The Full Stop Podcast: Recent Episodes
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To provide a cohesive voice to the childless-not-by-choice community, covering all of the topics that affect us in an inspiring and supportive way.
In this episode, Michael, Sarah and Berenice are joined by poet Kate Smith — known on Instagram as Millie the Poet and writing under the name Kathryn Millington — to talk about her poetry pamphlet Imprint (Fawn Press), which explores childlessness, IVF and grief. Kate reads three poems live on the episode and talks candidly about her own fertility journey, the process of writing about deeply personal experience, and what it's meant to bring that work into the world.
Meet our GuestKathryn ‘Millie ’Millington is a poet, performer and activist based in Sheffield. She ran the poetry charity ‘Nine Lives Poetry’, creating a stage for emerging local poets. Millie’s poetry tells us a story of grief as a result of involuntary childlessness.
It takes us on a journey “…into a world that feels niche, but is anything but…” (Wendy Pratt), to a place of acceptance of a future without children and ultimately a creative and fulfilling life. “You will know someone like me. We are everywhere: at your workplace, within your family, and your friendship groups. It’s such a lonely place. I want to inhabit that place and be that voice, to show that we can create.”
Millie has shared the stage with Helen Mort, Michael Pedersen, Toria Garbutt and Leyla Josephine. Her poem ‘Imprint’ was shortlisted for the Bridport Prize. Her debut Pamphlet ‘Imprint’ received praise from Benjamin Zephaniah "I have no words, because you've used them all".
Millie is published by Fawn Press and her poetry is available to buy online. You can also buy direct from her, pop her a message via Instagram @milliethepoet or email
Recommended Books About Poetry/becoming a creative person* The Ode Less Travelled’ by Stephen Fry * How to Grow your Own Poem’ by Kate Clanchy * The Artists Way’ by Julia Cameron Workshops
Poets Laurie Bolger has a website and is on Instagram Laurie Bolger * Marjorie Lotfi: Marjorie’s Table* is a morning writing workshop which really helps me generate ideas Marjorie’s Table | Substack * Verve Poetry Press run regular online workshops with poets. VERVE Poetry Autumn Workshop Series 2026 * The Arvon Foundation run amazing residential courses which are expensive but transformative. They also run online workshops and short courses. Creative Writing Courses at Arvon * Wendy Pratt is a childless poet. Her book ‘When I think of My Body as a Horse’ is incredible. You can follow her on Substack and Instagram. Notes From the Margin with Wendy Pratt | Substack and @wendyprattauthor * Ada Limón ‘The Carrying’ is a beautiful and emotional collection about infertility. You can follow her on Instagram @adalimonwriter * Hollie McNish is a great poet; she writes about contemporary often female issues (but also about being a mum so you may wish to avoid). @Holliepoetry
Katy Schnitzler returns to The Full Stop five years on — now fresh off submitting her PhD — to dig into one of the thorniest workplace issues for people who are childless not by choice: holidays, leave, and boundaries. The conversation moves from the personal (the strange non-celebration of finishing a PhD, the "full stop" feeling of an ending without ceremony) into the structural: school-holiday leave bias, rota and shift unfairness, "informal favours" for parents, and the particular pressures faced by teachers, midwives and nurses who are childless. Katy shares findings from her doctoral research and her Pronatalism at Work project, and the group works through practical, non-judgemental ways organisations can make leave, language and culture fairer for everyone, without taking anything away from parents. We're talking about ...
- Holiday and school-term leave bias against childless employees
- "Informal favours," rota unfairness and the assumption that childless staff have nothing to rush home for
- Teaching, midwifery and nursing as flashpoints for childless professionals
- Ambiguous and disenfranchised grief — why childlessness grief isn't always recognised, even by therapists
- Pronatalism in the workplace: baby showers, scan photos, "doing it for the kids" culture
- The intersection of childlessness with disability, chronic illness, singleness and bereavement
- Practical, low-cost fixes: transparent leave/booking systems, anonymous feedback, external training, first-come-first-served leave policies
Takeaways* Holidays are emotionally loaded for people without children — naming that openly (without banning the topic) helps everyone. * "Gentle challenge" responses ("that's not always how it feels") put the work back on the person making assumptions, not the person experiencing them. * Transparent, first-come-first-served leave systems can remove parental status from the equation entirely. * Anonymous feedback on workload and leave can surface disparities before they become resentment. * External, MIST training takes the emotional load off the person going through it — they don't have to "out" themselves to get change. * This isn't bashing parents. It's about making space at the table for everyone's story.
GuestKaty Schnitzler — academic and corporate trainer specialising in reproductive health and childlessness (pregnancy loss, infertility, menstrual health, menopause). Founder of MIST Workshops (est. 2020), and author of doctoral research including the Pronatalism at Work project.
Listen to the Full ConversationWe cover a lot of ground, from anticipatory grief and adoption to the specific dynamics of shift work, IVF and rota fairness.
- Learn about the Full Stop on our website and donate to our work at KOFI
- Childless people are invited to join the Full Stop Community for support, episode discussion and conversation.
- Learn more about Katy’s work and book training for your organisation at MIST Workshops.
The Full Stop is a podcast for people who are childless not by choice, and for everyone who loves, works alongside, or supports someone who is. New episodes drop regularly — subscribe wherever you listen.
Seven years ago, Michael hit record, Sarah spoke and Berenice published episode 1 of the Full Stop pressed publish on the first episode. It was 20 minutes and 20 seconds long. There were 108 downloads. And neither of us had any idea what we were doing.
