'What I Wish I Knew Before I Started IVF' is a stark and real podcast episode that shines a light on the difficulties that women face when they're trying to conceive and undergoing fertility treatment. The presenter, Cheyna Roth, has been through IVF herself and is currently trying for her second child. Roth interviews two women during this podcast, Jenée Desmond Harris, a columnist writer, and Pamela Mahoney Tsigdinos, an author, both of whom have also had fertility treatment.
In Harris's interview, the women touch on a multitude of topics that I think should be discussed more in society. Though I can't mention them all here (and would recommend you listen to the podcast episode for a full run down) one point that I thought was particularly prudent was their discussion around female age and fertility. Harris mentions that because of what she has seen portrayed in the media, she believed she would have no issue conceiving well into her 40s and wished someone had told her how much harder it would be to achieve a healthy pregnancy after the age of 35. This is a really good point, and something we don't talk about enough.
In our modern world, women have more options than ever. We can study, have careers, travel, and stay voluntarily single until we decide we're ready for a relationship. This is amazing, and I wouldn't want this to change for the world. However, we need to be realistic when it comes to our biology. Unfortunately, women aren't fertile forever and as we get older, the chances of us conceiving naturally fall. Of course, for some women this isn't an issue, and they would be more than happy to stay voluntarily childless, flip the coin and hope for success with fertility treatment, or have a non-biologically related child. However, for women who would like a genetically related child, it's important for them to learn the facts about our biological clocks. In my opinion, we should tell girls about their reproductive lifespans as part of sexual education at school, so that they can make informed decisions about their future family planning.
In her interview with Tsigdinos, Roth mentions how she felt her fertility clinic had pushed her towards IVF treatment, which is the most invasive and drastic treatment type, and that her clinic ran more like a business than a place focused on patient care. This is really sad to hear and I'm sorry she had this experience. In my opinion, patient care and experience should form an integral part of the way that a fertility clinic runs. My personal advice for anyone reading that and thinking about having private fertility treatment is to look around. If you have had treatment somewhere and are unhappy with the service they provided, you are more than within your rights to move on and work with another clinic that can better fulfil your needs.
Roth finishes the podcast with a poem she wrote for an embryo that had been transferred but sadly did not implant. The poem addresses what their lives would have looked like together, and the hurt, loss, and confusion she and her partner felt when the embryo didn't implant. I found this poem extremely difficult to listen to as Roth's sadness is evident in her voice, and she sounds as though she is on the verge of tears as she reads. However, I'm glad she had the strength to read it as I think it encapsulates how many people feel after an unsuccessful embryo transfer. Hearing this poem could help validate some listeners' feelings, and comfort them by learning they are not alone.
Overall, 'What I Wish I Knew Before I Started IVF' is an amazing podcast that gives great insights into the experiences that women face when undergoing fertility treatment. I appreciated the open and honest approach that these women took during the interviews, and how they didn't shy away from difficult topics. I would recommend that anyone who knows someone going through assisted conception listens to this episode to better understand what their friend, colleague, or family member is going through. This podcast episode could also be a useful tool for professionals working within the fertility industry to help them learn more about their patient experiences and better empathise with their struggles.
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