Maia Dunphy: the fertility podcast

Over the coming weeks Vhi Healthcare is partnering with The Irish Times to host an online Fertility Hub, with articles and podcasts about planning a family and what to do if you need help.

In this specially recorded podcast Maia meets two women with very personal stories to tell.

Ruth Petherick had seven cycles of fertility treatment before giving birth to her daughter and Samantha Ring had two cycles of treatment before being told she would never have children. She then went on to have two sons against all the odds.

These are their stories and are told to inspire, educate and support anyone in a similar situation. Both Samantha and  Ruth believe in the core message behind this series, that it's time to talk about fertility. By telling their stories they hope they can encourage others to talk openly about  the topic of fertility.

Producer: Gary Quinn
Sound engineer: JJ Vernon

For more see irishtimes.com/fertility and vhi.ie/fertility

ABOUT THIS SERIES

Vhi Healthcare is partnering with The Irish Times to host an online Fertility Hub, with articles and podcasts about planning a family and what to do if you need help.

One in six couples in Ireland face fertility issues when trying to conceive – that’s an enormous number of people – but yet it’s still something people struggle to talk openly about. We spoke to 400 people around Ireland and half of those considered talking about fertility to be taboo. Yet two in three people we spoke to had either been through fertility treatment themselves or knew someone who had. Of those who had, they described the experience as stressful and emotional.

So why aren't we talking about fertility? The key reasons we found were a lack of education about the facts and a lack of open conversation about the topic.
We want that to change. You can help by taking our online Fertility Quiz and sharing it with your friends. Just two minutes will help you separate fertility fact from fiction. We'll arm you with the information you need to start the conversation and make Ireland a more supportive place for those seeking help.

And if you’re starting, or growing, your family, we’ve put together a series of benefits for you. Wherever you find that you need help along the way, whether you’ve just started trying and are looking for advice, or you’re further down the line and need help with testing or clinical procedures, our new fertility benefit will support you at every step.

The conversation won't always be easy, but we think it's time to try. Let's talk about fertility.

Vhi Healthcare.
When you need us, we're there.
For more see www.vhi.ie/fertility