Episode 86 brings us together to mark seven years of honest conversation about childless life. Join us to listen back, reflect, and look forward.
In this episode:
- Hear clips from the very first Full Stop episode including the actual first words ever spoken on the podcast
- How each of us and our relationship with our own childless grief has changed over seven years
- Sarah talks about the concept of grief as a companion rather than an enemy and how that shift changes everything, with examples from Michael and Berenice on where their grief sits right now.
- Masking behind humour, anger that softens, and the wisdom that comes with time
- The childless landscape since 2019, and we talk about what's changed, what still needs to change, and why the conversation matters more than ever
- What the next seven years might look like — and how you can be part of them
- Why "you are not alone" was the phrase coined by Michael in Episode 1, way back in 2019 and why his words still say everything
Guests and community mentioned in this episode:
The Full Stop has been built on the generosity of its guests over seven years. Here are some of the key voices and resources referenced in this episode and throughout our library:
- Jody Day — Gateway Women — the original community and resource for childless women, founded by our first-ever guest
- Dr Robin Hadley — researcher and advocate for childless men
- Bibi Lynch — journalist and childlessness advocate - search Bibi Lynch, The Guardian
- Dr Stella Duffy, OBE — writer, activist, psychotherapist and theatremaker
- Jessica Hepburn — author, arts producer and activist and founder of Fertility Fest
- Sarah Lawrence — counsellor at After The Storm, specialising in childless grief
- World Childless Week
- Ageing Without Children (AWOC)
- Meriel Whale — Neurodivergent, childless and queer specialist counsellor for permanently childless people and celebrant
- Storyhouse Childless – an event held in Chester, UK for childless and childfree people
Find us:
- All episodes: bio.site/thefullstop
- Community: thefullstoppod.com/fullstopcommunity
- Support us: ko-fi.com/thefullstop
- hello@thefullstoppod.com
The Full Stop is a podcast for childless people and everyone who cares for them.
Helpline detailsUK: Contact the Samaritans on freephone 116 123, they're open 24 hours and are there to listen and Mind.
USA: Suicide Prevention
Canada: Canada Crisis
Australia: Beyond Blue
Meriel Whale Counselling
Sarah Lawrence After The Storm
Pink Therapy (UK): Directory of LGBTQIA+ friendly therapists.
Many of our guests have channels online and blogs so you can follow what they do and read their words. Head to our podcast page, and click on the episode image to access the show notes and further reading.
DisclaimerThe Full Stop podcast and content posted by The Full Stop Community CIC is presented solely for general information, and educational purposes. The guests’ views may not represent those of the Full Stop Community CIC, online community members or the co-directors. The use of information on this podcast or materials linked from this podcast or website is at the user’s own risk. It is not intended as a substitute for the advice of a physician, professional coach, psychotherapist, or other qualified professional, diagnosis, or treatment. Users should not disregard or delay in obtaining medical advice for any medical or mental health condition they may have and should seek the assistance of their healthcare professionals for any such conditions.
This is the episode for anyone who has ever frozen when someone asked an inappropriate question. For anyone who has said yes to something that cost them far more than it should have. For anyone who is tired of absorbing other people's thoughtlessness and is ready to do something about it.
Sandy Langhart-Michelet has spent over a decade building one of the most supportive online communities for childless people in the world — The Childless Life, now 3,500 members strong across the globe. She is also an HR professional with decades of experience in inclusion, a speaker at national conferences, and the author of My Family Tree Stops With Me: A Guide to Purpose and Possibility. She joins us from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, with warmth, humour and a toolkit that will genuinely change the way you navigate the hard conversations.
In this episode we cover:
- How Sandy went from freezing at inappropriate questions to building a question and answer bank and why preparing your responses in advance changes everything
- Scripts for the situations that catch us off guard: the baby shower invitation, the family day at work, the colleague who won't stop asking
- Why saying no doesn't need a reason and how to get comfortable with that
- The concept of consequences in boundary-setting: not as punishment, but as self-protection
- Legacy, family trees and what it means to be remembered when there is no one beneath you on the chart
- Why Sandy's book title My Family Tree Stops With Me is about so much more than genealogy
- The role of community in building confidence and how watching others find their words helps you find yours
- Inclusion in the workplace: parental status, leave policies, and the questions we ask without thinking
- Why "tell me about who matters to you" is a more inclusive question than "tell me about your family"
- The anger stage of grief, and why it was the easiest chapter of the book to write
- Finding and nurturing the allies in your life who will one day advocate for you without being asked
About SandySandy Langhart Michelet is an author, speaker, musician, and senior HR leader whose work bridges professional expertise with personal advocacy. Based in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA, she helps women navigate life when children are no longer part of the future they envisioned.
She is the founder of The Childless Life, a global private Facebook community of over 3,500 women offering connection, support, and honest conversation for women without children. Through The Childless Life (including its presence on Facebook, TikTok, and Instagram) Sandy shares real stories, encouragement, and perspective for women learning to move forward when life takes an unexpected turn.
Believing that humor belongs even in life’s hardest moments, she brings honesty and levity to every conversation. Her debut book, My Family Tree Stops With Me, is a bold, soulful guide for anyone learning to live beyond the life they imagined - offering a path forward that honors what’s been lost while embracing everything that’s still possible.
Sandy lives with her husband, Craig, and their goldendoodle sidekick, Ryder.
