afterword... The Fertility Show

This weekend's Fertility Show was very busy - more than 3,600 visitors over the weekend - and it was lovely to meet some of you and to find many old friends too.  The seminar programme this year was fantastic with really interesting topics addressed by some of the world's leading experts in their fields and most of the talks appeared to be packed out.

There were quite a few clinics from the UK exhibiting at the Show, mainly from London and the South East, but they were rather outnumbered by their counterparts from overseas who have clearly realised that more and more people are considering travelling for fertility treatment.  There were fertility specialists from Spain, Russia, Latvia, Georgia, Italy, Barbados, the Czech Republic, Norway, Denmark, Greece, Sweden and across the USA from Florida to Chicago. I spoke to a number of people who were considering treatment overseas and they'd found it really helpful to have so many different clinics from around the world all gathered under one roof.  It can be very hard to distinguish between one and another when you're only judging them on their websites and email communications, and the opportunity to meet staff face to face and get a feel for the clinics and what they can offer is quite unique.

For me, it was really good to see so many patient support organisations there too - Infertility Network UK, the Donor Conception Network, International Asherman's Association, Klinefelter's Syndrome Association, Fleur and the lovely team from Verity PCOS who must be congratulated on their purple theme which even went as far as a rather wonderful pair of handmade purple earings...

As it is National Adoption Week, it was heartening to see that a number of fostering and adoption agencies were represented too as this is an alternative route to parenthood that some may want to consider.

Everyone I spoke to who'd visited the Show had found it to be a beneficial experience.  I know some people do feel it is a rather commercial affair for a medical problem, but fertility treatment is a massive commercial industry. Personally, I think the opportunities a weekend at The Fertility Show can offer outweigh any such concerns.  If you're not into fertility astrology or crystal therapy, you don't need to spend time at the stands offering them. It's a matter of picking and choosing the things that you want to know more about and making the most of the opportunities the weekend can afford.

Come and say hello...

If you’re going to The Fertility Show at London’s Olympia tomorrow, do come and say hello.  I’m speaking at 11.45 about choosing a clinic, and then chairing a Q and A session with two overseas clinics at 3.30, so do come and find me if you’re there.   If you haven’t booked in advance, you can still turn up and pay on the door.

Piatkus, who publish my books, have very kindly donated some copies of The Complete Guide to IVF to the Infertility Network UK stand where they can be exchanged for donations to the charity, and I will also have some copies of Precious Babies, my latest book about pregnancy, birth and parenting after infertlity.

The Fertility Show is always a really interesting two days, and this year is on track to be the best yet with a fascinating array of seminars and exhibitors from around the world.  If you want to know more about exactly what’s on and when, go to www.fertilityshow.co.uk

The FertilIty Show

It's nearly that time of year again... I've just been sent posters and flyers for The Fertility Show, which this year runs over the weekend of November 3 and 4 at London's Olympia.  Promising to be a bigger event than ever before, there's an impressive range of speakers lined up covering pretty much everything you could want to know about fertility from the absolute basics to the latest new techniques in IVF.  The seminars also take in many related issues including complementary therapies, surrogacy, treatment for single women and lesbian couples, the male perspective, adoption, fostering, treatment abroad and help and support too.

This year there are around 100 exhibitors too, giving you a chance to talk to staff from fertility clinics around the world as well as complementary therapists, legal firms and support networks. The Fertility Show gathers together leading experts in the field along with a wide range of specialists all under one roof for one weekend - and provides an ideal opportunity to learn more in a supportive environment.

I know it's not always easy to get your head around going to a "show" about fertility when it can be hard to talk about the subject to your closest friends and family, but one of the real benefits of the weekend is being in one place with so many other people who know exactly how you're feeling - although infertility affects one in six of the population, it doesn't always feel that way when you're in the middle of it all.  

Take a look at the website - www.fertilityshow.co.uk- and see what you think. I'll be there on the Saturday, talking about how to choose a fertility clinic and chairing a question session with overseas clinics - so come along and say hello1

Great first day at The Fertility Show

The first day of this year's Fertility Show was another huge success. I really enjoyed the day, catching up with so many old friends and making many new ones. Seeing all my old colleagues on the Infertility Network UK stand was a treat as always, and I spent some time with my new ones on the British Infertility Counselling Association stand. It was lovely to see the friendly teams from the Homerton, Guy's and Birmingham Women's Clinic, the fabulous women who run Verity, Zita West and her staff and Brigid Moss from Red magazine who has written a great new book about experiences of IVF.

