Despite the endless public discussion of baby-making, relatively little is said about fertility problems, even common ones. The erasure of these issues from the public consciousness, combined with the “don’t leave it too late” narrative, directs a heavy and unnecessary sense of blame towards those who struggle to conceive.

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When a close friend of mine was referred to a fertility clinic by her [General Practitioner] at the age of 28, she said it felt like a punch in the stomach. Despite every logical argument to the contrary, she struggled with feelings of embarrassment, failure, guilt and shame. What would have made it much easier, she told me, was feeling that this was normal, common even.