Sandy is … Reading: Brene Brown's Daring Greatly
Listening to: MasterClass Mindy Kaling
Watching: The Pitt
Continue the conversation: Join The Full Stop Community at thefullstoppod.com/fullstopcommunity
The Full Stop is a podcast for and about the childless not by choice community. New episodes available on all major podcast platforms
Transcript available at https://www.thefullstoppod.com/listen
This is one of those episodes that takes a little courage both to make, and perhaps to listen to. But we think you'll come away from it feeling more informed, less alone, and ready to take at least one step you've been putting off.
Death and end of life planning are topics most of us avoid. Add childlessness into the mix and the silence gets even louder because so much of the information, guidance and legal framework out there assumes that you have someone: a child, a close family member, someone who knows you and will step in when the time comes. For a growing number of people, that assumption simply doesn't hold.
In this episode we bring together three guests with distinct and complementary expertise to have the conversation that so many childless adults need and so rarely get.
In this episode we cover:
- What end of life planning actually means, from advanced care planning right through to after death
- Powers of attorney: what they are, how they work, and crucially, what your options are if you don't have someone you trust to appoint
- Advanced Statements and Advanced Decisions to Refuse Treatment and why Penny argues these matter more than most people realise
- The concept of social death and how childlessness shapes the experience of ageing and loss
- What happens to your belongings and why recording the provenance of meaningful items matters
- The gap in legal guidance around local authority funerals and why it urgently needs updating
- Why there is currently no central register of wills in England and Wales and what that means for people who die alone
- The role of animals in later life, and the organisations that can help
- Assisted dying legislation: what it means (and doesn't mean) for powers of attorney right now
Our guests:
Charlotte Dixon — wills and probate solicitor and lifetime lawyer
Professor Gail Letherby — sociologist and researcher specialising in childlessness, identity and the life course
Penny Shepherd — coordinator of Ageing Without Children East Kent and trustee of the Ageing Without Children (AWOC) charity
Please note: Nothing in this episode constitutes personal legal or financial advice. Laws and frameworks vary by country and region, always do your own research and consult a qualified professional for advice specific to your circumstances.
Resources and links mentioned:
Ageing Without Children (AWOC): awoc.org
Office of the Public Guardian (England & Wales): gov.uk/opg
National Will Register: nationalwillregister.co.uk
The Cinnamon Trust: cinnamon.org.uk
Cats Protection: cats.org.uk
Dogs Trust: dogstrust.org.uk
Ashes to Admin: Stories from the Caseload of a Local Authority Funeral Officer by Evie King
Continue the conversation: Join The Full Stop Community at thefullstoppod.com/fullstopcommunity
The Full Stop is a podcast for and about the childless not by choice community. New episodes available on all major podcast platforms
Download the transcript
What happens when a writer decides to break the silence around childlessness, but not with a neat resolution, but through the voices of two women whose stories span 4,000 years?
In this episode, Berenice and Michael are joined by Byddi Lee. She is the author of Barren (shortlisted for the 2025 Carousel Aware Prize for Independent Authors), The Rejuvenation Trilogy, and March to November. She has published flash fiction, short stories, and co-founded and manages the spoken word event Flash Fiction Armagh. Byddi also writes for stage and screen. Her climate-change play Toxic Relationships has been performed by Armagh Theatre Group in venues across Ireland regularly since 2023. Byddi is a member of BBC Writersroom Voices 23, is an Arts Council Northern Ireland supported writer and holds professional membership at the Irish Writers Centre in Dublin and the Society of Authors, UK.
For more information, visit www.ByddiLee.com.
In this episode of The Full Stop, we are joined by Civilla Morgan, one of the earliest and most influential voices in the childless not by choice podcasting space. After ten years and 180 episodes, she shares her decision to step away from her podcast, a choice shaped by grief, timing, work, and deep self-reflection.
Together, we explore the emotional weight of long-term podcasting, the stories behind consistent content creation, and how grief can fundamentally change the decisions we make about our lives. Civilla reflects on what she’s learned about childlessness over a decade of conversations, including the shared undercurrent of grief that binds the community, even as each journey remains deeply individual.
We also talk about visibility, why so many people remain “hidden in plain sight,” the frustration of still being asked the same questions after years of advocacy, and why representation across many platforms and voices truly matters. Civilla speaks candidly about rest, redirection, and choosing to live a meaningful life even when the life you imagined didn’t happen.
This is an honest, generous conversation about endings, legacy, healing, and the courage it takes to know when something meaningful has run its course.
For more information, to join our online Community for childless people and appear on the Full Stop podcast please visit our website
In this reflective end-of-year episode, we - Berenice, Sarah, and Michael - look back on the past year, the growth of the Full Stop, and the conversations that have shaped the Full Stop Community and wider childlessness community. We also turn gently towards the holidays, and Christmas, a season that can bring joy, grief, pressure, and loneliness in equal measure.
We explore how Christmas changes over time, particularly through grief and childlessness, and why it’s okay to step away, rewrite traditions, or opt out altogether. From rejecting Christmas completely to rediscovering it through quieter, more personal rituals, this episode offers permission to do the season differently.
The conversation touches on evolving grief, authenticity, community support, and letting go of the idea of a “perfect” Christmas and replacing it instead with compassion, flexibility, and self-kindness.
This episode is for anyone who feels conflicted about the holidays, unsure how it fits into their life now, or simply in need of reassurance that there’s no right way to do it.
