Emma Barnett on motherhood, IVF and endometriosis

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 hereFollow Emilie on Instagram here Timecodes:00:00 Introduction: Why Maternity Leave Is a Lie01:01 What Is Maternity Service? The Book Explained01:31 Six Rounds of IVF and 21 Years Without a Diagnosis02:01 Matrescence: How Your Identity Shifts When You Become a Mother04:10 Can You Ever Really Prepare for Becoming a Mother?05:03 Toxic Positivity in Motherhood06:30 Reframing Motherhood as a Tour of Duty07:35 The Physical Reality: Healing a Broken Body After Birth08:57 C-Sections, Too Posh to Push, and the Stigma of Stomach Surgery09:50 What Is a Hypertonic Pelvic Floor? What No One Tells You11:25 The Loneliness of New Motherhood Nobody Talks About12:22 Identity Loss: Your Maternity Uniform and the Flattening of Self14:01 IVF, Bruising, and the Hidden Uniform of Fertility Treatment16:29 Delayed Gratification: The Survival Skill Every Mother Needs18:20 Perimenopause, Grief, and the Pressure to Have It All21:23 Maternity Discrimination and the Psychology of Being Replaced23:30 Is Boredom on Maternity Leave Normal? Yes, and Here's Why24:40 Writing a Letter to Your Pre-Baby Self26:35 Ready to Talk: Emma's New BBC Podcast on Women's Interior Lives30:50 The Best Books on Motherhood Emma Recommends39:00 Living With Endometriosis: The Diagnosis That Took 21 Years42:20 Endometriosis and IVF: When Getting Pregnant Becomes a Crisis49:30 Emma's Tip for Feeling Well Enough: The Power of MusicEpisodes of Ready to Talk with Emma Barnett are available every Friday on BBC Sounds.Buy Emma’s book Maternity Service - out in paperback March 12th Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.