The Total Fertility Podcast
By totalfertility
The Total Fertility PodcastFeb 10, 2022
Episode 17 - Metabolic health, Weight Loss & Optimising Fertility
Overview
Dr Campbell Murdoch is a GP with a special interest in metabolic health. He is the Medical Director of the Preventative Healthcare Group, an organisation focused on preventing and reversing modern diseases. He is also a clinical director for primary care in the NHS and works with Combe Grove in Bath providing metabolic health retreats.
Campbell's focus is on delivering services that enable people to measure and understand their metabolic health, allowing them to make informed choices to achieve rapid health improvement. Benefits include reversal of conditions of such as Type 2 diabetes. Achieving sustainable weight loss, can help with improvements in conditions such as PCOS and fertility.
Show notes + Links
X.com. @CampbellMurdoch
www.metabolichealth.guide (a free Metabolic Health Guide)
www.healthtolife.org (the free Metabolic Health 28 Day Programme, including the 28 Day Rapid Results Plan)
www.combegrove.com
Episode 16 - "Endometriosis & Fertility"
Overview
Mr Oli O’Donovan is consultant gynaecologist experienced managing all benign (non-cancerous) gynaecological conditions, with specialist expertise in laparoscopic and hysteroscopic surgery, gynaecological ultrasound, endometriosis and pelvic pain, fertility, fibroids and heavy periods.
Oli holds an NHS consultant post at University Hospitals Bristol, where he leads the St Michael's Endometriosis Centre (accredited by the British Society for Gynaecological Endoscopy). He is also a consultant fertility specialist at The Bristol Centre for Reproductive Medicine (BCRM, http://www.fertilitybristol.com). His private practice is conducted at The Spire Hospital in Bristol (www.oliverodonovan.com).
After qualifying from Imperial College School of Medicine he completed most of his junior training in obstetrics and gynaecology in the South West of England, before moving to the London and Oxford areas for specialist training in fertility and advanced laparoscopy and hysteroscopy.
He is particularly expert in the diagnosis (including ultrasound) and management of endometriosis and subfertility, although has a broad experience of all benign (non-cancerous) gynaecological problems.
He has published and presented (nationally and internationally) on many topics related to fertility, endometriosis and minimal access surgery, and is regularly invited to teach on courses. He is keenly involved in research and teaching (both at undergraduate and postgraduate level), and is active within the British Society for Gynaecological Endoscopy (BSGE); currently working on the endometriosis centres and information and guidelines committees.
Oli prides himself on collaborating to the highest level with both patients and colleagues to provide outstanding quality patient-centred care.
Show notes + Links
March is Endometriosis Awareness Month - https://www.endometriosis-uk.org/action-month
You can find out more using the link below:
https://www.endometriosis-uk.org/
Episode 15 - "Optimising Women's Health"
Overview
In this episode we look at the big picture view of what is really required to optimise women’s health for all.
Professor Dame Lesley Regan is a Professor of Obstetrics & Gynaecology at Imperial College London and Consultant at St Mary’s Hospital in London. She is also Honorary Secretary of FIGO, a member of the NHS Assembly and Chair of the Charity Wellbeing of Women.
She was the 30th President of Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) (2016-2019) and only the second woman to be elected to this position and the first in 64 years. During her tenure as PRCOG she co-chaired the National Women’s Health Task Force with Jackie Doyle-Price MP (then Health Minister) and authored “Better for Women”, a hard hitting RCOG report which promotes a life-course approach to the delivery of women’s health services.
Having graduated from the Royal Free Hospital School of Medicine, London in 1980, Professor Regan pursued her training at Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge, where she first became enthused by clinical and laboratory research, completing her MD on miscarriage. She went on to set up the world’s largest recurrent miscarriage clinic at St Mary’s Hospital in London.
In 2015 she received a Doctorate of Science from University College London for her contribution to women's health. In 2020 she was awarded a DBE for her services to women’s health in the Queen’s New Year’s Honours List.
Show notes + Links
Episode 14: “Do Fertility Add-ons Add up?”
Overview
Anyone looking at fertility treatment cannot fail to have to make difficult decisions about whether to use IVF 'add ons' in their treatment. In this episode we look at IVF add ons, explain what they are and why they are such a controversial area of IVF treatment.
