Artwork for podcast Changing Academic Life
Infertility, Career Choices, and Compassion (CAL 134, S7E7)
Family & parenthood Episode 7 • 3rd December 2025 • Changing Academic Life • Geraldine Fitzpatrick
00:00:00 00:38:48

Share Episode

Shownotes

In this very personal solo episode, I share my journey through infertility and the impact it had on my academic and personal life. Inspired by Susan Dray's story, I decided to share our challenges of trying to start a family while managing a career in academia. I discusses the physical and emotional toll of infertility treatments, the loneliness of not sharing my struggles with colleagues, and the moral dilemmas we faced. Mine is just one story, and we can be sure that many of the people we work with are dealing with their own challenges or carrying their own sadnesses so this is a call for more empathy, kindness, and support in academic environments, emphasizing the importance of recognizing the human side of our lives. I conclude with a message of support for those facing similar challenges and a reflection on how my career path, though unintended, brought its own form of fulfillment.

00:29 Introduction: A Personal Journey

01:05 The Inspiration Behind This Episode

03:58 Opening Up About Women's Health Issues

07:23 The Struggles of Infertility

12:15 Navigating the Moral Dilemmas

14:51 Navigating Our Journey

17:43 Navigating Career and Personal Life

22:44 Moving On and Finding New Paths

26:48 Things Coming Together in the Move to London

30:13 Reflecting on an Academic Career Without Children

33:53 Final Reflections

Related Link

CHI Stories @CHI2017: Midwifery, Babies, HCI: “Doktormutter”hood and Sustainable Academic Life

Links

Chapters

Video

More from YouTube

More Episodes
7. Infertility, Career Choices, and Compassion (CAL 134, S7E7)
00:38:48
2. Deborah Boehm-Davis on career paths, leadership, and change (CAL129, S7E2)
01:00:45
11. Leysia Palen on creating a new research area, the long path to tenure and starting a department
00:56:50
1. Carl Gutwin on academic life, making choices, getting perspective
00:33:08
5. Janet Read on charm bracelets, finish tape & the work to be a complete academic
01:30:34
23. Evan Peck on making choices, accepting trade-offs, and liberal arts as a great middle way
00:47:25
21. Margaret Burnett on pioneering, mentoring, changing the world & GenderMag
01:04:04
8. Yunan Chen on getting tenure, the two-body experience & negotiating motherhood
00:51:45
6. Katherine Isbister on finding your fit, being productive 8-5 and praising yourself
00:45:31
16. bonus Anna Cox on family, work & strategies for making the changes we want
01:05:39
12. Katie Siek on dual careers & children, mentoring & lobbying, & dealing with illness
01:10:07
18. Chris Frauenberger on post-docs, parental leave & multiple dreams
01:15:45
6. Kirsten Ellis on shifting goalposts, motivation, flying & being a working mum with a disabled child
01:01:46
16. Jen Mankoff on managing an academic career with a disability & finding good ways forward
01:02:44
4. Julie Kientz on making her way from small town geeky outcast to uni professor (Part 1)
00:41:24
10. Aisling O’Kane on mobility, interdisciplinary threads & family (Part 1)
00:33:18
20. Marta Cecchinato (part 2) on promoting wellbeing through leadership, EDI & self-care
00:47:11
5. Susanne Bødker on career, culture and choices
01:07:21