Episode
Emma Barnett on motherhood, IVF and endometriosis
- Podcast
- Well Enough
- Published
- Mar 11, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 3150
- Processing state
not_requested- Canonical source
- https://shows.acast.com/well-enough/episodes/emma-barnett-on-motherhood-ivf-and-endometriosis
- Audio
- https://sphinx.acast.com/p/open/s/6877a2d54633a88a38ec3a2a/e/69b04a4657aaa944a9920b46/media.mp3
Actions
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Summary
This week, award-winning BBC broadcaster, journalist and author Emma Barnett joins us to challenge everything we think we know about the newborn bubble. Emma's new book, Maternity Service, tears through the toxic positivity of early motherhood with refreshing - and often hilarious - honesty. From the physical reality of recovering from a C-section to the quiet grief of losing your pre-baby identity, Emma holds nothing back. She also opens up about 21 years without an endometriosis diagnosis, six rounds of IVF, and how she's learned to survive - and thrive - with a chronic pain condition while raising two children and fronting some of the UK's biggest radio programmes. Follow Well Enough on Instagram here Follow Emilie on Instagram here Timecodes: 00:00 Introduction: Why Maternity Leave Is a Lie 01:01 What Is Maternity Service? The Book Explained 01:31 Six Rounds of IVF and 21 Years Without a Diagnosis 02:01 Matrescence: How Your Identity Shifts When You Become a Mother 04:10 Can You Ever Really Prepare for Becoming a Mother? 05:03 Toxic Positivity in Motherhood 06:30 Reframing Motherhood as a Tour of Duty 07:35 The Physical Reality: Healing a Broken Body After Birth 08:57 C-Sections, Too Posh to Push, and the Stigma of Stomach Surgery 09:50 What Is a Hypertonic Pelvic Floor? What No One Tells You 11:25 The Loneliness of New Motherhood Nobody Talks About 12:22 Identity Loss: Your Maternity Uniform and the Flattening of Self 14:01 IVF, Bruising, and the Hidden Uniform of Fertility Treatment 16:29 Delayed Gratification: The Survival Skill Every Mother Needs 18:20 Perimenopause, Grief, and the Pressure to Have It All 21:23 Maternity Discrimination and the Psychology of Being Replaced 23:30 Is Boredom on Maternity Leave Normal? Yes, and Here's Why 24:40 Writing a Letter to…