Emotional and physical toll of treatment

Dealing with the grief of loss 

‘I’m going to give it everything I have'

Many choose to go through treatment in silence

Infertility is not only a woman’s problem

The two-week wait

The trade-off between IVF and career 

Does miscarriage equate failure? 

The costs of fertility treatment

The Government should do more to help couples 

Creating a supportive workplace 

Two women share their journeys through IVF, miscarriage and the long road to motherhood  

Synopsis: Join us for a five-part series on working motherhood from July 3-31 with episodes out every Friday.

This episode explores the difficult journey some women take to become mothers. 

Around one in six couples in Singapore experience infertility, yet many endure the physical and emotional toll of fertility treatment in silence while juggling work, medical appointments and the uncertainty of what comes next.

Host Vanessa Chelvan speaks with Divya Menon, director of Fertility Support SG, who is still navigating her own in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) journey after multiple treatment cycles and a recent miscarriage, and Elisha Tushara, a Straits Times journalist whose daughter was conceived after years of fertility treatment and losses. 

They discuss the grief of failed cycles and miscarriages, the burden of balancing treatment with work, the financial cost of trying to conceive, and why workplaces - and society - need to better support those navigating infertility.

Highlights (click/tap above):

5:05 Emotional, mental and physical toll of fertility treatment  

8:31 Dealing with the grief of loss 

10:58 ‘I’m going to give it everything I have, even if the money goes’

12:54 Why many choose to go through fertility treatment in silence

15:23 The misconception that infertility is a woman’s problem

18:53 The two-week wait

22:51 77% of women see trade-off between IVF and career 

28:29 Does miscarriage equate failure? 

35:45 The costs of fertility treatment

39:19 The Government should do more to help couples 

41:04 Creating a supportive workplace 

Resources: 

Fertility Support SG: https://fertilitysupport.sg/

Fertility Support SG’s Workplace Guide: https://fertilitysupport.sg/infertility-in-the-workplace/

Host: Vanessa Chelvan (vpchelvan@sph.com.sg)

Read Vanessa's articles: https://str.sg/gr5Z

Follow Vanessa on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/jHdJ 

Produced and edited by: Teo Tong Kai

Executive producers: Ernest Luis & Elizabeth Law

—

Follow The Mother Load limited series every Friday (July 3-31):

Channel: https://str.sg/oMofY 

Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/8Kbv 

Spotify: https://str.sg/DELD 

YouTube: https://str.sg/HnaV

Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg 

—

Follow more ST podcast channels:

All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: https://str.sg/wvz7 

Get more updates: http://str.sg/stpodcasts

---

Get The Straits Times app, which has a dedicated podcast player section:

The App Store: https://str.sg/icyB 

Google Play: https://str.sg/icyX

#themotherload

Two women share their journeys through IVF, miscarriage and the long road to motherhood&nbsp;&nbsp;
Synopsis: Join us for a five-part series on working motherhood from July 3-31 with episodes out every Friday.
This episode explores the difficult journey some women take to become mothers.&nbsp;
Around one in six couples in Singapore experience infertility, yet many endure the physical and emotional toll of fertility treatment in silence while juggling work, medical appointments and the uncertainty of what comes next.
Host Vanessa Chelvan speaks with Divya Menon, director of Fertility Support SG, who is still navigating her own in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) journey after multiple treatment cycles and a recent miscarriage, and Elisha Tushara, a Straits Times journalist whose daughter was conceived after years of fertility treatment and losses.&nbsp;
They discuss the grief of failed cycles and miscarriages, the burden of balancing treatment with work, the financial cost of trying to conceive, and why workplaces - and society - need to better support those navigating infertility.
Highlights (click/tap above):
5:05 Emotional, mental and physical toll of fertility treatment&nbsp;&nbsp;
8:31 Dealing with the grief of loss&nbsp;
10:58 &lsquo;I&rsquo;m going to give it everything I have, even if the money goes&rsquo;
12:54 Why many choose to go through fertility treatment in silence
15:23 The misconception that infertility is a woman&rsquo;s problem
18:53 The two-week wait
22:51 77% of women see trade-off between IVF and career&nbsp;
28:29 Does miscarriage equate failure?&nbsp;
35:45 The costs of fertility treatment
39:19 The Government should do more to help couples&nbsp;
41:04 Creating a supportive workplace&nbsp;
Resources:&nbsp;
Fertility Support SG: <a href="https://fertilitysupport.sg/">https://fertilitysupport.sg/ </a>Fertility Support SG&rsquo;s Workplace Guide: <a href="https://fertilitysupport.sg/infertility-in-the-workplace/">https://fertilitysupport.sg/infertility-in-the-workplace/</a>
Host: Vanessa Chelvan (<a href="mailto:vpchelvan@sph.com.sg">vpchelvan@sph.com.sg</a>)
Read Vanessa's articles: <a href="https://str.sg/gr5Z">https://str.sg/gr5Z</a>
Follow Vanessa on LinkedIn:&nbsp;<a href="https://str.sg/jHdJ">https://str.sg/jHdJ</a>&nbsp;
Produced and edited by: Teo Tong Kai
Executive producers: Ernest Luis &amp; Elizabeth Law
&mdash;
Follow The Mother Load limited series every Friday (July 3-31):
Channel: <a href="https://str.sg/oMofY">https://str.sg/oMofY</a>&nbsp;
Apple Podcasts: <a href="https://str.sg/8Kbv">https://str.sg/8Kbv</a>&nbsp;
Spotify: <a href="https://str.sg/DELD">https://str.sg/DELD</a>&nbsp;
YouTube: <a href="https://str.sg/HnaV">https://str.sg/HnaV</a>
Feedback to: <a href="mailto:podcast@sph.com.sg">podcast@sph.com.sg</a>&nbsp;
&mdash;
Follow more ST podcast channels:
All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: <a href="https://str.sg/wvz7">https://str.sg/wvz7</a>&nbsp;
Get more updates: <a href="http://str.sg/stpodcasts">http://str.sg/stpodcasts</a>
---
Get The Straits Times app, which has a dedicated podcast player section:
The App Store: <a href="https://str.sg/icyB">https://str.sg/icyB</a>&nbsp;
Google Play: <a href="https://str.sg/icyX">https://str.sg/icyX</a>
#themotherload

Synopsis: Join us for a five-part series on working motherhood from July 3-31 with episodes out every Friday.

This series isn’t just for mums – it’s for anyone trying to make sense of where careers and motherhood intersect. Through candid conversations and lived experiences, we unpack the issues shaping everyday decisions - from childcare and career progression to guilt, ambition and the invisible mental load.

Host: Vanessa Chelvan

Produced and edited by: Teo Tong Kai

Executive producers: Ernest Luis & Elizabeth Law

A podcast by The Straits Times, SPH Media.

Synopsis: Join us for a five-part series on working motherhood from July 3-31 with episodes out every Friday.
This series isn&rsquo;t just for mums &ndash; it&rsquo;s for anyone trying to make sense of where careers and motherhood intersect. Through candid conversations and lived experiences, we unpack the issues shaping everyday decisions - from childcare and career progression to guilt, ambition and the invisible mental load.
Host: Vanessa Chelvan
Produced and edited by: Teo Tong Kai
Executive producers: Ernest Luis &amp; Elizabeth Law
A podcast by The Straits Times, SPH Media.