 2022
    Hello and welcome to episode two of this series! Did you listen to last week’s chat with Amber? If you did and you enjoyed it why not drop me a rating and review right now whilst you’re listening! It would mean the world to me. 

    Today’s guest is Shannon who shares all about the ups and downs of pregnancy after IVF. Her story particularly resonated with me because she was expecting twins but very sadly lost one of them early on in her pregnancy. 

    Whatever your experience of being finally pregnant, finding the place where you belong and where you can share the challenges but also the celebrations is so important. As you’ll hear Shannon is working with a doula to help support her emotional needs but if you can’t stretch to that please know I run finally pregnant support groups as part of my Hang Out community which is just £9.99 a month. 

    I also run finally pregnant yoga and pilates courses, at the start of which we have a check in so everyone can share how they are feeling. It really gives an opportunity for you to be and feel heard and to find people who you share common ground with. Don’t just take my word for it though, 

    “I’m not sure if it’s just me but after being discharged from my clinic and told ‘it’s just like a normal pregnancy from here’ I couldn’t have felt less normal. The thought of no more appointments, check ins etc made me feel anxious. The space that Cat and Sim have created weekly has grounded me each Wednesday and put me in the same virtual room as ladies who understand. It’s such an open space and hearing from ladies who are just starting their pregnancy or who are near the end has been the best experience and full of so much love. To have a space where those of us who are ‘finally pregnant’ and can be there for each other in ways that other family and friends don’t really understand has been the perfect pregnancy accompaniment for me!”

    Find out more about this and all the support I offer at www.catstrawbridge.com/support.

    Thank you to sponsors TMRW Life Sciences. TMRW has created the world’s first and only automated platform for the safe management and care of the frozen eggs and embryos used in IVF. Find out more here.

    Much love,
    Cat x

    @tryingyears @finallypregnant
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    37 mins