Dr Sarah Armstrong is the current Subspecialty trainee in Reproductive Medicine in Oxford, spending time training at both the John Radcliffe Hospital and Oxford Fertility. Sarah is an experienced researcher in the field of IVF, with expertise in systematic reviewing and randomised controlled trials. She is an editor and author for Cochrane Gynaecology and Fertility, and is currently undertaking an MD with the University of Sheffield focusing on the quantitative and qualitative evidence behind IVF add-ons.
Show notes + Links
https://www.hfea.gov.uk/treatments/treatment-add-ons/
https://www.totalfertility.co.uk/add-ons-dont-always-add-up/
Episode 13 - 'What does IVF Cost?'
Overview
Dr Raj Mathur is a Senior Fertility Consultant and a Consultant Gynaecologist with a long and established career in Reproductive Medicine.
Dr Mathur has a unique understanding of the individual needs of both private and NHS patients, as the creator of Cambridge IVF clinic, which he established in the region before moving to Manchester in 2014.
Raj is well published in the field of fertility on reducing the risks associated with treatment. Dr Mathur is chair of the British Fertility Society (BFS) and advisor to the HFEA and the Fertility Network UK
In this episode we look at the funding streams available to patients who need to undergo fertility treatments.
The aim is to help patients that require fertility treatment to understand the current criteria for NHS treatment and the postcode lottery that exists.
The main focus is to look at the cost of IVF treatments and tackle this head on addressing important questions that patients ask.
Show notes + Links
The HFEA
David Sable https://www.dbsable.com/
Book in Press – ‘Democratizing IVF: Using Science, Medicine, And Engineering (And Venture Capital) To Help Build Families’ and a future speaker at Fertility 2022
Episode 12: 'Male Factor Fertility & IVF'
Overview
Professor Allan Pacey MBE is one of the world’s leading authorities in Male Fertility.
Allan joined the University of Sheffield in 1992, first as a Postdoctoral Research Assistant and then was appointed as lecturer in 1997. In 2001 he was appointed as Senior Lecturer in Andrology and in 2015 Professor of Andrology. He became Head of Department of Oncology and Metabolism in October 2017.
Allan's research interests include understanding all aspects of male infertility and this includes laboratory projects investigating the basic biology of human sperm to much larger epidemiological studies.
Allan on the Editorial board of Reproduction and Human fertility has held a number of influential positions in the British Fertility Society and HFEA. Allan is a key decision and policy maker in this field.
In addition to Science and Clinical Work, Allan is an accomplished broadcaster and has regularly appeared on the Today programme and Woman’s Hour.
Recent television programmes include Britain’s Secret Code Breaker (2011), Donor Unknown (2011), The Great Sperm Race (2009), The Truth About Food (2007), Make me a Baby (2007) and Lab Rats (2004).
Shownotes
https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/medicine/people/oncology-metabolism/allan-pacey
@AllanPacey
Episode 11 - 'Monitoring Male Fertility - Sports, Exercise & Home Testing'
Episode 10 - 'Fertility & Pregnancy - Sports and Exercise' (Part 2)
Overview
In the second part of this two-part episode on Sports and Exercise and female fertility and pregnancy, we speak to Professor Greg Whyte.
Professor Greg Whyte is one of the world’s leading authorities in sports and exercise science. In 2014 Greg was awarded an OBE for his services to Sport, Sport Science & Charity, and was voted as one of the Top 10 Science Communicators in the UK by the British Science Council.
Greg is an Olympian in modern pentathlon, and is a European and World Championship medalist. Greg is currently a Professor of Applied Sport and Exercise Science at Liverpool John Moore’s University. Greg's former roles include Director of Research for the British Olympic Association and Director of Science & Research for the English Institute of Sport.
Greg is the preeminent authority on Exercise Physiology and Sports and Exercise Performance in the UK. An internationally recognised expert in the field, Greg has extensive professional experience assessing, treating and improving the performance of patients, sporting enthusiasts and athletes ranging from cancer sufferers to celebrities attempting their first mountain summit to Gold medal seeking Olympians.
We Greg exactly what we currently know about exercise, fertility and pregnancy.
