Big Fat Negative: TTC, fertility, infertility and IVF
Episodes
Dr Shanna Swan from The Plastic Detox
16 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
We're back! (Sort of). Today we're interviewing Dr. Shanna Swan, the presenter of The Plastic Detox, a new Netflix documentary examining the effect of...
Bonus: Dr. Jessica Zucker on miscarriage
02 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
You might know Dr Jessica Zucker better as @IHadAMiscarriage, the campaigner who helped thousands of women to tell their stories of loss. She joins us...
BONUS: Emily Oster
31 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We're back for one night only and we're joined by economist, author, data scientist and all-round HERO Emily Oster, who tells us what the data says ab...
Merry Christmas!
17 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Well, that's a wrap for series 7. To celebrate, Gabby and Emma are raising a festive glass and answering questions from listeners. They're also exchan...
Amber Izzo and Katie Rollings on ending the IVF postcode lottery
10 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We've heard some heart-breaking stories about the IVF postcode lottery - people who've aged out of their ICB's limit as they tried to lose weight to s...
It's Louise Brown!!!!
03 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This week we are lucky enough to be joined by THE Louise Joy Brown, the first IVF baby. She talks about how her mum felt about going through IVF, her ...
Aisha Balesaria on childlessness not by choice
26 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This week we're talking to Aisha Balesaria, aka Mind Body Revival Coach, about childlessness not by choice. She discusses her chronic endometriosis an...
'Joy' creators Rachel Mason and Jack Thorne
22 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Surprise! We're here on a Friday to give you a little something extra: an interview with the screenwriters of the new Netflix movie Joy, which comes o...
Jessica Hepburn returns
19 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Last time we spoke to the author, adventurer and arts producer Jessica Hepburn was way back in 2019, when we talked about how she swam the English cha...
Maxine Peake and Hayley Jayne Standing
12 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Bafta-nominated actor and director Maxine Peake and the actor and writer Hayley Standing discuss their new short, Incompatible, which tells the story ...
Ariel Taylor on surrogacy
05 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In the second of our duo of episodes on surrogacy, Ariel Taylor, the founder of fertility and surrogacy organisation Carried With Love, talks about be...
Ginanne Brownell on surrogacy
29 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Ginanne Brownell is a journalist whose jourrrrney took her to surrogacy via failed rounds of IVF and a very snazzy tattoo. Her new book, ‘Elusive Mo...
Poet Harry Baker
21 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The poet Harry Baker went viral this summer for his poem Trying, a heart-rending description of the anguish of infertility (/ode to German linguistic ...
Queer baby-making, with Marea Goodman
14 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
If you make it past the unusually rambly intro, this episode we talk to Marea Goodman, a midwife who specialises in helping queer couples to conceive....
What it's like to have a miscarriage, with Poppy Child
07 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Poppy Child isn't our usual guest: she's a doula whose social media feeds are stuffed with advice on giving birth. But she has also experienced pregna...
All about wombs, with Leah Hazard
30 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This week we're joined by Leah Hazard, the author of Womb: The Inside Story of Where We All Began. We talk about the things we don't know about the wo...
Egg freezing with Scarlette Douglas
23 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We're joined today by the TV host Scarlette Douglas, who tells us about her experiences of freezing her eggs. There's a bit of chat in here about poss...
Childless cat ladies with Kat Brown
17 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We're kicking off the seventh series by examining the problem of childless cat ladies: who, exactly, were JD Vance's comments aimed at? Not us, appare...
Gabby's last go: The conclusion
25 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
It's Gabby's last spin of the wheel, as she uses her final embryo. How did it go? Find out here.TRIGGER WARNING: This episode reveals the result of a ...
Gabby's last go
18 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
A bonus episode: Gabby prepares for the transfer of her final embryo.Swears throughout. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Gabby Special: Episode 4 - Test time
02 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
*** TRIGGER WARNING: THIS EPISODE INCLUDES DISCUSSION ABOUT A PREGNANCY TEST RESULT AFTER AN IVF ROUND. PLEASE DO NOT LISTEN IF THIS ISN'T THE RIGHT T...
Gabby Special: Episode 3 - Elbow deep in the TWW
27 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
It's just after transfer day and Gabby, stuck in the two-week wait (TWW) isn't doing well. The girls discuss symptom spotting, when to test and how to...
Gabby Special: Episode 2
21 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Hi! Are you a new listener? We suggest you go back and start from the beginning, so you get to know us properly.BFN is back for a special mini-series,...
Gabby Special: Episode 1
14 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Hi! Are you a new listener? We suggest you go back and start from the beginning, so you get to know us properly.BFN is back for a special mini-series,...
Izzy Judd
27 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
It's the last episode of the series, so we've got a special guest for you: Izzy Judd, one of the first celebrities to speak out about her infertility....
