Fat and Fertile

If you've been hurt by the healthcare system while trying to access fertility care, you are not alone, and you are not broken. This episode is for anyone who has experienced harm, dismissal, or humiliation from healthcare providers and is now caught in the incredibly difficult position of needing care from a system that has already hurt them.

In this episode, we cover:

What healthcare trauma actually looks like, and why so many fat f...

This week's episode is about something I hear constantly and it makes me genuinely angry. You can't access fertility care until you lose weight. But you can't access support to lose weight. And they won't investigate the health condition that might be causing everything in the first place. Round and round you go.

If you're stuck in this loop right now, this one is for you. And the first thing I want you to know is: it is not your fa...

This week's episode is a permission slip. If you've been drowning in fertility diet advice and quietly wondering whether you're doing enough, this one is for you.

Spoiler: you probably already are.

In this episode we cover:

Why "eat enough" is the only nutrition advice that actually matters, and why that's harder to hear than it sounds

How the fertility diet industry profits from making us feel like we're always one superfood away from...

This week's episode tackles one of the most common things I hear from folks who come to work with me: "my doctor told me pregnancy in my body is dangerous." And honestly, it makes me angry. Because what you're being told is very often not the full picture.

If you've ever left a fertility appointment feeling more scared than informed, this one is for you.

In this episode we cover:

- Why the research on BMI and pregnancy risks is more d...

Today's In Your Corner question comes from an Instagram follower asking:

"How do I find a fat-friendly fertility clinic? My local clinic won't treat me at my current BMI and made me feel terrible at their open evening. How do I find a clinic that won't shame me? And what questions should I ask before booking to avoid wasting time and money?"

If you've had a similar experience of not being able to access the care you need, this episo...

This is episode four of Fat Fertility 101, and we're getting really practical about what you can actually do to support your fertility that doesn't involve dieting or weight loss. In the last episode, we busted the myth that you need to lose weight to get pregnant. Today I'm sharing evidence-based, weight-neutral approaches that can genuinely support your fertility and overall health.

But first, something really important: diets don...

This is episode three of Fat Fertility 101, and today we're diving into my absolute favourite topic: myth-busting. If you're in a bigger body and want to get pregnant, you've probably heard things like "fat people can't get pregnant" or "you need to lose weight first" or "you'll definitely get gestational diabetes."

I'm here to tell you that so much of this is complete bollocks. Today we're going through the most common myths about ...

This is episode two of Fat Fertility 101, and we're getting practical about how to actually find your fertile window. In the last episode, we covered how the menstrual cycle works. Today we're diving into the details of figuring out when your body ovulates so you can time sex or insemination for the best chance of getting pregnant.

For folks with irregular cycles (especially those with PCOS), this can feel like stabbing in the dark....

This is the first episode in a new mini-series I'm calling Fat Fertility 101, where we're going back to basics about fertility, but not the basics you learned in school. We're talking about real, practical information for understanding your body when you live in a bigger body and want to get pregnant.

In this episode, we're breaking down the menstrual cycle, and I promise it won't look like those textbook diagrams. Because that "per...

Content note: This episode discusses weight loss, weight-based medical discrimination, and fertility challenges. Please take care of yourself as you listen.

This week's episode is one that made me both furious and hopeful in equal measure. I sat down with Zoe, who spent years being told to lose weight before she'd be taken seriously about her fertility. After losing nearly four stone and still getting nowhere with UK fertility servi...

This week's episode tackles a question I hear far too often, and it gets me every single time: "My doctor says I have PCOS but only looked at my weight. What now?"

If this is your experience, I want you to know something right away, what happened to you isn't medicine. It's bias dressed up as care, and you deserve so much better.In this episode, we cover:

- What the Rotterdam criteria actually are and why they matter

- Why weight does...

Episode 23: When Your GP Won't Test Your Fertility Until You Lose Weight

This week, we're tackling one of the most common issues fat folks face: being denied basic fertility testing until they lose weight.

In this episode:

- Why it's not your fault when doctors refuse testing based on weight

- The basic fertility tests you deserve access to

- When to seek testing

- Why your sperm-producing partner should get tested first

- How to advocat...

In this personal episode, I'm sharing my PCOS journey - from diagnosis at 16 to navigating fertility and finding weight-neutral care approaches.

What We Cover:

My PCOS story and unexpected fertility journey

3 major PCOS myths that need busting

Weight-neutral care advice that doesn't involve weight-loss!

Sponsored by Inofolic Alpha Plus - The only PCOS supplement designed for folks with BMI over 25. Use code NICOLAPOD for 10% off.

Resourc...

In this episode of Fat and Fertile, I’m diving deep into something I don’t talk about nearly enough—what fat positive fertility coaching actually is, and why it matters so much.

I’ve been a fertility coach for over seven years now, and while I often share tools, insights, and resources, I realised I haven’t really broken down how coaching works or what it looks like to be supported in a fat-positive, weight-neutral space. So that’s ...

Hi folksHere is our Q&A for April.We talked about pregnancy tests for fat folks. Are they as effective?I'd love to hear your thoughts. Share below in the comments or head over to our Discord server for a chat x

References:

* Shah, A., Kimball, S., & Beesley, S. et al. (2012). "The relationship between body mass index and quantitative maternal serum human chorionic gonadotropin levels." Fertility and Sterility. http://dx.doi.org/10.10...

Episode Summary

In this episode of Fat and Fertile, Nicola Salmon dives into the practical—and emotional—realities of finding a fertility clinic that supports fat folks with compassion and without weight stigma. Whether you’re just beginning to explore fertility treatment or feeling frustrated by constant barriers, this episode is packed with actionable tips, thoughtful guidance, and much-needed reassurance.

Nicola shares th...

Hi folksHere is our Q&A for March.1. I discussed supplements for fertility and food.(I also have an episode on my podcast if you want extra info where I may or may not say exactly the same things 🤣 )2. I also shared some ideas about how to navigate family and friends being judgy about getting pregnant in a bigger body.I'd love to hear your thoughts. Share below in the comments

I had a great question last month about resources to support a partner with their sperm health so that's what we're talking about today on our first bonus podcast episode!

You can also download a resource on sperm health right here with all the recommendations that I talked about in the episode. Let me know in the comments if you have any other questions about sperm health.

In this episode of Fat and Fertile, I’m joined by the incredible Emma Haslam, founder of Your IVF Abroad and a passionate advocate for fertility choice. Emma shares her deeply personal journey through infertility, the barriers she faced due to BMI restrictions in the UK, and how she ultimately found a path to parenthood abroad.

We dive into the realities of navigating fertility treatment as a fat person, the frustration of arbitrary...