The Fertility Podcast

In this deeply emotional episode of The Fertility Podcast, I’m joined by Catherine Cousins, author of Just One Child, to talk honestly about secondary infertility, failed IVF cycles, mental health, grief, and what it means to come to terms with building a family with one child when that was not the plan.
This conversation was not an easy one to prepare for or to record. Catherine shares her story with such openness, including her experience of a cancer diagnosis within her family, IVF after having a child naturally, a mental health breakdown following a failed cycle, and the long road towards acceptance.
If you are currently in treatment, living with secondary infertility, or facing decisions about stopping treatment, this episode may resonate deeply. We talk about grief that is often unseen, the isolation that comes with this experience, and why it is so rarely spoken about.
If this is not the right time for you to listen, please come back when you feel ready.
What we discuss in this episode:
What secondary infertility can look like when you already have a child
How a cancer diagnosis changed Catherine’s fertility journey overnight
IVF after having a child naturally and the emotional complexity that brings
The mental health impact of failed cycles and untreated grief
Why many people do not feel able to talk about secondary infertility
Shame, isolation, and feeling undeserving of support because you have a child
How grief can exist for the family you imagined but could not have
The strain fertility treatment can place on relationships
Deciding when to stop treatment and how hard that decision can be
Marking the end of treatment and finding closure in your own way
Parenting while grieving and the guilt that can come with it
Navigating comments, questions, and assumptions from others
Reframing the narrative around being a family with one child
Finding acceptance without pretending it does not still hurt

About Catherine and her book
Catherine Cousins is the author of Just One Child, a powerful and compassionate book about secondary infertility, loss, and redefining family when further treatment is not possible or no longer feels right.
Her book explores the emotional, social, and psychological impact of coming to terms with having one child when you hoped for more, and gives voice to an experience that is often overlooked.
You can find Catherine and her work here:
Just One Child on Amazon

Sex and intimacy can change dramatically when you are trying to conceive, especially when fertility treatment, loss or ongoing uncertainty is part of your life. In this episode of The Fertility Podcast, I’m joined by Kate Moyle, psychosexual therapist, podcaster and author of The Science of Sex, to talk about how sex, desire, relationships and connection can evolve in ways we never expected when fertility becomes part of our story.
This episode touches on loss, grief and confusion. If you are not ready for that right now, please skip and come back when you are ready.
Kate brings both professional insight and compassionate understanding to one of the most normal yet least discussed parts of many people’s experience. We talk about timing, pressure, anxiety, loss, connection, expectation and how to rebuild joy and pleasure in your relationship.
Whether you are in a long term partnership, thinking about future intimacy, or trying to untangle the impact that fertility has had on your sex life, this conversation is full of practical insight and reassurance that you are not alone.
What we discuss in this episode:
Why sex often feels different when fertility issues are part of your life
How timing and pressure can change desire and connection
Why we often feel there is something wrong with us when intimacy changes
The impact of miscarriage, loss and medical trauma on sex and relationships
How shame and silence make it harder to ask for help
Reclaiming touch and connection beyond the fertility goal
How fertility challenges affect male partners and masculinity
How to bring pleasure and ease back into sex after it has become stressful
Why rebuilding intimacy is a process and not a quick fix

Kate Moyle is a UK based psychosexual therapist, author and public speaker whose work helps people understand sex and intimacy through a biological, psychological and social perspective. She is the author of The Science of Sex, a neutral, accessible guide to sex and sexuality designed for all bodies.
You can find Kate’s work here:
The Science of Sex (book) – available from major retailers and online booksellers
The Science of Sex podcast – listen wherever you get podcasts
Website

Kate’s approach is grounded in research, lived experience and curiosity. This episode is one of the most honest and compassionate conversations we have had about sex and fertility on the podcast.
Thank you to our sponors:
This episode is supported by partners who help people access care and clarity on their fertility journey.
👉

