About

My name is Noni Martins and I am the host of Unfertility, a podcast that seeks to break the silence, shame and stigma around unconventional fertility journeys through the voices of black women (including my own).

I am Zimbabwean-British and my husband is Nigerian-British and we have been trying to conceive for over 4 years and it was close to the 3-year mark that we found out we had male factor infertility and that we would need IVF. We started IVF in Jan’ 2020 and we have had 3 failed embryo transfers so far.

As well as sharing my own unconventional fertility story, I host other Black women with their own stories, and professionals in the fertility sphere with the hope of bringing more visibility to these hidden stories.

In the words of Nichelle Polston, “If I have to be the poster child, I will become that poster child to get women to talk about their struggle… At one time, my fear was talking because I didn’t want people to gossip about me. Now, my fear is women not talking.”

For Black History Month 2020, I wrote the first ever patient blog for the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) – which is the UK’s independent regulator of fertility treatment and research.

I am thankful that here in the UK, we have an authority like the HFEA, that always puts the safety of IVF patients first – even when they stopped all treatment in March 2020, due to COVID, and made me cry like a baby!

You can read the full article here.

My/our infertility story – written by Deborah Linton for Elle Magazine. I’m so GRATEFUL & HOPEFUL that someone will see someone who looks like them talking about the “taboo” that is infertility and feel less alone and maybe even empowered to seek treatment. 

My only message is that infertility is NOT the end. There are options beyond the infertility diagnosis and though not necessarily ideal, it’s still better than no options at all. I want ALL women to know this. And hopefully we can get to the point where ALL women have access to treatment. 

I’ll be honest I felt a wave of shame again when I realised the article was out. That’s that PTSD! Then my husband read it and told me ‘well done, you will definitely reach more women with this’ and I knew all was well in the world again.

You can read the full feature here.

I contributed to this important article by  Carly Lewis-Oduntan for Stylist magazine alongside @midwifemarley & @thepreggerskitchen.

So well written and a memo to all of us, but in particular a memo to those who are supporting us in our fertility journeys – family, friends, colleagues, acquaintances etc.

You can read the full article here.

With Anita Rani & Clementine Baig. Watch here.

With Naga Munchetty & Dr Karen Joash. Listen here.

Instagram Takeover & Instagram Live with Sophie Sulehria.