Infertility Support NatChat Productions Ltd

Have you heard of Adenomyosis?No, nor had I until Dr. Vamsee got in touch to talk to me about Adenomyosis which is a condition that affects 1 in 5 women. Dr. Vamsee published the first-ever paper that showed this impact back in 2012 and is keen to talk more about this condition as his findings have shown that women with this condition can have their pregnancy rates reduced by 50%.
This is a huge huge factor in implantation failure and unfortunately, many Doctors STILL don't test for it.
So women are having to undergo IVF cycle after cycle without any cause found for why they are not falling pregnant.
Dr. Vamsee talks about how Adenomyosis presents itself with symptoms similar to Endometriosis such as painful heavy periods. He also explains how it can be detected with an ultrasound or MRI scan.
This is relevant mainly to women who have had several failed embryo transfers when the embryos have been good quality and it's really worth raising it with your specialist. Here are some links from Dr. Vamsee for you to have a look at and you can also see an abstract of his paper here :
2017: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28865548
 
2014: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24622619
 
Dr. Vamsee is no longer on Twitter but we hope you find his interview useful

Jen writes a blog called Hoping TTCWe met online after I saw her tweeting about starting a Frozen Embryo Transfer (FET) and I wanted her to share her story on her journey to have her first child. You'll hear Jen sharing the sad truths about how she felt the clinic showed a lack of compassion in how she and her husband have been treated, how they didn't explain different scenarios properly to the pair, leaving them extremely anxious at times.
This week is National Fertility Awareness Week in the UK and as always I'm trying to share as much as I can to raise awareness of the issues we are affected by on our journey to start our family. If you want to join in the conversation on Twitter there's a number of hashtags you can use, such as #NFAW #IVFGoldStandard #FertilityFellas, and #TalkFertility. If you've seen something that you want to share with me, please do.
So, as we hear Jen explaining her journey, she talks about her cycles having to be abandoned, which might be something that has happened before, but not something I've heard of. It highlights how essential it is to try and remember to ask questions when you are in front of an expert rather than going home wondering what the outcome might be and spending the time between your next appointment fretting.
I've spoken to a wide range of clinicians and fertility nurses and they always highlight how no question is a stupid one. Also, don't be afraid to challenge your clinic. When Jen was told there was nothing she could do to improve the lining of her uterus, she knew from the Emma Cannon book she was reading that there were lots of changes she could make to her diet, to at least give her the best chances possible of a successful outcome.
You can follow Jen on Twitter here 
Horrendous nights sleep 😫 thanks #FET cycle #2 also kept thinking about renting 1 of our rooms through @Airbnb anyone done it? #needmoney— Jen (@hopingttc) October 29, 2017

Sorry for the slight delay with this episode, I've been in London at The Fertility Show which was great, and if you've been thinking about going, in this chat with Jessica Jones you'll hear how it helped her and her husband make a few decisions along the way.
Jessica writes a blog called Infertility and Life which I highly recommend you have a look at, not only due to how organized it is with all the different situations Jessica has had to deal with, it also as you will hear her explain, has been an amazing support network for her and her husband whilst on this journey.
We talk in detail about her journey so far in which Jessica and her husband have both suffered a loss, Jessica's husband was initially diagnosed with Azoospermia and later found out he had Cystic Fibrosis. You will hear Jessica describe how the pair have overcome the initial shock of her husband being infertile.
How a surgical procedure has meant that he now has frozen sperm samples enabling the pair to continue to try for a biological child.
Jessica discussed her disbelief at being refused treatment by a clinic due to their success rate apparently being too low for the clinic's 'Moral Code'. Against all odds the pair continued to ask questions and push for answers, moving clinics and speaking to more experts. You will hear how Jessica and her husband are a testament to making sure you are empowered with knowledge, at every step of the infertility journey.
Jessica also told me about  how hard she and her best friend had worked to maintain their friendship and you can read her blog post on it here 
Follow Jessica on Twitter   Insta and Facebook