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Australian activist Michael Barnett joins us to talk about identity, queer visibility, childlessness not by choice, and what it means to advocate fiercely for others while holding private grief. A moving conversation about purpose, belonging, and the quiet ways we create legacy.
Visit our website to join our supportive and friendly Full Stop Community for childless not by choice people, download the transcript of this episode and find out more about being our guest. Donate to our work with a virtual coffee.
If you like what you've heard, please do leave us a review, thank you.
In this heartfelt episode of The Full Stop, counsellor and author Meriel Whale joins the team to discuss how childlessness reshapes love, identity, and connection within relationships.
Together with Berenice, Sarah, and Michael, she explores what happens when partners experience grief at different paces, how intimacy and communication evolve after loss, and why understanding each other’s emotional landscape matters more than ever.
This conversation dives deep into the unspoken spaces — loneliness within couples, the struggle to ask for help, and the challenge of rebuilding closeness after childlessness. Insightful, compassionate, and full of warmth, it’s an invitation to slow down, listen differently, and find courage in the spaces between.
Reframing ‘Otherness’: A Conversation with Lana Manikowski
In our latest episode, we talk with author and coach Lana Manikowski about the experience of being “othered” as a woman without children. Lana describes how years of infertility led her to a new purpose: helping others define their lives beyond parenthood.
She speaks openly about shame, resilience, and the importance of investing in yourself — whether that means therapy, journaling, or creating community. Lana also shares the story of founding Others Day Brunch, an annual event that offers connection and celebration for those who feel isolated around Mother’s Day.
Lana Manikowski is an author, certified life coach, and infertility advocate dedicated to helping women thrive after infertility. She is the founder of The Other’s Day Brunch and host of The ‘So Now What?’ Podcast, creating spaces where childless women feel seen, understood, and empowered.
After a seven-year journey through fertility treatments that ended without a child, Lana experienced the isolation, self-judgment, and grief of navigating a future she never planned for. When she couldn’t find the support she needed, she built it herself. Now, through her coaching, advocacy efforts, and community outreach, she helps women rediscover their relevance, connection, and purpose beyond motherhood.
With an advanced coaching certification in grief and post-traumatic growth, Lana helps women process the loss of the dream of motherhood and move forward with intention. Her coaching program, Thrive After Infertility, guides women in rebuilding relationships and creating meaningful milestones that bring fulfillment in the decades ahead.
Her book So Now What?, a #1 New Release on Amazon, offers a transformative roadmap for embracing life beyond infertility, helping women reclaim joy, meaning, and a sense of belonging without the children longed for. A sought-after speaker and media contributor, Lana is known for her powerful message: your story isn’t over, it’s just beginning. She lives in downtown Chicago with her husband and their furbaby, Coco.
Download The Top 27 Things People Say When You Are Childless (...and how to respond). It ties perfectly into our conversation about othering because people with kids often love to offer suggestions for what we should be doing to achieve parenthood instead of acknowledging that we have already done what we are capable of. We know our bodies, our journeys, and our limits when it comes to what we choose to do or not do. I am also teaching a free masterclass on this in September. You can get the free guide here:
So Now What?, my first book, came out in April. Berenice wrote one of the endorsements and Jody Day wrote the foreword. So Now What? is about creating a life you love without the children you always dreamed of. It is the guide I wish my fertility clinic had offered me when my seven years of IVF ended without a baby. There’s a free giveaway with a download of Jody’s foreword and Chapter 1, which shares the story of the day I got the call from my doctor telling me my last and only frozen embryo was chromosomally abnormal. Download your copy from my website.
In this conversation, we’re joined by Anne Barratt from Empowering Health who discusses her holistic approach to health, focusing on kinesiology and its role in understanding individual experiences of menopause and childlessness. Anne encourages listeners to embrace their femininity and creativity, highlighting that ageing is not an end but a new beginning.
After two decades in corporate marketing—and many hope-filled years of trying to become a mother—Anne’s dream of having children came to an abrupt and heartbreaking end. From that deep void of grief, she chose to rise. Determined to understand the “why” behind her journey, she immersed herself in personal healing and became qualified in a range of disciplines, including holistic health and counselling.
Anne turned her own life around and went on to “birth” her business—a way to support others through emotional healing, life transitions, and creating lasting wellbeing. Her work is rooted in personal transformation, resilience, and a deep desire to help others break free from emotional pain, disconnection, and burnout.
Inspired by her fertility journey and the grief of childlessness, Anne redefined what legacy means. Today, she channels that energy into helping women reconnect to their intuition, body wisdom, and soul truth—so they can rediscover joy, clarity, and a renewed sense of purpose. While she doesn’t specialise in deep trauma recovery, Anne gently guides her clients toward powerful “aha” moments, emotional breakthroughs, and energetic alignment to help them move forward.
Instagram: @empowering_health / @empoweringhealthau
Website: empoweringhealth.clinic
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In Episode 76, Berenice, Michael, and Sarah have the conversation they’ve avoided for six years: what happens after failed IVF. With raw honesty and compassion, we explore the emotional aftermath of a process that’s gruelling, often isolating, and rarely discussed when it doesn't lead to parenthood.
We reflect on grief, lost identities, anger at misleading success rates, the mental and financial toll, and the uncomfortable silence surrounding childlessness after IVF. This episode holds space for everyone who has ever felt abandoned by the system, and those seeking to understand.
