10 IVF Rounds, No Embryos: Finding Motherhood Through Embryo Donation

10 IVF Rounds, No Embryos: Finding Motherhood Through Embryo Donation

Author: Women's Health Melbourne August 30, 2026 Duration: 39:05


After 10 rounds of IVF using her own eggs without creating a single embryo, Fiona O’Neil and her husband faced an incredibly difficult question: were they willing to let go of genetic parenthood to experience life as parents?


Their journey included undiagnosed stage four endometriosis, an ectopic pregnancy, pregnancy loss, known egg donation, two trips to South Africa for anonymous donor eggs and, ultimately, becoming parents through embryo donation.


In this deeply personal episode of Knocked Up, Fiona joins fertility specialist Dr Raelia Lew to share the emotional reality of transitioning from IVF with your own eggs to donor conception.


Fiona speaks honestly about grieving the child she initially imagined, worrying whether she would bond with a donor-conceived baby and the fear that her child might one day reject her. She also shares why those concerns disappeared when her son arrived.


Now the founder of The Fertility Framework, Fiona uses her lived experience to support individuals navigating fertility treatment and help workplaces become more informed, compassionate and fertility aware.


The Fertility Framework:

Instagram: @fertilityframework

Fertility coaching and workplace support:

Learn more through The Fertility Framework



ABOUT WOMEN’S HEALTH MELBOURNE

Women’s Health Melbourne is an innovative fertility and women’s health practice led by Dr Raelia Lew. Its specialist team provides evidence-based care across fertility, IVF, egg freezing and women’s health.


Learn more or book an appointment through Women’s Health Melbourne.


This podcast provides general information and should not replace personalised medical advice from your healthcare professional.



Embryo donation, egg donation Australia, donor conception, donor-conceived children, IVF journey, IVF failure, infertility support, fertility trauma, miscarriage support, pregnancy loss, fertility in the workplace, reproductive leave, workplace fertility support, stage four endometriosis, fertility specialist, genetic parenthood, anonymous egg donation, known egg donor and fertility podcast.



Ever found yourself with a question about your body or your journey to parenthood that felt too awkward or complex to ask? That’s exactly the space where Knocked Up: The Podcast About Fertility and Women's Health lives. Hosted by Dr Raelia Lew, a specialist from Women's Health Melbourne, alongside Jordi Morrison, this series digs into the realities of fertility, pregnancy, and overall health without the jargon or judgement. Each episode feels like a candid chat with knowledgeable friends who aren’t afraid to tackle the tough topics, translating complicated medical concepts into conversations you can actually follow and use. It’s more than just a fertility podcast; it’s a resource for anyone curious about how their body works, from preconception through to postpartum and general wellbeing. The tone is straightforward, empathetic, and grounded in real experience, making often overwhelming subjects feel manageable. You’ll come away with clearer insights, practical knowledge, and perhaps a bit of reassurance for your own path. For regular updates, the team can be found on social media, but the heart of it all is in these frank and essential discussions. Tune in for a genuinely accessible take on women’s health, where no question is off the table.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

Knocked Up: All About Fertility and Women's Health
Podcast Episodes
What Your Fertility Ultrasound Is Really Looking For [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 38:05
What can a fertility ultrasound actually tell you about your chances of becoming pregnant?In this episode of Knocked Up, Dr Raelia Lew speaks with a specialist obstetric and gynaecological ultrasound doctor to uncover wh…
What Really Happens to Your Embryos in an IVF Lab? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 35:49
What happens to your eggs, sperm and embryos once they enter an IVF laboratory?In this episode of Knocked Up, Dr Raelia Lew speaks with senior embryologist Alex about the science, precision and human care behind every st…
IVF Without Two Weeks of Injections? Inside IVM [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:50
What if eggs could be collected before they mature and developed outside the body, potentially reducing the medications, time and physical burden involved in conventional IVF?In this episode of Knocked Up, fertility spec…
What IVF Nurses Wish Every Patient Knew [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 41:58
What happens behind the scenes during an IVF cycle, and who supports patients through the uncertainty, injections, scans and pregnancy-test results?In this episode of Knocked Up, fertility specialist Dr Raelia Lew sits d…
Beyond Fertility... [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:05
In this episode we explore the often unspoken final chapter of fertility, the moment when individuals or couples begin to consider moving on. Dr Raelila explains that whilst so much focus is placed on creating embryos, f…
The Many Paths to Parenthood [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 22:36
What happens when the path to parenthood looks different from what you imagined? In this episode of Knocked Up, CREI fertility specialist Dr Raelia Lew explains donor conception and the extraordinary ways families can be…
Understanding the Difference Between OI and IUI [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:02
If you’re not ovulating regularly, or you’ve been trying without success, ovulation induction (OI) and intrauterine insemination (IUI) are often the first treatments discussed before IVF. In this episode, we unpack what…
BV, the Vaginal Microbiome and Fertility [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 19:08
Bacterial vaginosis, or BV, is one of the most common vaginal conditions in women of reproductive age, yet many women are unsure how it may affect fertility. In this episode of Knocked Up, CREI fertility specialist Dr Ra…
Progesterone: The Pro-Pregnancy Hormone [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:53
Progesterone is often called the “pregnancy hormone”, but what does that actually mean for your body and your fertility? In this episode of Knocked Up, CREI fertility specialist Dr Raelia Lew unpacks how progesterone wor…
IVF Success Rates in 2025: What the Numbers Really Mean [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 20:10
IVF success rates are often the first thing people search when starting fertility treatment. But what do those numbers actually tell us, and just as importantly, what do they miss? In this episode, CREI fertility special…