We’re back for 2020, after a slight break. Sorry if you’ve missed us. Hopefully, you’ve subscribed so you get this episode as soon as it lands.
We really need your support from subscriptions as the podcast world gets busier ( which is a brilliant thing ) as we want to make sure all our hard work gets heard. Plus we’ve nearly published 300 episodes which means we are going to have to be moving some as you aren’t meant to have more than that on your feed. We’ll keep you posted on where the old episodes will be, so fear not.
Our first episode of 2020 is a return to our ‘Meet the Maker’s where we want to hear about the things you have created as a result of your fertility struggles.
Natalie chats to the delightful Lucy from the Rainbow Running & Cake Club. Kate was AWOL while Natalie interviewed Lucy, however, you’ll hear what Kate thought to Natalie’s chat with Lucy and also Kate talking about OHSS (Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome) and the different types of miscarriage.
Lucy started trying to conceive five years ago, she conceived early on but unfortunately suffered a miscarriage and then struggled to conceive again. Fast forward a few more years and Lucy and her partner started IVF. The first round was unsuccessful and unfortunately, Lucy developed OHSS. She knew very little about OHSS at this time and felt very alone and frightened. Lucy was nervous about restarting treatment but happily, she conceived on her second cycle with a frozen embryo transfer. Sadly, since the birth of her daughter, Lucy has experienced another two miscarriages and felt very low.
Feeling inspired
At this difficult time, Lucy was reading 21 Miles by Jessica Hepburn and felt inspired by her motivation and desire to challenge herself. This inspired Lucy to start running and find a passion that she didn’t know she had! She felt that is running made her feel this good, maybe this could help other women going through similar difficult times. Lucy set up a website and Instagram accounts to launch the Rainbow Running & Cake Club and organized her first run in Hertfordshire followed by cake!
Get your trainers on
You don’t have to run if you don’t want to, walking is fine too! So far Lucy has organized runs in Hertford, Leamington Spa, Windsor, Brighton, Birmingham, Manchester, and Richmond and is planning UK domination! Lucy says that the runs are so uplifting and there is a power in being together and knowing that you’re not alone.
Rainbow Yoga
As well as running clubs, Lucy is launching rainbow yoga sessions as well as a fabulous Yoga retreat. You can find out more about Lucy and the Rainbow Running and Cake Club via her website and Instagram below.
Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome (OHSS)
OHSS can occur during fertility treatment when the ovaries are over-stimulated to produce many follicles. Mild OHSS is very common and women may notice abdominal swelling and feel uncomfortable and suffer from nausea. However severe OHSS is a serious condition that can affect other organs in the body and, although rare, can be life-threatening. Women are monitored carefully during ovulation stimulation treatment to reduce the risks of OHSS developing.
Explaining the different types of miscarriage
There are so many different types of miscarriage and it can feel confusing when hearing these different terms. Kate explains the differences in all types of miscarriage.
Chemical Pregnancy: The term given to a pregnancy that ends in a miscarriage before the first 5 weeks of pregnancy.
Threatened miscarriage: This is when a woman experiences bleeding or pain that ‘threatens’ to develop into a miscarriage. When examined the entrance to the uterus is closed and the risk may resolve, or a woman may go on to miscarry.
Inevitable miscarriage: This is as it sounds, the entrance to the uterus is open and a miscarriage will occur.
Complete miscarriage: This means that a miscarriage has occurred, and no pregnancy tissue is left in the uterus.
Incomplete miscarriage: This occurs when a miscarriage has happened, but some pregnancy tissue remains in the uterus. A woman is likely to be experiencing bleeding and pain and to avoid the risks of infection she may require a minor surgical procedure to remove the retained tissue.
Missed or delayed miscarriage: This is when it is identified on a scan that the baby’s heartbeat cannot be seen and there is no further development or that the heartbeat has stopped. At this point, a woman may still feel pregnant but her pregnancy symptoms will start to subside. The pregnancy can go on to miscarry or it may be necessary to remove the pregnancy tissue surgically.
Ectopic Pregnancy: An ectopic pregnancy is one that occurs in the fallopian tube or elsewhere in the pelvis. A woman may notice pain and have some bleeding. Unfortunately, pregnancy is not able to survive outside the uterus and will not develop. An ectopic pregnancy can be managed medically with drugs or removed surgically. On rare occasions, an ectopic pregnancy can be life-threatening.
Molar Pregnancy: This is a pregnancy that doesn’t develop correctly. In general, the pregnancy tissue needs to be removed surgically and women are advised to wait for a few months before trying to conceive again.
Blighted Ovum: A blighted ovum is where a pregnancy sac develops but no embryo.
If you have a question you want answering please email info@thefertilitypodcast.com or DM us x
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