We welcome Professor Gayle Letherby, a pioneering sociologist whose deeply personal and academic work has transformed how we think about childlessness, grief, identity, and storytelling. Gayle reflects on her journey, beginning with a miscarriage in the 1980s that altered her life trajectory and became the foundation of a groundbreaking academic career. Her research into involuntary childlessness, pregnancy loss, and the status of parenthood spans decades and she’s still going strong
About Professor Gayle Letherby
Having worked as a nursery nurse prior to the miscarriage (in the early 1980s) of my, to my knowledge, one and only pregnancy, one and only baby, I gave up my job and listlessly, sometimes desperately, wandered through my own life feeling that I had no purpose and no future. Finding Sociology saved me with an A Level at a local FE college being followed by an undergraduate degree, a PhD and 30+ years of teaching, researching, writing and mentoring. The significance of mother or not has always been part of my academic labour and I have undertaken research and written much on the experience of those who do and those who do not mother (and father) and the implications and impact of this. My PhD was specifically concerned with the identity and experience of ‘infertility’ and ‘involuntary childlessness’ (which I write in quotation marks to highlight problems with definition). I interviewed and corresponded with more than 80 individuals, mostly women but some men too, and when writing up my thesis included some of my own experience in the text. Alongside other academic work I have also conducted a number of auto/biographical research projects on reproductive loss and on pregnancy and early motherhood (parenthood). Fifteen years ago I began to also write fiction and memoir, for both academic and lay audiences. My personal experience and my research interests are often the stimulus for the fiction I write and my significant others regularly appear in my memoir pieces. This includes my baby, the child who died months before her or his expected birth date, and also my mother, Dorothy, and father, Ron, and my husband John (all deceased). I find this writing both cathartic and energising. My own, and others’, experience of Covid-19 and of ‘growing older’ has led me to reflect on, not least, the differences between solitude and loneliness and the experience of growing older as a childless not by choice individual. In addition to my academic writings I publish some of my work on the open site ABCtales.com writing as gletherby.
Welcome to this episode of the Full Stop podcast, where we’re joined by our guests John and Ben to explore the joys and complexities of being a childless aunt, uncle, or godparent. Together, we reflect on how these roles offer meaningful ways to nurture, support, and build a legacy when one is childless not by choice. Listen for advice on boundaries, freedom, and the unique impact of chosen relationships across generations.
Please note that we do cover what it’s like not to be an aunt, uncle or godparent, as one of our presenters does not have this caring role. This might be a challenging listen for some of our audience. (Members of our online community can carry on the discussion in our safe space.)
Download the transcript
In this episode of the Full Stop podcast, hosts Berenice, Michael, and Sarah are joined by returning guest Robert Nurden to discuss the complex and often underexplored topic of how childlessness impacts friendships. We get curious about personal experiences, societal reactions, and the emotional complexities surrounding friendship dynamics in the context of childlessness.
How to contact RobertRobert can be found via his website and Instagram, and you can buyI Always Wanted To Be A Dad:Men Without Children on Amazon. Watch Robert performing Empty at The Old Red Lion theatre on Instagram.
We welcome Anne Altamore, founder and owner of Life After IVF Counselling, Psychotherapy and Coaching. Anne shares her insights on the importance of visibility, the emotional toll of exclusion, and how social media can be used to broaden conversations about childlessness.
We tackle International Women’s Day, discussing the need for allyship, the gendered expectations placed on women, and how we can all work towards a more inclusive and equal society that is inclusive to childless women. We’re talking about …
- The emotional impact of childlessness in professional and personal spaces
- The importance of acknowledging childlessness in the International Women’s Day narrative
- Breaking stereotypes and gender roles in society
- How men can be allies and support gender equality
- The historical and modern-day challenges we face in being heard and valued
Follow our guestsConnect with Anne Altamore on LinkedIn for helpful posts on childlessness and workplace inclusivity, You can follow her on Instagram and Facebook too. Anne is a postgraduate degree qualified counsellor holding a Masters in Counselling and Psychotherapy and experienced in supporting grief of involuntary childlessness with many communities - CALD, heterosexual men and women as well as in the LGBTQIA+ community.
More to exploreJoin in the conversation in our Full Stop online community for childless people from £5 a month with a free month on us
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Download Finding Connections, a booklet by Sarah and Berenice with links to groups, books, events and other resources for childless people. We hope you find it helpful.
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In this deeply moving episode, Sarah and Michael open up an honest and heartfelt conversation about miscarriage, pregnancy loss, and the isolation that follows. Joined by special guests Lori and Sandra McNicol, we share personal journeys of loss, infertility, and coming to terms with a life without children.
From the emotional highs of pregnancy to the devastating impact of loss, they explore the grief, silence, and stigmas surrounding miscarriage, as well as the challenges of finding support in a society that often struggles to acknowledge this type of grief.
Topics covered:
- The emotional rollercoaster of pregnancy loss
- The societal silence and stigma around miscarriage and childlessness
- The hierarchies of grief and the challenge of feeling seen and supported
- How miscarriage impacts both men and women differently
- Finding community, support, and healing after loss
This episode is a raw, open, and necessary conversation that provides a safe space for those who have experienced loss and a learning opportunity for those who want to support them.
Trigger warning: This episode discusses miscarriage, pregnancy loss, and infertility. If these topics are difficult for you, please listen with care.
Follow our guestsSandra is the founder of Childless.Life is a life coach, grief therapist and this year’s World Childless Week People Champion. Contact her via email at sandra@childless.life
Childless.life zoom groups are open for new members in March 2025:
- Healing Horseshoes now in its 5th year is a 5 month grief circle with live zoom community calls and workshops for permanently childless-not-by-choice women
- Embracing Us is a community for women permanently childless not by choice, seeking purpose beyond motherhood join for 5 months and stay for as long as you need.