Show notes + Links
Greg's latest book 'Bump It Up'
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Bump-Up-Flexible-Exercise-Pregnancy/dp/0593077482/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=greg+whyte+bump+it+up&qid=1632249908&sr=8-1
@gpwhyte
Episode 8 - "Male Fertility - All You Need To Know"
Overview
In this episode on male factor fertility we speak to Olympic Swimmer Steve Parry and Professor Charles Kingsland, who is an expert in everything men need to know when considering their own fertility.
Steve Parry won Olympic Bronze in the pool at the Athens Games in 2004. Steve was a fit and healthy athlete in his prime. Steve suddenly though had his own fertility brought into question out of the blue and he shares his very personal story.
After fertility training in Cambridge and London in the late 1980s, Charles Kingsland founded the Hewitt Fertility Centre in Liverpool with the aim of providing the highest quality NHS service within the United Kingdom
Charles has become one of the world’s outstanding fertility specialists, much sought after for lecturing and speaking, and was awarded a Professorship in 2012.
Post the Tokyo Olympics we speak to Professor Kingsland to help us understand all of the important fertility issues to consider as a man as we touch on diet, lifestyle, exercise and fitness.
Show notes + Links
Steve Parry
“Being a proud male, and having no kids at the time being told I had testicular cancer was quite scary. One thing I didn’t consider was my fertility. I was desperate to have family and wanted to have kids. These things need some planning. We plan all sorts of stuff in life; buying a house, buying a car, what clothes to wear. We probably don’t give as much thought to planning our families.”
@steparry2
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_Parry_(swimmer)
Professor Charles Kingsland
“The difference between boys and girls is that boys are sperm factories, we have all the ingredients in our bodies to make sperm every day of the week. Some days we are good at it and some days we are bad at it. It takes about six weeks to make a sperm and as we get much older the quality does go down. Women are different they are egg warehouses. All the eggs are stored in the ovaries and made ready to go. A woman can’t get more eggs and she ovulates them each month until the supply runs out, so her eggs age with her.”
https://www.carefertility.com/why-care/bios/clinic-bios/professor-charles-kingsland-frcog/
Episode 7 - "Exploring Fertility Treatment Abroad"
Mr George Christopoulos is the Medical Director of Ark IVF in Athens, which offers individualised, one-to-one, Consultant-led care to international fertility patients. George is accredited as a Sub-specialist in Reproductive Medicine by the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, London. During his 15-year-long career in the UK, he has worked as a Consultant in Reproductive Medicine at University College London Hospital and he is currently an Honorary Senior Lecturer at Imperial College London.
In this episode we will find out everything you need to consider when exploring having your fertility treatment abroad. As the Covid-19 pandemic eases and travel restrictions begin to normalise we speak to someone who can guide those looking at fertility treatment in Europe.
We speak to an expert in the field with many year’s experience caring for patients choosing to have fertility treatment outside of the UK.
Show notes + Links
Ark IVF – Athens, Greece
https://www.totalfertility.co.uk/en/ark-ivf-athens/
Can I currently travel to Greece, Spain or Italy for IVF?
https://www.totalfertility.co.uk/can-i-travel-to-greece-italy-spain-for-ivf/
Fertility Treatment Abroad
https://www.totalfertility.co.uk/fertility-treatment-abroad/
Episode 6 - "How does IVF work?"
Overview
Thousands of people every year embark on IVF treatment. It can be a challenge, as there is a lot of new terminology to get to grips with in a short space of time. In this episode we look at all the different stages of IVF, and make it easy to understand how general IVF treatment works.
To understand more about the IVF process listen to Ally Richardson, who is our guest and a Consultant Gynaecologist and Subspecialist in Reproductive Medicine and Surgery in the East Midlands. She has nearly 10 years' experience in the field of fertility including time spent completing research for her PhD. Ally is therefore well published and has given numerous presentations at both national and international conferences. Her recent research efforts have focussed on the use of androgen priming in women with reduced ovarian reserve, whether a woman's chronological age or 'ovarian age' is more important in determining perinatal outcome after IVF and the effect of deprivation on IVF outcome. Clinically, she has a particular interest in ovarian reserve, premature ovarian insufficiency and fertility preservation. Ally also has an interest in medical education and sits on related committees at the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and the British Fertility Society.
