As women continue to reach new heights in the corporate world, they’re facing a new challenge: navigating fertility in the workplace.
It’s an unfortunate coincidence that just as women are coming into the pinnacle of their careers, they’re also facing the difficult decision to take a step back and start a family, especially before their body clock deems it “too late” or consider egg freezing to help preserve a family for the future.
In the UK, one in seven couples experience infertility, and the rate is rising. Among professional women, delayed childbearing is increasingly common, often due to career progression and financial considerations. While more women are entering leadership roles, postponing parenthood can come at a cost: a higher risk of fertility issues. In London, the average age of first-time mothers was 29.2 years in 2022, compared with just 21.4 years in 1970.
What Is Infertility?
Infertility is the inability to conceive after a year of trying naturally. It’s not always related to the woman, as up to 50% of the reason is the man. Some of the challenges women may struggle with include hormonal imbalance, polycystic ovary syndrome, endometriosis, blocked fallopian tubes and lack of ovulation.
Men may have low sperm count, poor morphology (shape of the sperm; it may be missing heads or tails), low motility (unable to swim strongly up to the egg) or high DNA fragmentation, meaning poor-quality DNA will impact the viability of the embryo developing into a healthy foetus.
Challenges of Fertility and IVF
For couples struggling with infertility, the journey to parenthood can be emotionally and financially draining. In vitro fertilization (IVF) is often the next step, but it’s a costly and time-consuming process. A single cycle of IVF can cost upwards of £10,000, and success rates vary depending on age and other factors.
For women under 35, the live birth rate is around 42% and for those over 40, it can drop to as low as 12%. That means they may need multiple rounds of IVF before a successful pregnancy.
The emotional toll of fertility struggles cannot be overstated. The pressure to conceive can put a strain on relationships, and the constant disappointment of failed cycles can lead to anxiety and depression. Many fertility clinics offer counselling alongside fertility treatments but it’s usually just one session.
What Can Be Done to Improve Fertility?
Luckily, many of the challenges faced by couples can be drastically improved with a fertility-focused nutrition plan, fertility supplements, stress reduction and lifestyle changes. Often, this alone can result in such improved quality of the egg and sperm that couples fall pregnant naturally.
Unfortunately, many people (and many IVF clinics) don’t know that good nutrition can have such a positive impact on fertility that it may reduce the need for couples to undergo IVF. As a nutritionist, I dramatically improved both the quality of and number of my eggs and my husband’s sperm (by 400%!) and had a successful pregnancy. That’s something that would not have been possible had we not made the necessary diet, supplement and lifestyle changes that we did.
Providing wellbeing education in the workplace will not only improve the health and productivity of your employees but could also reduce the need for fertility treatment.
- The Impact of Stress on Fertility
One of the most detrimental contributors to infertility — and work usually being the biggest cause — is stress. Continued elevated levels of adrenaline and cortisol — the stress hormones — cause us to live in our “fight or flight” nervous system.
This sends a signal to our brain that the mother is not in a safe space to have a baby, and she will not fall pregnant. It’s not uncommon for couples to conceive when they’re on holiday and relaxed. I’ve often told clients they need to either change jobs or set boundaries with their work, as their stress levels are hindering their chances of having a baby.
Supporting Women with Egg Freezing
Egg freezing is becoming increasingly popular among women who want to preserve their fertility. The procedure has the same medical interventions as IVF, but without transferring the embryo. So a woman will have pretty much the same emotional, physical and financial needs as someone going through the whole process.
The Impact on the Workplace
IVF cycles and egg freezing require frequent doctor’s appointments, oral medication, multiple daily injections and sometimes surgery. This can lead to absences, fatigue and decreased productivity. By creating a culture of understanding and inclusivity, companies can help alleviate some of the stress and anxiety associated with fertility struggles.
What HR can do to help:
Leave policies: Companies should have clear leave policies in place for employees undergoing fertility treatments. It may include flexible working or paid leave.
Employees may benefit from extra counselling services, stress management support and sharing workloads during this challenging time.
Financial support: Consider offering financial assistance or reimbursement for egg freezing or IVF procedures.
Provide education: Offer workshops (nutrition and fertility experts) for both men and women to help improve chances of natural and assisted conception.
Manager training: Educate managers on fertility issues and how to support employees during this time.
Kelly Mulhall
Kelly is a fully qualified, Registered and Insured Nutritional Therapist. She is also the founder of The Natural Balance, a women’s health clinic headed up by a team of nutritional therapists who provide science-based, natural health solutions for improved mental and physical wellbeing. Having trained at the College of Naturopathic Medicine, she practices within the principles of Functional Medicine, which aims to understand the underlying causes of health issues and support you in reaching optimal health. This is done through diet, lifestyle and exercise.