Follow Lori on her blog Join in the conversation in our Full Stop online community for childless people from £5 a month with a free month on us
Buy a Virtual Coffee to keep our podcast ad free and accessible to everyone.
Download Finding Connections, a booklet by Sarah and Berenice with links to groups, books, events and other resources for childless people. We hope you find it helpful.
Join our newsletter for behind the scenes info, wellbeing tips and news from the wider community and alerts to our podcast as it publishes direct to your inbox.
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DisclaimerThe Full Stop Podcast and content posted by the Full Stop is presented solely for general informational, and educational purposes. The guests views may not represent those of the Full Stop or the co-directors of the Full Stop CIC. The use of information on this podcast or materials linked from this podcast or website is at the user’s own risk. It is not intended as a substitute for the advice of a physician, professional coach, psychotherapist, or other qualified professional, diagnosis, or treatment. Users should not disregard or delay in obtaining medical advice for any medical or mental health condition they may have and should seek the assistance of their healthcare professionals for any such conditions.
Welcome to the 70th episode of the Full Stop Podcast! We’re joined by returning guests Bindi Shah and Lisa Kissane, alongside co-hosts Berenice and Michael Hughes, for an inspiring conversation about setting intentions, goals, and how we navigate life as childless individuals.
What We Discuss:* Gentle Intentions vs. Rigid Goals:
Lisa and Bindi contrast the pressures of goal-setting with the more flexible, empowering practice of setting intentions.
* Writing as Healing:
Writing plays a pivotal role in self-expression and healing. From Bindi’s poetry to Lisa’s intention to write her first novel, we explore how creativity can unlock personal growth.
* Adapting to Life Challenges:
How can we be kind to ourselves in the face of life’s challenges? Michael opens up about family dynamics and the importance of taking life’s reins, while Bindi highlights the transformative power of meditation.
* Seasons of Change:
We discuss how the rhythm of the seasons—especially spring—can offer renewal and inspiration.
* Creating Safe Spaces:
Lisa shares her intentions for “Flow,” her unique business community for childless and child-free individuals, providing a supportive environment away from parent-centric norms.
Contact Lisa on Instagram, LinkedIn and via her website for Really Honest Business and Flow.
Contact Bindi though her website and on her Youtube Channel: Soul Wisdom. Read her World Childless writing on adoption bias and watch her WCW webinar.
Did you enjoy this episode?Join in the conversation in our Full Stop online community for childless people from £5 a month with a free month on us
Buy a Virtual Coffee to keep our podcast ad free and accessible to everyone.
Download Finding Connections, a booklet by Sarah and Berenice with links to groups, books, events and other resources for childless people. We hope you find it helpful.
Join our newsletter for behind the scenes info, wellbeing tips and news from the wider community and alerts to our podcast as it publishes direct to your inbox.
We are thrilled to be joined by Karin Enfield De Vries from Pure Transformations and Scared Woman Retreats for an honest exploration of boundaries, grief, and finding joy during times of celebration.
Holidays like Christmas are often painted as joyful and magical, but for many, they bring up emotional complexities—especially for those navigating childlessness and changing family dynamics. We join Karin to unpack what it means to honour yur needs, set healthy boundaries, and create new traditions that reflect who you are today.
We’ll talk about the courage to say no, the art of self-care during the holidays, and the power of embracing a more authentic way of celebrating. Whether you're feeling overwhelmed by family, work or friendship obligations, feeling lonely or looking for ways to make this season meaningful on your terms, this conversation will inspire and empower you.
Karin established Pure Transformations in July 2022 and she works as a self-employed grief and loss counsellor, a wellbeing coach and a change management consultant offering support (online and in person) in English and Dutch.
Sacred Woman Retreats offers supportive and heart-led spaces for women who are childless not by choice or circumstance.
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Download Finding Connections, a booklet by Sarah and Berenice with links to groups, books, events and other resources for childless people. We hope you find it helpful.
Join our newsletter for behind the scenes info, wellbeing tips and news from the wider community and alerts to our podcast as it publishes direct to your inbox.
Drawing from their panel discussion at the Storyhouse Childless event in Chester, we explore what it means to navigate society and self-perception as men without children—whether by choice or circumstance. Featuring insights from Michael, Andy Harrod, Mark Briggs van Leeuwen, and Sam Ryley, this candid conversation highlights the challenges, the societal silence, and the journey to self-acceptance faced by childless men across generations.
The importance of providing visibility and voice for childless men, challenging societal silence, and creating safe spaces for men to openly discuss their experiences.
Support for childless men:
Andy Harrod on Substack
Dr Robin Hadley’s research and website
Robert Nurden’s website (author of I Always Wanted To Be A Dad: Men Without Children)
The Full Stop online community is open to all genders.
Michael and Andy are co-admins of The Childless Men’s Collective
Gateway Women’s men’s page.
After The Storm, run by Sarah Lawrence, our co-founder and podcast host, provides counselling for childless people.
World Childless Week Men Matter Too along with resources and support spaces
Chrissy Pantlin on Men’s Mental Health
In this conversation, Dr Jay Zigmont discusses the unique financial planning needs of childless people. He emphasises the importance of understanding the different life scripts and financial goals that come with being childless, and we have a chat about the societal judgments and perceptions that often accompany being childless not by choice. We talk about the challenges of systemic change in financial services to better help us, the significance of legacy and the power in building supportive communities.
