Sara’s tales from fertility frontline will bring hope to many women

They say laughter is the best medicine. It’s also true that a problem shared is a problem halved. This week’s cover star has made a career out of combining both. Like many comedians, Sara Pascoe discovered early on that the various ups and downs of her personal life provided a rich vein of stand-up material.

In our interview on pages 6&7 Sara, who many of you will know from The Great British Sewing Bee, fully admits that nothing is off-limits when it comes to making people laugh. Even her difficult journey from infertility to motherhood.

Now, as someone who has been through the rigmarole of IVF, I can relate to Sara when she says “it’s funny and gross and embarrassing.”

I remember a particularly ludicrous moment when my partner was working abroad where I had to ask a colleague to inject hormones into my backside in the office loo. Embarrassment tends to fly out the window when your future baby’s life is at stake.

But I also know IVF can be a lonely and sad business, especially for those who have gone through several failed attempts. No one can truly appreciate this unless they have been through it. What really helped was being able to talk to other women on internet forums. It was a bit like a global help group where we could offer support and, yes, share some excruciating tales from the fertility frontline.

The biggest boost came from mums posting their “miracle baby” photos. So, by sharing her own success story on stage, Sara will not only be delivering laughs, but also a huge dollop of hope.