<p>If you've been hurt by the healthcare system while trying to access fertility care, you are not alone, and you are not broken. This episode is for anyone who has experienced harm, dismissal, or humiliation from healthcare providers and is now caught in the incredibly difficult position of needing care from a system that has already hurt them.</p><p><strong>In this episode, we cover:</strong></p><p>What healthcare trauma actually looks like, and why so many fat folks experience it without ever naming it that way</p><p>How your nervous system responds to perceived threats (fight, flight, fawn, and freeze) and why your fear is not self-sabotage</p><p>The <strong>Prepare and Care</strong> framework: practical steps to support yourself before and after appointments</p><p>The difference between advocacy mode and survival mode, and why it matters</p><p>How to find trauma-informed providers, and what to do when that's not possible</p><p><strong>Key takeaway:</strong> Your fear of being harmed again is a completely rational, protective response. You do not have to be in advocacy mode all the time. Sometimes just getting through the appointment is enough.</p><p><strong>Resources & Links</strong></p><p>📖 <a target="_blank" href="https://mybook.to/fatandfertile"><em>Fat and Fertile</em></a> </p><p>🌿 Work with Nicola: <a target="_blank" href="https://nicolasalmon.co.uk/roadmap">Fat Positive Fertility Roadmap </a></p><p>📱 Instagram: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.instagram.com/fatpositivefertility">@fatpositivefertility</a></p><p>📧 Email: <a target="_blank" href="mailto:[email protected]">[email protected]</a></p> <br/><br/>Get full access to Fat and Fertile at <a href="https://fatpositivefertility.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&#38;utm_campaign=CTA_4">fatpositivefertility.substack.com/subscribe</a>