Pamela Hirsh was inspired to create the Baby Quest Foundation after seeing her daughter struggle to conceive.  For nearly three years Pamela watched her daughter and son-in-law deal with recurrent miscarriage and then discover she was unable to carry a child herself and needed a surrogate. 
 Pamela talks about ' the demon of infertility and the issue of insurance companies who refuse to cover the costs of physicians, labs, and medications. Whereas there are private groups and governmental agencies that deal with adoption and foster children, there are few companies, if any, that fund procedure for physical intervention in pregnancy. If you know someone who has been touched by infertility or if you cannot imagine life without your children or grandchildren, I hope you will support us with a contribution.'
To find out more about the Baby Quest Foundation click here 
Follow them on Twitter here
Baby Quest has had a "productive" fall....Congratulations to Breanna & Kyle new parents of KJ..born on November 3rd. KJ weighed 7 pounds 14 ounces and is the charity's 53rd baby!!!Welcome, KJ!!! pic.twitter.com/jiSEmx29ur— BabyQuest Foundation (@BabyQuestGrants) November 12, 2017 
I also mentioned a UK company who help you with finance packages if you have to self-fund, who are called Access Fertility and you can hear an episode I did with them here 

Kathryn Orme writes a blog called Strength through InfertilityIn our chat, we talk about the difficult journey Kathryn has been on with her mental health, the impact of her infertility from failed cycles of fertility treatment. How they caused her such sadness, so isolated and like an 'utter failure'. Kathryn felt she was the problem, causing the treatment not to work, and really struggled to cope. She was working in a high-powered job, managing people all around the country and gradually retreating more and more from everyday life.
Kathryn turned down offers of counselling, despite suffering from stress, depression and anxiety. At one point after seeing her GP, she was signed off work for a few weeks. She decided to seek out counselling and was told there was a six-month wait on the NHS. Knowing she needed to take action Kathryn found a counsellor specialising in infertility via the BICA website 
This proved to be her lifeline and along with ongoing counselling and acupuncture, Kathryn has developed coping mechanisms to move forward with her treatment and her ability to cope with what her future may hold. With a child or without one.
Follow Katheryn on Twitter   Her Facebook page for the blog is here
Only a week away from #IVF cycle number 9, how did that happen?! Never thought I would do this again & so many mixed emotions but let’s do this! pic.twitter.com/aLuZLmxVfj— Strength&Infertility (@K8Menz) November 22, 2017

As you will hear in our chat, Andreia is a remarkable woman. I know I say this a lot but I'm constantly finding more and more inspirational folk, overcoming the issues thrown at them by infertility.
Having found at 17 she had Mayer Rokitansky Küster Hauser (MRKH), which meant she had no uterus and her vagina was short. Andreia had to digest an incredibly hard diagnosis. It had come after she'd been waiting for periods and at the same time,  she also found out she needed surgery to reconstruct her vagina. 
Can you imagine, being a teenager thinking about exams and boyfriends/girlfriends and then having to deal with this. I certainly can't. 
It was a tremendous blow as a teenager and as result, Andrea made a decision that she wasn't going to let this define her in the wrong way. Instead, she was going to set to work to overcome it and achieve a meaningful life regardless of her circumstances. Which is exactly what she has done.
Andreia talked to me about how MRKH affects women causing them to be very ashamed of talking about it, having to deal with so many questions. How their identity is challenged as to their self-worth. She has set up secret Facebook groups where she is able to support women all over the world. 
In cultures where having children is considered vital, being unable to fulfill this role leads to young women being ostracized by their families which of course is devastating and has huge mental health impacts. 
The title of one of her books 'The Formula to not giving a f**k about fertility' gives you an insight into her character 
After spending decades studying to become a nurse and learning essential coaching techniques she helps women cope with coming to terms with infertility and helps them come up with a plan, offering support every step of the way. Andreia has also now reached her own peace of mind, where she is in a happy place about her future after years of struggling to work out how she was going to live her life. 
You can find out more about her work here 
You can also follow her on Facebook here  
On Twitter here