Navigating IVF as a Neurodivergent Person with Catherine Lightfoot

In this episode of The Fertility Podcast, I’m joined by Catherine Lightfoot, ADHD coach and founder of Rewired Circles, to talk about her experience of navigating IVF as a neurodivergent person.

Catherine was working in a senior HR role while undergoing fertility treatment and dealing with the mental load of a delayed ADHD diagnosis. She joins me to talk about the emotional toll of masking, the challenges of advocating for yourself in a system that does not always recognise neurodivergence, and the importance of creating support spaces that actually meet people where they are.

This is our first episode covering neurodivergence and fertility, and I want to thank Catherine for bringing this conversation forward. If you suspect you may be neurodivergent, or if you’ve been struggling to articulate how this process is affecting you, I hope this episode offers support and language for what you might be feeling.

What we discuss in this episode:

1. Catherine’s delayed ADHD diagnosis and how it overlapped with her fertility journey
2. Why she and her partner opted for early fertility testing and how a surprise male factor diagnosis shifted everything
3. The emotional whiplash of having a clear process derailed by COVID delays
4. How hyperfocus, masking, and people-pleasing made it harder to ask for help
5. Overworking and pretending everything was fine while secretly undergoing injections and treatment
6. The moment she realised she could not cope alone anymore
7. What IVF felt like as a neurodivergent person and why it is easy to become overwhelmed and disconnected
8. The challenge of advocating for yourself when you are not sure what your needs are
9. The risks of masking and burnout in high-pressure jobs while going through treatment
10. Her reflections on memory loss, dysregulation, and why she misremembered the number of cycles she had
11. Why support groups are powerful but may not be the right fit for everyone at every stage
12. How Catherine’s coaching and lived experience helped her move from burnout to self-awareness
13. The shocking mental health statistics for women with ADHD and why fertility support needs to evolve
14. Why the fertility and neurodivergent overlap is an urgent area of focus for workplaces and support providers
15. Her top advice for anyone navigating fertility and ADHD, especially in silence

A note on support and asking for help

So many of us keep it all in. We wait until it gets really bad before we share anything. But Catherine reminds us that asking for help does not need to be dramatic or all-encompassing. You can start small. Tell one trusted colleague at work. Let one friend know. Give someone permission to be your backup or just your quiet support.

If you are masking and managing everything...