struggling to conceive

News: Founder Caroline on The Fertility Podcast to talk ‘trying to conceive in teaching’

I’m delighted to say I was part of the biggest fertility podcast to discuss fertility in the workplace. It was a surreal experience for me to talk to Natalie and Kate. When I was going through fertility treatment back in 2017 and 2018 I would go out for long walks after work listening to The …

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Guest blog: The top 5 Fertility Books you need on your shelf, by Sheila Lamb

Author Sheila Lamb, the friendliest woman in the fertility community, has written a guest blog to mark the start of National Fertility Awareness Week. In this post, she recommends her top 5 infertility books. Sheila Lamb had a six-year infertility journey that involved a diagnosis of unexplained infertility, two unsuccessful fertility treatment cycles, an early …

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News: Teacher Hug Radio

I was invited to talk to Shuaib Khan of Teacher Hug Radio. Shuaib, who admittedly knew little about infertility said he felt ‘inspired’ after the conversation.  We discussed: 1)National Fertility Awareness  2) What school leaders could be doing to better support their staff going through fertility treatment 3) The best way for teachers to prepare for …

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Fertility treatment: your employees’ rights at work

Employees going through fertility treatment have no rights at work. They are not entitled to paid or even unpaid leave for fertility appointments. Acas provide guidelines for employers to follow. None of which are helpful. Acas encourage employers to treat IVF appointments like any other medical appointment 86% of teachers said that their Headteacher would treat …

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3 reasons why absence request forms need to be scrapped in schools

An absence request form and the details required for this might be acceptable if a teacher is asking for time off to have knee surgery or to watch their child in a nativity play. Expecting details from a female teacher attending fertility appointments can cause visceral harm. 1. Information is too personal With fertility treatment …

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What leaders can do to support the wellbeing of staff going through fertility treatment

School leaders who wish to support staff trying to conceive through fertility treatment could support their staff in a number of ways. Ideas for this type of staff wellbeing in schools are: Work with HR to create a flexible fertility treatment policy that permits teachers at least 6 days leave for IVF with room for …

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How to create a fertility network in your school

“Do not wait for leaders; do it alone, person to person” Mother Teresa Creating a fertility network is a great way to provide support to both male and female colleagues going through baby loss, infertility and other fertility struggles. It is also a step closer to starting a conversation with senior leaders about introducing a …

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