Show notes + Links
@DrAllyR
Episode 5 - "GP Management Of Fertility - When To Get Checked?"
The first discussions about fertility usually take place with a GP. General Practice is there to advise and guide you with your fertility. Many people will never need to see a fertility specialist as there are many preventative early measures that can often help you to get pregnant.
Dr Louise Price qualified from Bristol University in 2003. She completed 4 years as an Obstetrics and Gynaecology specialist trainee before changing career path to become a GP.
She has maintained her interest and passion for women’s health and became accredited as ‘GP with Special Interest’ in gynaecology in 2013. She went on to set up a successful community gynaecology clinic in west London where she worked for several years.
She is now based in Bath as a GP but also works as a specialty doctor in gynaecology. Louise talks openly about when patients with fertility concerns should approach their GP for advice and when to get checked if they are struggling to conceive.
Show notes + Links
NICE guidance https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg156/chapter/Recommendations#initial-advice-to-people-concerned-about-delays-in-conception
Episode 4 - "Finding My Fertility - The Big Picture"
Overview
Claire’s life turned upside down on 6th May 2007 when she became paralysed from the chest down in a horse riding accident. Claire fractured her neck, dislocated her back, fractured ribs, punctured a lung and got pneumonia. Luckily the neck fracture didn't damage the spinal cord but the dislocation to the vertebra T4 left her paralysed from the chest down. Claire was a Chiropractor and top level event rider when this freak accident left her unable to do the things she loved.
Although Claire was determined from the start to make the best out of the situation there were plenty of days Claire struggled to even get the motivation to get out of bed. She discharged herself from hospital after only 8 weeks, did a lot of rehab (and still does) and over time she found strength and courage to rebuild her life by finding new interests and work as well as raising hundreds of thousands of pounds for research.
Claire had her own fertility concerns and was unsure if she would ever be able to have a family. Just a year after her accident Claire met and later married Dan, and they had a baby girl - Maisie. Claire had pregnancy difficulties but went on to have Chloe after a challenging pregnancy. S
In 2012 Claire became headline news worldwide. She was the first (and only) paralysed person to walk the London Marathon, she did it in a pioneering robotic suit. It took 17 days and raised £210,000 for Spinal Research.
Claire was invited to light the Paralympic cauldron in Trafalgar Square at the London 2012 Paralympic Games
Show notes + Links
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claire_Lomas
@claire80lomas
Episode 3 - 'Living With Infertility'
Nikki always realised she wanted to have children herself but knew she may face fertility challenges as her husband Russ had previously had a vasectomy. They knew they would probably need to embark on IVF treatment to fulfil their dream of having a family.
Nikki and Russ started their 1st cycle in 2000, and went on to have 3 cycles before welcoming twin girls in 2002. The Fertility Journey is not always smooth but Nikki gives us a unique perspective both as a patient and a fertility nurse.
Shownotes + Links
www.totalfertility.co.uk/en/oxford-fertility/
Episode 2 - "Covid-19 - Fertility, Pregnancy & Vaccination"
Episode 1 - 'Getting A Head Start In Fertility'
In this episode we speak to Jheni Osman who has experienced first hand the challenges of trying to conceive and the ups and downs of assisted conception. Jheni is a science journalist who is not only passionate about the subject but also helping to make it easier for those going through fertility difficulties to get a head start by understanding what it all means.
We are going to delve into the mind of Jheni who lived and breathed fertility for many years but came through it and was successful. Jheni has written the brilliant book “Conceivable”, which we will be discussing on the podcast as it really does help to debunk many of the myths and explain the science.
Shownotes/Links
Jheni’s latest book is Conceivable: an Insider's Guide to IVF
www.amazon.co.uk/Conceivable-Everything-need-know-about/dp/1472968220
jheniosman.co.uk
@jheniosman
#Teaser - The Total Fertility Podcast
Our aim is to make your fertility journey a bit easier. For anyone who has been going through fertility struggles or perhaps is facing difficulties getting pregnant, then this podcast is here to help you.
Over the coming weeks we’ll be looking at how to get a head start with your fertility. We’ll be chatting with experts in their fields and tackling many of the difficult issues surrounding fertility treatment today.