Childfree Wealth® and his website Childfree Wealth®.
In this conversation, Michael discusses the challenges and fears associated with aging and the need for planning and preparation. He emphasises the importance of thinking ahead and considering various aspects of life, such as cognitive ability, health, relationships, and technology. We also talk about the role of advocacy and the need for trusted friends or family members to support and advocate for individuals as they age.
Michael shares personal experiences with his parents' dementia and the importance of having legal documents in place, such as power of attorney and enduring guardianship. We highlight the need for proactive planning and open discussions about ageing and care and ask if there are more ways to create a movement around end-of-life planning for the childless community.
World Childless Week is an annual event that aims to give a voice to the childless community. It was started by Stephanie Joy Phillips because she felt there was a lack of representation for childless individuals. The event has grown over the years, supported by the Ambassadors who help organise and promote the week.
Being childless not by choice (cnbc) is the taboo subject of an unrecognised minority. World Childless Week is there to help the cnbc: validate their emotions, find support, build friendships, realise their own worth and rediscover the confidence to speak out and celebrate themselves as a unique individual.
Alongside supporting the childless community World Childless Week hopes to reach out and work towards building bridges between the childless, childfree and parents; raising empathy and removing the stigma of disenfranchised grief.
World Childless Week takes place on 16-22 Sept 2024.
Storyhouse is an independent arts centre and creative hub in Chester, UK. It offers a range of events, including Storyhouse Childless, which focuses on supporting and raising awareness for those who are childless or child-free. The event has grown over the years, with increasing attendance and expanded programming. It provides a safe and supportive environment for people to connect, share their experiences, and find understanding. The event is a two-day gathering that aims to create a supportive and empowering space for the childless community.
Join Annabel, Kirsty, Jane and Nicola as we find out about the themes, get a few spoilers and talk about the need for Storyhouse Childless, and how this event has had a positive impact on volunteers and staff at the venue too.
Storyhouse Childless takes place on 28-29th September 2024 with an extra meet-up on Friday 27th September at the Storyhouse bar. Buy tickets or find out more on the Storyhouse website.
We are joined by Ali Hall and Dr. Dawn Llewellyn to discuss the perceptions of childfree and childless individuals. We explore the challenges of visibility and the need for more nuanced language. The conversation addresses the divide between the childfree and childless communities, the importance of creating safe spaces, and the complexities of aging without children. The episode emphasises empathy, understanding, and debates unity as a means of advocating for non-parents.
Dawn is an Associate Professor of Religion and Gender at the University of Chester, where she has been based since 2010. Dawn has been researching, publishing, and speaking publicly about pronatalism for over 12 years, in particular examining how religion constructs ideas about motherhood and childlessness. Her latest book (contracted with Bloomsbury, should be finished by the end of this year!) focuses on how Christian women understand and manage their reproductive agency and choice. As co-founder of Storyhouse Childless, one of her aims has been to disrupt the binaries and divisions that pronatalism creates, to raise awareness of the many different experiences of childlessness, and to create opportunities for community and connection.
Ali Hall is the person behind the Childfree by Choice Twitter account, an account set up to help remove the stigma of being childfree by choice and showcase that you can feel deep love, happiness & fulfilment without being a parent. She is also a writer and can be found on Medium and Substack and has written 30+ articles on the non-parent experience, from the lived experience of being childfree while being mindful and inclusive of those who are childless. Ali is passionate about bridging the gap between parents, the childfree and the childfree. When not advocating for non-parents, she is happiest running on trails with her dogs or floating on the waves in her kayak.
The Full Stop are joined by members of the online community to discuss personal growth, the importance of inclusivity and diversity within the childless community, and the therapeutic power of vulnerability. We share our struggles and the strength we have found in the community's empathy and support. We also discuss future directions, advocating for the community, and the value of challenging conversations. The episode underscores the The Full Stop’s role in creating a supportive environment and the collective appreciation for the sense of belonging it has provided.
Enter our competition to win a signed copy of Save Me From The Waves by Jessica Hepburn, biscuits from The Kitsch Hen and a year of membership for a childless not by choice person to the online Full Stop Community. Enter via social media or our online form. Please note that terms and conditions apply.
Dr Joanne Lawrence-Bourne, founder of Natal Instincts Reproductive Psychology, and Dr. Robin Hadley, an independent research consultant and associate lecturer, shed light on the invisible pain of loneliness. In our conversations in our Full Stop online community and our personal experiences, we are very aware that loneliness can hit harder during holiday times and celebration days but often it can surface during our daily lives. We dive into an exploration of isolation and the impact on those without children, and share our personal encounters with this complex feeling.
In this episode we catch up with Jessica Hepburn, who shares insights from her life as an author and adventure activist. Jessica discusses her upcoming book "Save Me from the Waves," the therapeutic role of nature and swimming in her life, and the influence of "Desert Island Discs" on her personal growth. She shoes her plans for a year of self-love and her writing on Substack. The conversation encompasses themes of resilience, self-discovery, and the importance of finding joy and connection in our found family.
In this podcast episode, Sophie Hunter from S E Hunter Associates joins us for thoughtful discussion about the challenges that people without children face in professional settings, including workplace bullying and discrimination. We share personal experiences and emphasise the need for greater awareness, support, and genuine empathy from colleagues and managers. The conversation explores the differences in experiences between childless men and women, the importance of leadership training, and the potential for childlessness to become a protected characteristic. We share our advocacy for open communication, the creation of employee support networks, and encourage companies and business networks to foster an inclusive environment that values all employees regardless of family status.
