Tackling the fertility taboo

Organisers of a fertility awareness event hope to give people the confidence to talk about their struggle to start a family.

The Fertili-Tea is a national initiative based on the Macmillan coffee mornings. It aims to raise money for charity and give people the confidence to talk about fertility.

Independent fertility consultant Kate Davis, of Castle Bytham, is bringing the scheme to the area. She said: “It’s so important to have peer support from someone going through the same situation. There’s still a taboo around fertility but to be able to talk comfortably is incredibly important.”

The event will take place at Equilibrium, in St Mary’s Street in Stamford, on Wednesday, September 26, from 7pm to 9pm.

Salon owner Samantha Hiseman was thrilled to be involved and will provide mini treatments in return for a donation to the charity Fertility Network UK.

She said: “Reflexology is my passion. It helped me through an illness and I have helped lots of ladies with fertility problems so I was keen to work with Kate and to have the opportunity to talk about how it can help
them.”

Oakham businesswoman Caroline Stafford is also involved, providing biscuits with motivational quotes from her business The Kitsch Hen.

She and her partner have been trying to conceive for six years and during that time have had four rounds of IVF and a miscarriage.

She said: “I want to do as much as I can to reach out to people going through this journey to give them some encouragement. It’s a lonely experience and nothing beats talking face to face with someone.”

If the demand is there the women hope to run a regular support group.