One in Six

It’s a devastating secret that Jen White and Neil Hyde have kept for too long: they can’t get pregnant. Join Jen and Neil as they open up about the emotional, biological, financial and social tolls of infertility — while trying to see the uterus half full. Coming Oct. 18.

All season long, we’ve asked for your stories about infertility. In this episode, we’ll share some of those. Plus, we check back in with others featured in One in Six to see where they are in their fertility journeys.

IVF starts with a difficult procedure called the egg retrieval. Jen is relieved when the doctor gets 12 eggs. But Jen and Neil discover the odds become a numbers game, and nothing is guaranteed. While waiting for transfer day, Jen and her mom talk about an upsetting incident from their past that they’ve never discussed before.

After tallying up the cost of IVF, Jen and Neil are ready to take the plunge. They start the process (more needles!) at home in St. John’s, until the clinic in Calgary calls. Book the next flight across the country, the doctor says. It's go time. But for same-sex couple Kelsey Puddister and Julia Collins, their ongoing wait for fertility treatments feels detrimental — a genetic condition is turning Kelsey’s biological clock into a ticking time bomb.

Just after Christmas 2019, Jen and Neil deal with more bad news. While trying to decide on their next step forward, the unspeakable happens: a pandemic brings the world to a screeching halt. Jen’s biological clock ticks louder than ever, as they wait for the fertility clinics to re-open.