In this episode of The Fertility Podcast, I’m joined by Jen Elworthy, fertility career coach and Director of Engagement at Fertility Matters at Work, to explore how career coaching can support you while going through fertility treatment.
Jen joined our team in July 2025, and since then I’ve had the joy of learning from her insight, empathy and real-world experience. She has lived through the impact of ectopic pregnancy and miscarriage while working in high-pressure environments, and she shares how these experiences shaped her approach to coaching.
If you’ve ever felt stuck in your job because of your treatment, uncertain how to talk to work, or unable to see a career path that aligns with what you’re going through, this episode is for you.
What we discuss in this episode:
Jen’s personal fertility journey, including multiple losses and the emotional toll on her mental health and career
How she moved from ambitious and confident to experiencing panic attacks at work
The challenges of opening up to colleagues and managers during early treatment
The power of having just one supportive person at work who gets it
Her IVF survival kit and practical tips for managing during a workday
Why “career coaching” isn’t just for high-flyers or executives
Examples of how she’s helped clients through job changes, promotions, sabbaticals, and re-aligning their work-life balance
Her approach to resilience coaching and “bounce back ability” during treatment
Why therapy helped her heal, but coaching helped her move forward
Misconceptions about who coaching is for, and why it can be more accessible than you think
How Jen structured her coaching offers to meet people at different financial entry points

Jen’s support offerings include:
One-to-one coaching (short-term or long-term packages)
One-off coaching conversations
Employer-sponsored coaching (some clients have had it covered as part of redundancy packages)
Low-cost workshops (around £20–£25)
Free resources and templates on her website
Free newsletter + insights via LinkedIn and Instagram

If you're considering career coaching but aren't sure it's “for you”, this is your reminder that it’s absolutely okay to ask for help, and there are options at every level.

This episode is sponsored by Access Fertility
Worried about the financial pressure of treatment? Access Fertility offers funding programmes and 0% interest finance to help ease the burden of self-funding IVF.
Their services include:

In this episode of The Fertility Podcast, I’m joined by Catherine Lightfoot, ADHD coach and founder of Rewired Circles, to talk about her experience of navigating IVF as a neurodivergent person.
Catherine was working in a senior HR role while undergoing fertility treatment and dealing with the mental load of a delayed ADHD diagnosis. She joins me to talk about the emotional toll of masking, the challenges of advocating for yourself in a system that does not always recognise neurodivergence, and the importance of creating support spaces that actually meet people where they are.
This is our first episode covering neurodivergence and fertility, and I want to thank Catherine for bringing this conversation forward. If you suspect you may be neurodivergent, or if you’ve been struggling to articulate how this process is affecting you, I hope this episode offers support and language for what you might be feeling.
What we discuss in this episode:
Catherine’s delayed ADHD diagnosis and how it overlapped with her fertility journey
Why she and her partner opted for early fertility testing and how a surprise male factor diagnosis shifted everything
The emotional whiplash of having a clear process derailed by COVID delays
How hyperfocus, masking, and people-pleasing made it harder to ask for help
Overworking and pretending everything was fine while secretly undergoing injections and treatment
The moment she realised she could not cope alone anymore
What IVF felt like as a neurodivergent person and why it is easy to become overwhelmed and disconnected
The challenge of advocating for yourself when you are not sure what your needs are
The risks of masking and burnout in high-pressure jobs while going through treatment
Her reflections on memory loss, dysregulation, and why she misremembered the number of cycles she had
Why support groups are powerful but may not be the right fit for everyone at every stage
How Catherine’s coaching and lived experience helped her move from burnout to self-awareness
The shocking mental health statistics for women with ADHD and why fertility support needs to evolve
Why the fertility and neurodivergent overlap is an urgent area of focus for workplaces and support providers
Her top advice for anyone navigating fertility and ADHD, especially in silence

A note on support and asking for help
So many of us keep it all in. We wait until it gets really bad before we share anything. But Catherine reminds us that asking for help does not need to be dramatic or all-encompassing. You can start small. Tell one trusted colleague at work. Let one friend know. Give someone permission to be your backup or just your quiet support.
If you are masking and managing everything...