Fertility Awareness Week
3rd - 7th November 2025
TINY SEEDS JERSEY PRESENTS

Birds & the Bees

To mark Fertility Awareness Week, through a series of short films, Tiny Seeds explores the real, emotional journeys behind fertility.
Collage of four outdoor portraits showing diverse adults smiling and posing in garden settings.

Hear the stories

We uncover the emotional, physical  and financial challenges so often faced when trying to bring home a baby.

Challenge stigma

We are challenging the stigma and helping to make space for understanding, compassion and a change in culture - ensuring that those facing fertility struggles are met with the support they need, not silence.

Support the mission

Infertility can affect anyone - and everyone deserves access to support. Join us in making a difference - your donation helps us to ensure that no one has to face this journey alone. 

STORIES
The Films
Somewhere in the mists of childhood, most of us remember that first awkward conversation where mysteries were unravelled and we took our first tottering step into a grown up world.
Where do babies come from? Flown in by stork? Baked into being by love, like a bun in the oven? We learn about the birds and the bees, the simple, wondrous mechanics of how we came to be, and perhaps imagine that one day, we’ll make our own miracle.

For many, that miracle arrives easily. But for others, the path to parenthood is far more tangled.

Beyond the birds and the bees lies an untold story - one full of twists and turns. A story that deserves daylight and open air, so we can better understand the challenges some face, and help each other navigate them with compassion.
“Being childless not by choice is heartbreaking. Every day you walk in the real world, you are faced with examples of what you so desperately want.  

It can be difficult seeing the pregnancy announcements, attending the baby showers and seeing the back-to-school photos on social media. I was so happy for those who already had their beautiful children, and simultaneously so sad for myself, particularly at times when I had suffered a loss or treatment had failed.

When you undertake fertility treatment, there is no guarantee of success and the whole process can be incredibly overwhelming.”

Christina
"Just relax and it will happen."
While almost always well-intentioned, it completely dismisses the medical realities of infertility. It subtly implies that the struggle is a result of stress rather than a genuine physiological issue, which can feel incredibly invalidating.

You can't 'relax' your way into having viable eggs or overcoming a diagnosed condition. A much better approach is to simply say, "I'm sorry you're going through this. I'm here for you if you ever want to talk."

Claudine
These are the birds and bees for adults - 
conversations that strip away the silence and stigma surrounding fertility, and replace it with empathy, humanity and honesty.
Thank you to the many islanders who contributed their stories and strength
HOW WE HELP
About Tiny Seeds
Tiny Seeds is a charity dedicated to supporting people in Jersey who are experiencing infertility or who need the help of fertility treatments to conceive.
Close-up of a bee collecting nectar from vibrant purple flowers in a green garden.
Close-up of blooming purple coneflowers with orange-brown centers in a green garden.
Close-up of a person’s hands resting on their lap, with a silver ring on the left ring finger, seated on a wooden bench.
Child in a pink dress holding a gray stuffed animal bunny while being carried by an adult in a dark dress.
Fertility in Focus
The Facts Behind the Feelings
adults worldwide - around 17.5% of the entire population - experience fertility struggles when trying to build their families showing the urgent need to increase access to affordable, high-quality fertility care for those in need.
1 in 6
pregnancies end in loss. A Tommy’s survey estimated 40% of these are due to miscarriage, stillbirth (13%), ectopic pregnancy (12%), termination for medical reasons (6%), neonatal death (5%), and molar pregnancy (2%). 
1 in 4
of those who need IVF cannot afford the treatment without access to government funding – Tiny Seeds IVF eligibility survey 2024.
38%
Tiny Seeds has provided 144 Travel Grants to islanders travelling for IVF - £57,600 – in the last 2 years.
£57,600 Travel Grants
69% depressed, 88% anxious, 6% suicidal, 81% lonely, 75% isolated – feelings reported as a direct result of experiencing fertility struggles – Tiny Seeds Mental Health and Wellbeing Survey 2022.
69% of people experience mental health challenges
Jersey has a total fertility rate (average number of children a woman has in her lifetime) of 1.2. This is among the lowest in the world and well below the replacement level of 2.1 needed to maintain a population.
1.2 Fertility Rate
2024 saw just 716 babies born in the island, down 10% on the year before and the lowest since 1945. Based on available data, it is estimated that around 5% of these births may have resulted from IVF treatment.
716
New website coming soon: tinyseeds.je
RAISING AWARENESS
Help a friend
A few do’s and don’ts that may help you to support a friend, family member or colleague who is experiencing infertility:
Do's
Ask how you can help and respect their answer – remember everyone is different and follow their lead
Listen but don’t try to fix – “I’m so sorry you are going through this”
Remember important dates – appointment, anniversary, loss - a thoughtful message shows you are thinking of them
Be patient – flexibility and understanding go a long way
Dont's
Avoid invasive questions - “When are you going to have kids?”
Don’t minimise - “Just relax” and avoid any sentence that starts with “at least…” (you know you can get pregnant, you already have one, it happened early)
Don’t presume the outcome - “I know it will happen for you”
Avoid offering advice - They will have heard it before
Infertility at work
We want to ensure that fertility - and its associated challenges - is recognised and supported in all organisations. Growing a family is a fundamental part of many lives which can have a devastating impact on those whose journey isn’t easy.

Sadly, the reality of this challenge is rarely recognised and often misunderstood by employers and, as a result, many people suffer in silence.
Creating a fertility friendly workplace
At Ports of Jersey, we are committed to creating a supportive and inclusive workplace for everyone. Introducing a fertility policy is just one of the ways we are ensuring our people feel heard, seen and supported.
Kelly ConnollyHead of HR Operations
Ports of Jersey logo.
Fertility Friendly Workplace Toolkit
To help employers and organisations ensure they are offering the right support within the workplace, we have created a Fertility Friendly Workplace Toolkit .

High Tide HR in collaboration with Tiny Seeds have also drafted a template fertility policy that can be tailored and adapted to suit the needs of your organisation.

RESOURCES
Useful resources and links
Don’t miss...
Discover the films
Introducing Tiny Seeds
Words Matter
Man Talk
One Word
Praise for Tiny Seeds