I hope my talk was OK - this year I didn't speak too fast at least, which is one good thing! But I didn't leave enough time for questions - which was one bad thing!

I'm looking forward to tomorrow - come and see my question time with clinics from the US and Spain and find out all you need to know about treatment overseas!

It's not too late to book tickets...

Yes, it's just over a week now until this year's Fertility Show - and my in-box seems to be full of Fertility Show related questions and queries. It promises to be another fantastic event and there are some really interesting speakers and exhibitors. I know I would have felt a bit uneasy about going along to an event like this in the early days of trying to conceive, as if it was some kind of public admission of a problem I kept hoping was going to disappear. In fact, it's ideal for anyone at the start of their journey as there's so much information to access all in one place - and if you're further along the path of tests and treatment, you'll find some of the country's leading fertility experts all under one roof discussing some of the latest developments in the field. I know it may sound a bit strange, but I've always found that there's something slightly empowering about these very special two days at Olympia - there may be some commercial elements to the show, but fertility treatment has become a commercial business - and they don't matter in comparison to the amazing strength to be gathered from spending time in the company of quite so many others who all understand exactly what it's like.

The Fertility Show

This year's Fertility Show is now just a couple of months away, the seminar programme has been drawn up and tickets are on sale. For anyone trying to conceive, I think the Fertility Show offers a unique opportunity to hear some of the leading experts in the country give their views and to make contact with staff from clinics from the UK and abroad, getting an idea of whether they might be suitable for you with more insights than you might be able to glean from their websites.

I know the Fertility Show isn't everyone's cup of tea. Some people do feel that it is too overtly commercial, but the sad reality is that most fertility treatment now is overtly commercial and however much we don't like that, it's not going to change. You have to go to the shown forewarned that perhaps you may find some things there that you wouldn't choose for yourself, but that's not a reason not to go. I feel it really is an unmissable opportunity to inform yourself and there are many excellent organisations exhibiting and lots of really interesting talks. The show is organised by an excellent and very professional team, in conjunction with the charity Infertility Network UK who are running some great workshops for the first time this year. Come along and see for yourself!

The Fertility Show

Yes, another post about The Fertility Show. It will be my last word on the subject - until next year of course... It was an amazing two days - very busy and wonderful to see so many people there. The talks were a sell-out, and that was hardly surprising as it provided a unique opportunity to catch many of the UK's leading fertility specialists explaining their areas of expertise. There were some slightly odd stands - fertility astrology anyone? - but most provided information and access to instant advice.

I've been slightly surprised by some of the negative comments from journalists about the show, as everyone I spoke to had found it both interesting and informative - and being with thousands of other people going through the same thing made it clear quite what a common problem infertility is. The negative comments have all focused on the commercialism and the fact that many people were there to make money. I must admit that this sudden sense of horror at the idea that anyone should make money from infertility seems a little odd to me - fertility clinics have been raking it in for decades and you'd be hard pressed to find an impoverished fertility consultant.

I do take the point that some of the people working on the stands were perhaps a little forward - but one piece in the Daily Mail which criticised the Fertility Forest and More to Life - that's the charity that supports people who are living with involuntary childlessness -was just plain nasty. I'm not going to link to the piece but if you happen to have read it and felt the same way, you could always write to complain...

Last chance for The Fertility Show

It's finally here - it starts tomorrow. You can still buy tickets on the door. It promises to be a fantastic event and there are a huge range of speakers and exhibitors. My talks have both sold out (!), but there are still spaces for some of the others - check out the website and see what's on - www.fertilityshow.co.uk

The Fertility Show

The Fertility Show is less than a fortnight away on November 6th and 7th at Olympia. Online ticket sales are booming, and the 45 scheduled seminars are rapidly filling up. There are more than 80 exhibitors at the show, and a huge range of speakers covering everything from complementary therapy to coping strategies, as well as all the latest developments in reproductive medicine. Come and say hello if you're there - I'm speaking on Friday about choosing a clinic and on Saturday about travelling overseas for treatment - in between you'll probably find me at the Infertility Network UK stand!

The Fertility Show

Get out your diary now, and make sure you don't miss The Fertility Show on November 6 and 7 at London's Olympia. It's aimed at anyone who wants to know more about fertility, from those who are wondering how late they can leave it to try to conceive to those who have already started fertility tests and treatment. There will be exhibitors from the UK and overseas, experts on conventional and complementary therapies and talks on a wide range of topics. I'll be speaking at the show and will let you know what about and when closer to the date. You'll be able to book tickets online in just a few weeks. To find out more, go to www.fertilityshow.co.uk