This episode is with Jessica Hepburn, author of ‘The Pursuit of Motherhood’ and ‘21 Miles: Swimming in the Search of the Meaning of Motherhood’. Jessica is the co-founder of Fertility Fest, the world’s first arts festival dedicated to fertility, infertility and the science of making babies. Jessica is also an ‘adventure activist’ and has run the London Marathon, swum the English Channel and will attempt to climb Mount Everest.

In this episode we talked about:

Enduring 11 rounds of IVF in a decade, including pregnancy losses and a late ectopic pregnancy.
Going through fertility challenges in secret whilst professional success as a theatre director
Writing as a therapeutic process
The creation and growth of Fertility Fest, www.fertilityfest.com
Brene Brown on vulnerability and shame https://www.ted.com/talks/brene_brown_on_vulnerability?language=en
Sharing and speaking your truth
Showcasing art made by artists who have personal experience of infertility and fertility treatment
The reality that the success rates of IVF are not high and it doesn’t work for everyone, everytime
Being inclusive in the voices in the infertility/ IVF conversation
Fertility is not just about women, men are 50% of the equation
Calling for better fertility education in schools
Returning to a childhood dream of swimming the English Channel
Attempting to become the first woman to complete the ‘Pond to Peak Challenge’
Parallels between endurance challenges and going through IVF
The pleasure and joy of food