Kate Garraway and Zita West: live webchat about fertility, Wednesday 22 May, 12.45pm to 1.45pm

[RachelMumsnet]

Kate Garraway and Zita West are joining us for a live webchat on Wednesday lunchtime between 12.45 and 1.45pm

Kate and Zita have been working together recently as ambassadors for the Get Britain Fertile campaign with First Response Early Result Pregnancy Test. The campaign uses an image of Kate transformed by prosthetics into a 70-year-old pregnant woman; First Response says this was done to raise awareness of the fact that the average age at which women in the UK have children is one of the world's highest.

However, the image has come under much criticism on this thread. In particular, Mumsnetters have queried whether women are, in fact, really that unaware of the risks - and why the campaign does not appear to be equally aimed at men.

The Get Britain Fertile press team say, "The campaign was set up to to supply men and women with accurate and up-to-date fertility tips and advice, to improve chances of conception whenever they decide to start conceiving."

Kate Garraway has been presenting GMTV Daybreak for 13 years, and is the mother of two children, to whom she gave birth at the ages of 38 and 42. Zita West is a midwife, acupuncturist and nutritional adviser. She worked in the NHS for more than 20 years, and in 2002 set up the Zita West clinic, a multidisciplinary practice for helping women to conceive. She joined Mumsnet for live webchat back in 2007.

Put your questions to Kate and Zita tomorrow (Weds 22 May) at 12.45pm or, if you're unable to make that time, post them here in advance.

[DuelingFanjo]

Does anyone know how we can get to see the yougov survey that First reponse did? The articles I have seen suggest that the campaign came about as a result of the survey which revealed that 70% of over 55 year olds who responded to the survey think that having babies in your 40s is wrong or not ideal.

I actually used to like Kate Garraway, until she got behind this campaign.

[DreamsTurnToGoldDust]

I had to sit on my hands during their discussion yesterday. They were being told over and over again that woman know fertility drops from 35, and kept answering no we dont and Kate piping up that people disapproved of older mums nearly sent me over the edge. Not one bit of evidence, just thats what woman tell us I was totally grrr through it all!

[EuroShaggleton]

I think Kate and Zita are also confused about what they are actually saying, Dreams. Or at least it seemed that way from yesterday's discussion.

[DreamsTurnToGoldDust]

But didnt Kate Garraway meet her dh later in life? So I`m confused as to what she is actually saying really, what, that she wished she had had children earlier with someone else, you cant magically meet the right person at a said time. It also quite offending after having two to bleat about infertility, and I agree Dueling, Kate get some counselling.

I met DH later in life so to speak so have ended with just one (and dd from a very early failationship in life) would have loved another but was under no illusion that that would happen and it hasnt, but am terribly grateful for ds.

[Justfornowitwilldo]

Thank you for that post DuelingFanjo. I couldn't understand why someone like Kate would involve herself with this patronising, insulting campaign. After googling I've realised that I was thinking of Kate Silverton. I'm not at all surprised at the ITV presenter being involved with this . Her previous work is much more in line with the Daily Mail's agenda of using women's emotional self flagellation to sell advertising space.

[DuelingFanjo]

Kate Garraway is in the Mail, again today talking about how badly she wants a third child and how that is the thing that made her want to front the campaign. How she regrets not starting a family earlier.

As a person with one child conceived through IVF I find it really irritating to have someone lecture women on starting a family earlier while simultaneously moaning all the bloody time about how she can't have a third child. TOUGH! get some counselling or something Kate, because you are one of the lucky ones who had not just one, but two children very easily almost as soon as you started thinking you wanted them. If I and thousands of other people with just one child are able to be grateful about our child then why can't you be happy with two. Even if you can't be, what makes you think that campaigning like this is going to be a good thing?

grrrr... it really pisses me off. Kate Silverton seems to have an altogether better way of approaching both late motherhood and only having one.

[FunnysInLaJardin]

us lot Kasey

[KaseyM]

Who are the vipers?

[WilsonFrickett]

Ah well.

Vipers - 1
Poorly conceived patronising PR campaign - 0

[KaseyM]

How many abortions are carried out by young women because, whilst the woman in her heart wants to keep the baby, the father is either emotionally or financially unready and the mother herself doesn't have the financial/emotional strength to go it alone in a society that stigmatises single mothers?

That's the question they need to be asking if they want to increase childbirth amongst young women.

[brettgirl2]

So...... I was shock horror married to dh at 24, in own house and had my first baby at 31. How selfish to wait till we were ready to start a family when we had no real excuse to not procreate earlier

[Softywife]

Another one frustrated by this 'campaign'; I wanted children at a younger age but I didn't settle down until my 30s. Then my husband didn't want to try until I was 35. Thankfully we have two children now but I was under no illusion that it was guaranteed in my late 30s.

Should I have just grabbed the nearest bloke whilst I was still in my 20s.....?!!!

How is this campaign going to persuade men to want to become dads at a younger age?!!!

[MeiMeiMeiMei]

Epic PR fail there

[SauceForTheGander]

Though I felt a bit sorry for MN in office trying to be all cheery and "riiiiiiighhht, well thanks for coming guys! Good luck with the campaign!"

[Gigondas]

I am with dharma on response . Was particularly about Zita west response as I have actually been to her clinic . Don't think will bother recommending it now.

[SauceForTheGander]

They are claiming they are doing something

1. There is a need for
   
2. Altruistically sharing their personal and professional experience to meet this need
   

They were unable to convince me of either. As has already been said, Campaign looks like a cover to launch a fertility checker kit.

[OddSockMonster]

Well, I'm quite glad now that I only ever relied on Boots own brand pregnancy tests.

What were the deleted posts about? I wasn't around earlier to see them?

[DuelingFanjo]

Didn't Kate see my question?fft.

[olivertheoctopus]

I find this utterly perplexing. It seems that this 'campaign' is aimed at what I perceive to me a minority of women who are in committed relationships from a young age but actively choose not to have kids until their 30's. Whereas my own experience, and that of many on here, and that of virtually every single friend I can think of, is actually that most of these women haven't actually MET their long-term 'yes I would like to have babies with you' partner until relatively late in life. How many couples are there out there these days who have met at uni or wherever and then decided to wait a decade before having kids? Not my experience at all.

[enormouse]

I agree with you dharma. It all felt a bit trite and lacking emotional depth or understanding.

[DharmaBums]

I feel really angry and affronted at the responses from zita and Kate. It's obvious the campaign has been targeted at women and not men ( choice of media for instance - femail, really? men?) and I think their responses were patronising. I for one will not be buying any first response branded products EVER and will be turning over when KG is on tv. Crappy answers both - probably reading off a PR crib sheet...

[Ilovemyrabbits]

I had fertility issues at 30. I would have had the same issues at 21, as that's when I had my first miscarriage. By the 4th, I was 36 and dd was born.

I find it totally disconcerting that a woman could front a campaign like this that is CLEARLY directed towards the marketing of First Response fertility products. It shows no concern for women who are caught up in the emotional turbulence of recurrent miscarriage or/and infertility. What an awful, awful campaign.