Leftover embryos: The options
19 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
'Embabies', 'frosties' - we give our embryos many names, but there may come a time when we reach the end of the TTC road and have blastocysts left ove...
The world's first fertility officer
12 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This week we're joined by Natalie Sutherland, the world's first fertility officer, and Somaya Ouazzani. With a shared background in corporate law, the...
Erin Holland
29 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
TRIGGER WARNING: CONTAINS THE RESULT OF A PREGNANCY TEST. PLEASE TURN OFF AFTER 44:19 IF YOU CAN'T LISTEN - and please look after your heart first. Mo...
The Worst Girl Gang Ever
22 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The people we're talking to today need no introduction: The Worst Girl Gang ever is one of the UK's biggest podcasts on pregnancy loss and miscarriage...
Claire Lynch on the significance of Small
09 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Author Claire Lynch joins us to talk about her book Small: On Motherhoods, same-sex TTC, and what it's like to have premature twins. Meanwhile, Emma h...
Knackered Knackers on male factor infertility and using a sperm donor
01 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
What is wrong with Emma's mic today? We don't know, but we're sorry. Normal service will resume next week.We're joined by Shaun Greenaway, aka Knacker...
Bonus: Paying for IVF and fertility treatment
31 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH GAIA: We're here on a Monday for a special episode to discuss funding IVF and fertility treatment. We've got an amazing panel incl...
Interior Design Masters' Amy Davies on multiple miscarriage
25 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Amy Davies moved thousands of viewers to tears (and dozens of you to message us) when she shared her experiences of infertility on the show Interior D...
Emma Barnett on infertility, IVF and endometriosis
18 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Emma Barnett is the host of Woman's Hour and Newsnight - and she's also struggling to conceive her second child. In May this year she wrote a tell-all...
Fertility Show special
21 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Gabby and Emma speak to Sophie Sulehria and Laura Biggs from the Fertility Show ahead of their appearance at the show next month, and in IVF WTF, Gabb...
Catching up with Sophie
22 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
TRIGGER WARNING: This episode contains people describing the result of fertility treatment. if you can't listen right now, switch off when we tell you...
Embryology 101 with Alease the Embryologist
15 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This week, Gabby talks to TikTok star and embryologist Alease Daniel about how embryos are made, what embryologists are looking for - and whether embr...
Toby Trice: Why balls matter
09 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Gabby and Emma speak to Toby Trice, a racing driver with a mission to spread the word about male infertility, and why men need to be checked out too. ...
What happens to your body after miscarriage
01 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
What happens to your body after miscarriage? Emma speaks to Lyanne Nicholl, the author of Your Postnatal Body, who explains why focusing on the physic...
You gotta fight! For your right! To have NHS-funded IVF!
25 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Gabby and Emma are talking to Jynna Yarrum, a CBT therapist and trainer who fought her CCG to get NHS-funded IVF - and won.Outside of that interview, ...
Pippa Vosper on pregnancy loss
18 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Writer, presenter and brand consultant Pippa Vosper joins us to talk about the loss of her baby boy and the infertility journey that followed, and why...
Finally talking TFMR
11 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Termination for medical reasons: it's such a difficult subject, Emma hasn't been able to bring herself to talk about it. Until now. We're joined by Ha...
How it feels to discover you're donor conceived
04 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The girls are joined this week by Lizzie, who discovered two years ago that she was conceived through a sperm donor. She talks about how that felt, ho...
Doing your own research, with Professor Joyce Harper
21 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Professor Joyce Harper has spent 30 years on both sides of the IVF counter: as an embryologist, professor of women's health and one of Europe's leadin...
Raquel Horn on late miscarriage
14 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The girls are back with a new series - kicking off with entrepreneur, TV star and hip hop royalty Raquel 'Rocky' Horn, who talks us through her infert...
Bonus: Foxes TWW episode
05 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
We're back for a Fertility Week special, with an update from the Foxes: did they manage an embryo transfer? What was their TWW like? What was their re...
Chasing Creation: Living with childlessness
23 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Katy from Chasing Creation (chasingcreation.org) joins Gabby and Emma to talk about her decision to have a hysterectomy, its repercussions and how she...
Maybehood: TTC, childless - or both?
16 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This week we're discussing the state between TTC and childlessness - at what point do you cross over? Gabby and Emma are joined by Annabel from Maybeh...
Surrogacy after cancer
02 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Kreena Dhiman's story has more twists and turns than Emma's wonky fallopian tubes: having survived cancer and heart failure, she embarked on a surroga...
The infertile midwife
26 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
How do you navigate infertility if you have to work with babies, children or - horror! - pregnant women every day? Sophie Martin lost her twins, Cecil...
