Gosh, well now I feel all awkward. What should I say?

Truth be told, anything you do say about IVF or infertility has a high chance of getting right up my nose. If you're not sure, why not email it? Your chances of being smacked in the face will be greatly reduced questions and comments are welcome, but they will be received more in the spirit with which they were intended if they reach my ears on a good day. I'd also very much like the chance to clear up any misapprehensions or concerns you may have directly, rather than hearing about them vaguely through the grapevine. If email's not your thing, you can write or pass messages via one of our Mums. Or simply ask me if you can start an IVF conversation before launching straight in.

In real life, you would be safe with:

• How are you?


• How are things going? (May or may not be answered with infertility-related subject material.)


• Best of luck/I'll be hoping things go well.

Things to definitely not say:

• How lucky you two are to have avoided the burden of parenthood!


• Let me give you some advice and/or tell you a story about a friend of a friend of mine... (Why not?)


• When can I visit you in Singapore? (See Why can't you commit to anything at the moment?)


• Some things just weren't meant to be. (Why not?)


• What's happening now? And now? And now? (Why not?)