This week's episode tackles a question I hear far too often, and it gets me every single time: "My doctor says I have PCOS but only looked at my weight. What now?"

If this is your experience, I want you to know something right away, what happened to you isn't medicine. It's bias dressed up as care, and you deserve so much better.In this episode, we cover:

- What the Rotterdam criteria actually are and why they matter

- Why weight doesn't cause PCOS (and why that distinction is so important)

- Other conditions that might be going on if you haven't been properly tested

- Practical ways to advocate for the healthcare you deserve

- What to do if you suspect you've been misdiagnosed

Useful Links:

Download: Fat Person's Guide to Getting Pregnant

Book a Fat Positive Fertility Roadmap Call

Follow me on Instagram

Email me a question for a future episode

Episode 23: When Your GP Won't Test Your Fertility Until You Lose Weight

This week, we're tackling one of the most common issues fat folks face: being denied basic fertility testing until they lose weight.

In this episode:

- Why it's not your fault when doctors refuse testing based on weight

- The basic fertility tests you deserve access to

- When to seek testing

- Why your sperm-producing partner should get tested first

- How to advocate for yourself when doctors say no

Key takeaway: You are not broken and you do not need fixing. The healthcare system needs fixing. There are absolutely tests that can and should be done regardless of your body size, and you deserve to have your health needs met.

Resources:

Book: "Fat and Fertile" - available on Amazon

Instagram: @fatpositivefertility

Email: nicola@nicolasalmon.co.uk

Fat Positive Fertility Roadmaps: personalised 90-minute calls to create your fertility plan

Send me your questions for future "In Your Corner" episodes via DM or email!

In this episode of Fat and Fertile, I’m joined by the brilliant Dr. Alice Keeley – aka The HeavyWeight Midwife. With 20+ years of midwifery experience and a PhD in plus-size pregnancy care, Alice is a powerful voice challenging the weight stigma baked into our maternity systems.

We dig into what it’s really like to be pregnant in a bigger body – from being weighed without consent, to “high risk” labels that show up before anything’s even gone wrong. Alice explains how these experiences affect care, and why personalised, evidence-based, compassionate support matters so much.

We also explore Alice’s journey, including what led her to launch The HeavyWeight Midwife in 2022, and why autonomy and clear communication are key during pregnancy.

We talk about:

• Why BMI-based guidelines miss the bigger picture
• How to advocate for yourself at appointments
• Risks, referrals, and informed consent
• Why water birth access is a fat-positive issue
• And how Alice’s trimester-by-trimester courses are changing lives

Links & Resources

• 📘 Fat and Fertile – Buy the book
• 📰 Join Nicola on Substack
• 📧 Email: nicola@nicolasalmon.co.uk
• 📸 Instagram: @fatpositivefertility
• 🌐 Alice’s site: theheavyweightmidwife.com
• 📲 Alice on IG: @theheavyweightmidwife
• 🎧 Listen to The HeavyWeight Midwife Podcast

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