When doctors ignore your pain: Dr Belinda Coker on self-advocacy
19 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Gabby and Emma are joined by Dr Belinda Coker, the founder of Your Trusted Squad, to talk about how it feels to be a doctor whose pain is ignored by o...
Time to talk second babies
12 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
By popular demand, Emma and Gabby give you an update on where their heads are at on second babies. TRIGGER WARNING: If this is a point in your jourrrr...
A surrogate speaks
28 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Emma and Gabby are joined by Rachel Westbury, the founder of the Nappy Endings surrogacy agency and a three-time surrogate (of four babies).Meanwhile,...
Keeping the love alive: intimacy and TTC
21 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This week we are joined by Marissa Nelson, a marriage and family therapist, and (crucially) also a sex therapist, who joins us to talk sex while TTC: ...
Elle Wright: Feathering the Empty Next
14 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Emma and Gabby are joined this week by blogger and author Elle Wright, whose new book, A Bump in the Road, chronicles the infertility journey she endu...
Doing IVF abroad: Everything you need to know
07 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Do you have questions about doing IVF abroad? Emma Haslam from Your IVF Abroad (yourivfabroad.co.uk) is here to answer them all - from what to do abou...
Meet Lui, our acupuncturist
31 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
They've been going on about her for long enough - today, Emma and Gabby have finally dragged their acupuncturist, Lui Yeung, onto the podcast. She exp...
What's more gruelling - TTC or skiing solo to the South pole?
24 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
... clue: you won't get frostbite from the difficult one. Emma and Gabby are joined by polar explorer Jenny Wordsworth, who tells them about the paral...
'Coming out' - and the PCOS Dr
03 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
We're talking 'coming out' this week: how to tell people what you're going through. Plus, we're talking to The PCOS Dr, aka Dr Amina Hersi, and Profes...
Ruth Corden and an embryo dilemma
26 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
It's Liz's first turn as BFN's agony aunt - this week she's addressing an embryo dilemma: to fork out or not to fork out? Meanwhile, we're speaking Ru...
Taking a break and Wegan on same-sex TTC
19 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Sophie is back this week to talk about the highs and lows (mainly lows, let's be honest) of taking a break from TTC. Meanwhile, we meet Wegan, the 'wa...
The Browns: IVF abroad and egg donation
13 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This week we're catching up with the Foxes to find out what has transpired since we last heard from Liz at Christmas (spoiler: everyone's still frustr...
We're back! Samantha Busch - and (finally) our Big Announcement
06 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Team BFN is back in your headphones with a bumper episode to kick off their brand new series - and That Big Announcement, potentially the most-trailed...
The BFN Christmas Party 2020
22 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Hi! Are you a new listener? It might help to go back and listen from the beginning - you'll get to know us better that way.Crack open a bottle and dig...
Fertility Week 2020: All Foxes, all the time
03 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Hello! Are you a new listener? Why not go back and listen from the beginning? You'll get to know us better that way.It's Fertility Week 2020 and to ce...
Our Worst Guests Ever; IUI
03 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Hello! Are you a new listener? It might be helpful to go to the beginning of the podcast and listen from there. You'll get to know us better that way....
All Our Eggs' Martha Goddard; Embryo disposal
27 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Hello! Are you a new listener? It might be worth going back to the beginning of the podcast - you'll get to know us better that way.Martha Goddard is ...
Self Advocacy with Broken Brown Egg; Sperm O'Clock
20 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Hello! Are you a listener? Why not go back to the beginning of the podcast and listen from there - you'll get to know us better that way.Regina Townse...
Taking Inspiration From Infertility With Anna German; Sleep
13 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Hi! Are you a new listener? Why not listen to our podcasts from the start? You'll get to know us better that way.Anna German is an illustrator and art...
Fertility in Colour; PGD and PGS
06 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Hi! Are you a new listener? It might be useful to go back to the beginning of the podcast and listen from there - you'll get to know us better that wa...
A Queer TTC Journey; Yoga vs Ovaries
29 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Hello! Are you a new listener? It might be helpful to go back and listen from the beginning. You'll get to know us better that way.Beth Leonard identi...
Sophie Payne on Plus-Size PCOS; The Freezing Contradiction
22 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Hello! Are you a new listener? It might be better to go back and start from the beginning - you'll get to know us better that way.Sophie Payne is a pl...
Seetal Savla; HPV
15 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Hello! Are you a new listener? It might be better to go back and start from the beginning - you'll get to know us better that way.We're joined this we...
Sophia Money-Coutts on egg freezing and going solo; egg sharing
08 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Hello! Are you a new listener? It might be better to go back and start from the beginning - you'll get to know us better that way.Sophia Money-Coutts ...
