New CBC Podcast, One in Six, a fertility journey, available now on CBC Listen

CBC journalist and podcast host Jen White and her husband Neil Hyde are a happily married couple in their thirties, and from the outside, life is picture perfect. But behind their smiles lies a heartbreaking secret — they can't get pregnant.

One in Six is a new CBC Podcast that launched on Oct. 18 that takes you on Jen and Neil's years-long fertility journey; one filled with hormone injections, internal ultrasounds, tears, anxiety, shame, love, laughter and hope. It also examines the barriers faced by people struggling with infertility.

The experience left the couple feeling isolated and alone. However, as they learned along the way, they were far from the only ones struggling.

"In the beginning, I felt a lot of shame about not being able to get pregnant, like my body was broken," said Jen. "About two years into our journey, I started sharing our secret with a close circle of family and friends. Instead of them being shocked by our news, I was the one who was surprised. Most people said they already knew someone who was struggling to conceive or undergoing fertility treatments."

Jen discovered that infertility is a common issue affecting approximately one in six couples in Canada. The World Health Organization estimates that 186 million individuals live with infertility worldwide.

With this surprising realization, Jen and Neil decided to document their journey. "We wanted to share our story as a way to help others in similar situations, so they wouldn't have to feel like they were facing infertility alone. Infertility isn't often talked about openly, and I hope by making this podcast it will help others become more comfortable in sharing their experiences."

The first two episodes of One in Six were released on Oct. 18 and can be heard on CBC Listen and everywhere podcasts are available. Two new episodes will be released weekly on Tuesdays until Nov. 8 along with one bonus episode each week that will drop on Thursdays.

Listen for free on CBC Listen (available as a free app for iOS and Android devices) and online at cbc.ca/listen.