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Krupa's fertility journey spans 12 years, four rounds of IVF, two countries, endometriosis diagnosis that finally came through fertility investigations, a near-fatal surgical complication, a pandemic, and ultimately — twins, born at 32 weeks, at 43 years old.

But it also spans something else: 20 years of painful, heavy periods dismissed as normal in a South Asian community where menstruation was a secret and fertility struggles were unspoken.

She then had to build her own support network from scratch — anonymously on Instagram and in a secret Facebook group — because nowhere else felt safe enough to ask the questions she needed answered.

This is nothing short of remarkable!

🩸 Heavy, painful periods dismissed for 20 years — and the endometriosis diagnosis that finally came through fertility investigations, not GP care

🏥 The NHS fertility system — IUI as a precursor to IVF, how funding works, and why IUI was the wrong treatment for Krupa's diagnosis from the start

💉 Four rounds of IVF — across NHS, private London clinics, and ultimately Athens — and what drove the decision to keep going (and to stop)

🚨 Ovarian torsion: the near-fatal complication — a surgical error during egg retrieval that left Krupa unable to walk for months and changed everything

✈️ IVF abroad — why Krupa went to Athens, what to look for in an international clinic, and why regulation matters more than location

🧠 The mental health reality of IVF — anxiety, withdrawal from friends, the trauma of a 12-year journey, and why she was placed under perinatal mental health care during pregnancy

💑 Sustaining a relationship through fertility treatment — couples counselling, fertility counsellors, and staying on the same page through the hardest years

🌸 Endometriosis, diet and lifestyle — how changing her diet had more impact on her pain than surgery did

🤫 The South Asian community and fertility taboo — periods as shameful secrets, counselling as a cultural taboo, and the anonymous Facebook group she built for 200 Indian women who had nowhere else to go

📱 Building community when there is none — the TTC Instagram community, anonymous Facebook groups, and why connection with strangers became her lifeline

👶 Twin boys at 43, born at 32 weeks — the NICU journey, the emergency C-section under general anaesthetic, and the PTSD that arrived after

💛 Life on the other side — her role as a Bliss trustee, her advisory work in women's health, and the calls she still gets from South Asian women who need someone safe to talk to

💛 Resources Mentioned

• Bliss — charity for babies born premature or sick; Krupa is now a trustee: bliss.org.uk
• Peanut App — fertility and motherhood community app: peanut-app.io
• NHS Subfertility Units — your GP can refer you; ask specifically about the subfertility unit in your local trust
• NHS GUM Clinics — anonymous STI testing in every postcode; ask your GP
• HFEA (Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority) — UK fertility regulator; clinic ratings, evidence ratings for add-ons: hfea.gov.uk
• Fertility counsellors — available through most IVF clinics, NHS and private; ask your unit about access
• Perinatal Mental Health Teams — available through NHS for those with significant anxiety or trauma during pregnancy; ask your midwife or consultant to refer you
• Endometriosis UK — patient support and information: endometriosis-uk.org

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When we talk about IVF, we tend to talk about the basics. Most people know there are injections and the egg collections involved, but we talk far less about the detail on how it actually works and everything that happens around it - including how you maintain a relationship, and how you can manage hearing a friend's happy pregnancy news whilst still in the middle of your own journey.

This week, Jo sits down with Ami for a conversation about the parts of IVF that nobody prepares you for.

Ami and her partner dealt with male infertility, three rounds of IVF, a pregnancy loss at nine weeks, developing postpartum depression and anxiety, and then PMDD, the guilt of providing a sibling for her son and then a final decision to close that chapter.

What We Cover in This Episode

• 💊 Twelve years on the pill — and how Ami's body felt when she came off it
• 🔬 The test results: male factor infertility, type of IVF they went for, and what that cost them
• 🏥 The NHS IVF postcode lottery — what disqualified them entirely from receiving funding
• 💉 What ICSI actually involves — explained honestly and clearly
• 🧠 The psychological weight of IVF
• 💑 What IVF does to a relationship — the conversations, the fractures, and the things that held them together
• 😔 Postpartum depression, postpartum anxiety, and PMDD — and the GP who told her to "wait two weeks"
• 🎄 A Christmas Day egg collection, a chest infection, and round two that felt nothing like round one
• 💔 The nine-week scan she went to alone — and what happened next
• 🌿 Choosing to stop — and how Ami and her partner decided to stop, and built a life they genuinely love
• 👦 The guilt of the sibling that never came — and how she holds that grief alongside genuine gratitude
• 💬 What Ami wishes she had known at the start

💛 Resources & Support

• Fertility Network UK — UK's leading patient fertility charity, including support for those who stop treatment: fertilitynetworkuk.org
• The Miscarriage Association — support for pregnancy loss at any stage: miscarriageassociation.org.uk
• More to Life — support network specifically for people living without children after infertility: moretolife.co.uk
• IAPMD — International Association for Premenstrual Disorders (PMDD): iapmd.org
• Mind UK — mental health support including postpartum depression: mind.org.uk
• NHS IVF information — eligibility and funding guidance: nhs.uk/conditions/ivf

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*I would highly encourage you to watch the video version on YouTube or Spotify as there are definitions and important disclaimers on screen that will help listeners understand the more complex discussion points*

🎙️ This time on Living Hellth Jo Doyle sits down with Dr. Anu Chawla — one of London's leading fertility specialists — for a comprehensive, no-nonsense conversation about fertility.

Whether you're in your twenties and not thinking about it yet, navigating a diagnosis of PCOS or endometriosis, considering IVF or egg freezing, or trying to understand what your male partner might need to think about themselves — this episode is for you.

🔬 What We Cover in This Episode

📊 Why global fertility rates are at an all-time low

🧪 How fertility is tested: AMH, Antral follicle count, and 3D ultrasounds

👩‍⚕️ What every woman in her 20s should know about fertility

💊 Hormonal birth control and fertility — what the science actually says, coming off contraception and thinking about fertility

🧫 PCOS and endometriosis: how they affect fertility and what your options are

🏥 IVF vs natural IVF — what's the difference and which is right for you?

🥚 Egg freezing: is it really biological insurance? An honest answer

🌿 Environmental toxins, fragrance, carpets, and plastic — do they really affect fertility?

🚹 Male fertility: the 50% factor no one talks about enough

🩺 Abortion and fertility — the truth behind the myths and long term impacts

💛 Advice for women about to start their fertility or IVF journey

Dr. Chawla's areas of expertise span PCOS, endometriosis, repeated IVF failures, egg freezing, reproductive immunology, fibroids, and male infertility. She's a globally recognised voice in fertility medicine, regularly invited to speak at OBGYN and fertility conferences worldwide.

Resources Mentioned:

NHS GUM Clinics — anonymous STI testing in every postcode; ask your GP

RCOG Patient Information Leaflets — rcog.org.uk

Daisy Network — support group for Premature Ovarian Insufficiency (POI)

HFEA — UK fertility regulator; FAQs, clinic ratings, add-on evidence ratings — hfea.gov.uk

You can find Dr Chawla and more information here: https://www.dranuchawla.co.uk/

Support the show

We've reached 1.2 million views across all platforms, proudly covering some of the most chronic and confusing conditions and diseases that disproportionately affect women.

Help us keep the podcast going by following us on Instagram or TikTok, or subscribe via YouTube.