Secondary infertility with Alison Perry; Coconut Water vs OHSS
01 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Are you a new listener? It might be better to go back and start from the beginning - you'll get to know us better that way.This week we're joined by j...
Pregnancy after loss with Zoe Clark-Coates; Long vs short protocols
25 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
TRIGGER WARNING: This episode includes descriptions of baby loss and pregnancy after baby loss.Are you a new listener? It might be better to go back a...
Surrogacy in the time of Coronavirus; unexplained infertility
18 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Hello! Are you a new listener? It might be better to go back and start from the beginning - you'll get to know us better that way.Emilie Ransley thoug...
Egg freezing; Agnus Castus
11 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Hello! Are you a new listener? It might be better to go back and start from the beginning - you'll get to know us better that way.Cast your minds back...
Cancer after infertility
04 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Hello! Are you a new listener? Why not start from the first episode? You'll get to know us better that way.Kemi Olowe thought infertility was her stor...
Finally! An Endometriosis episode - plus fresh vs frozen cycles
27 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Hello! Are you a new listener? Why not start from the first episode? You'll get to know us better that way.We've finally found someone to talk to us a...
When will IVF treatment restart after Covid-19? We ask the HFEA
27 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
We've had hundreds of messages from listeners who are worried about restrictions on IVF treatment during Covid-19. We grabbed a few minutes on the pho...
The Rainbow Running Club; Fibroids
20 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Hello! Are you a new listener? Why not go back and start from the beginning - you'll get to know us better that way.This week we're talking about (gov...
Navigating fertility treatment at work; AMH vs egg quality
13 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Hello! Are you a new listener? Why not start from the first episode? You'll get to know us better that way.It's a post-Easter egg-stravaganza: while t...
The first year TTC episode; DNA fragmentation
06 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Before you've started fertility treatment - before you've even approached your GP - are there ways to optimise your chances of conception? We spoke to...
How it feels to have a cycle cancelled; cold blood
30 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The girls are still stuck in separate parts of the country - but this week they've spoken to Nicole Robinson, whose IVF cycle was cancelled because of...
Meet the Foxes and Vitamin D
24 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
We're back for a third series - and we've got new friends to take us through their 'journey' (urgh). Liz and Nick share their story so far, while Prof...
Coronavirus special: How to cope when treatment is cancelled
18 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
As the UK braces for the pandemic to hit, thousands of patients undergoing fertility treatment are having cycles cancelled. How do you cope? We spoke ...
Season 3: The Trailer
10 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
We're coming back on March 24, with new interviews, new Prof Tim questions - and a whole new jourrrrney. See you then! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/...
Bonus episode: When BFN met Professor Tim
24 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
After a year and a half of BFN we finally sat down with the man, the myth, the legend: Professor Tim Child of Oxford Fertility. What does he do for fu...
Bonus: The birth episode
21 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
When fertility treatments work, what happens next? Emma and Gabby are back for a one-off episode to talk about Emma's experiences of giving birth, and...
Lisa Faulkner, the adoption option and colds during IVF
29 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Hello, are you a new listener? It might be helpful to start from the beginning - you'll get to know us better that way.It's the final episode before E...
TFMR, going again and parenting after infertility
22 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Hello! Are you a new listener? Why not start from the first episode? You'll get to know us better.For the penultimate episode of this series, Emma and...
Genevieve Roberts, going solo and abnormal-shaped uteruses
15 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Hello! Are you a new listener? Why not start from the first episode? You'll get to know us better.Emma and Gabby are joined by author Genevieve Robert...
Julia Bueno on miscarriage, part 2
08 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Hello! Are you a new listener? Why not start from the first episode? You'll get to know us better.We're joined again by author and psychotherapist Jul...
Julia Bueno on miscarriage, part 1
01 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Hello! Are you a new listener? Why not start from the first episode? You'll get to know us better.We're joined by author and psychotherapist Julia Bue...
Kate Spicer, furry friends and Ibuprofen
24 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Hello! Are you a new listener? Why not start from the first episode? You'll get to know us better.We're joined this week by Kate Spicer, the author of...
Fertility awareness, drugs disposal and mental health
18 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Hello! Are you a new listener? Why not start from the first episode? You'll get to know us better.Gabby is joined this week by Lisa Hendrickson-Jack, ...
Everything you need to know about hormones
10 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Hello! Are you a new listener? It might be a good idea to go back to the start of the podcast and listen from there. You'll get to know us better.Gabb...
Egg donation, early menopause and the 12 week progesterone puzzle
03 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Hello! Are you a new listener? It might be a good idea to go back to the start of the podcast and listen from there. You'll get to know us better.Emma...
Lina Chan, full bladders and reflectiveness
20 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Hello! Are you a new listener? It might be a good idea to go back to the start of the podcast and listen from there. You'll get to know us better.Emma...