Hosted by Dr Raelia Lew 
Dr Raelia Lew Fertility Specialist & Gynaecologist Medical Director of Women's Health Melbourne and Melbourne IVF. President of ANZSREI, the society for fertility specialists in Australia and New Zealand, and host of the Knocked Up podcast.
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Published · 39 min listen
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About this episode
After 10 rounds of IVF using her own eggs without creating a single embryo, Fiona O'Neil and her husband faced an incredibly difficult question: were they willing to let go of genetic parenthood to experience life as parents?
Their journey included undiagnosed stage four endometriosis, an ectopic pregnancy, pregnancy loss, known egg donation, two trips to South Africa for anonymous donor eggs and, ultimately, becoming parents through embryo donation.
In this deeply personal episode of Knocked Up, Fiona joins fertility specialist Dr Raelia Lew to share the emotional reality of transitioning from IVF with your own eggs to donor conception.
Fiona speaks honestly about grieving the child she initially imagined, worrying whether she would bond with a donor-conceived baby and the fear that her child might one day reject her. She also shares why those concerns disappeared when her son arrived.
Now the founder of The Fertility Framework, Fiona uses her lived experience to support individuals navigating fertility treatment and help workplaces become more informed, compassionate and fertility aware.
The Fertility Framework:
Instagram: @fertilityframework
Fertility coaching and workplace support:
Learn more through The Fertility Framework
Have questions about your own fertility?
There's no rush and no pressure. When it feels right, book a conversation with Dr Raelia Lew and the Women's Health Melbourne team — we'll take it at your pace.