Sophie Hunter is Managing Director of S.E Hunter Associates Limited, a Human Resource Management Consultancy based in North Wales. She has a specialism in Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) in the Workplace, having worked in an EDI Human Resource role for 8 years prior to leaving to set up her own company. Her interests include early morning swimming, volunteering with animal rescues and veganism. Her goal is to set up an animal sanctuary. Sophie is Childless through Circumstances.
Sophie's work includes Consultancy, Training, and Strategic Advice in a range of HR and EDI related areas. You can connect with her direct on LinkedIn or follow her on X @SophieHtweets.
In this episode of the Full Stop hosts Sarah, Michael and Berenice, reflect on their year and discuss the challenges and highlights they've experienced. They talk about their recent meetup in Chester, the growth of their podcast and community, and the challenges of Christmas for the childless community. They also discuss the importance of setting boundaries in their personal and professional lives. The episode concludes with a messages of self-care and support from the community to their listeners during the holiday season. Our newsletter thanks our guests and shares more support.
The 57th episode of The Full Stop podcast is recorded to raise awareness of childless men on International Men's Day, 19th November, #IMD2023 The recording features a panel of childless men discussing their experiences and perspectives. The speakers, from various backgrounds and professions, share their personal journeys with childlessness, discussing feelings of exclusion and inclusion and the impact of societal narratives around men who are not fathers, and the importance of finding support. They also address the lack of conversation around childless men and the need for more recognition and understanding. The discussion includes research findings from Dr Robin A Hadley who also shares a poem that reflects on the longing and emptiness experienced by men who are not childless not by choice.
The episode builds on an ongoing conversation including a panel on Childless Men and Creativity which took place at Storyhouse Chester in September 2023 as part of Storyhouse Childless Live, an in-person event that raises awareness of childlessness and childfree people. This panel featured two childless not by choice men - Robert Nurden and Andy Harrod - with Bransby Macdonald-Williams (who has chosen not to have children) and was chaired by our Sarah Lawrence, co-director, co-founder and co-presenter of The Full Stop.
How to contact our guestsOur guests are Don Martinz, Jay Palmer, Russ Pata, Mike Sparks and Dr Robin A. Hadley and they mention The Childless Men’s Community and The Full Stop Community in their conversation. We’re also indebted to the work of Andy Harrod and Robert Nurden who have both raised awareness for men too. World Childless Week also featured Men Matter Too which Michael helped to curate and you can find the 2021 page here, do browse the WCW website for more interesting contributions from childless men.
Dr Robin Hadley’s website details his extensive research into male broodiness and lists his publications and talks. He has also been on stage at Storyhouse Live in Chester.
Find out more about Mike’s restoration work and his story on his website.
Jay Parmar is a new voice to our podcast and he's a musician living on the South coast of the UK. He can be found on Youtube and online
Join us for an incredibly moving conversation with Nina Thair and Danielle Hines, as we explore the impact of disability on childlessness. Listen in as Nina and Danielle bravely share their personal journeys, revealing how their physical disabilities have influenced their lives, from mobility challenges and educational delays to understanding their conditions. They touch upon the deep emotional aspects of being childless and how the support of friendships and relationships has empowered them through their journeys.
In the next segment, Danielle narrates her life with Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS) and chronic migraine with brainstem aura, and how these conditions drastically altered her life. Nina also talks about the complexities of her life with MS and how the childless community has become an important part of her life.
Finally, we explore the power of connection, storytelling, and writing, discussing how they can aid in making sense of personal experiences and building stronger bonds. Danielle and Nina also share how illness and childlessness have shaped their identities, enabling them to forge meaningful connections. The conversation wraps up with a discussion on the significance of acceptance, resilience, and finding strength through adversity. Tune in for an insightful and deeply personal conversation that promises to enlighten and inspire.
How to contact our guestsNina has a fantastic blog called Chao in Slow Motion - Nina’s Life and you can read it here. Danielle is an active member in the Childless Collective and you can find them both in our Full Stop Community.
Please note that this reading contains a piece called The Babies Next Door and references maternal instinct.
Join us as we welcome our friend and author, Robert Nurden, to an enriching conversation that covers his personal and professional journey, from his journalism days to teaching, and the life-altering significance of a cup of Americano. Listen to Robert's fascinating story of shifting gears from mainstream journalism to teaching English in various parts of the world like Sweden, India, and Sydney.
Discover the emotional journey of a childless man, as Robert opens up about the complex feelings and experiences he went through, realising the unlikely chance of having children. Tune in as he narrates how he found The Childless Men's Community, and how it inspired him to write a play about childlessness for men, which evolved into a book. Learn about the creative process behind his book, ‘I Always Wanted To Be A Dad’ and what next including his play ‘Empty’, hear about his collaboration with Berenice, who designed the book, and his mixed feelings towards sharing his personal story publicly.
Listen to our engaging conversation as we discuss the power of relationships and community, and how Robert’s personal experiences have influenced his perspective on childlessness. Hear two reading from the book by and the reactions of his long-time friends. This conversation is a heartfelt exploration of a sensitive topic and an invitation to understand and empathize with the struggles of those who are childless not by choice.
How to contact RobertRobert can be found via his website and Instagram. He will be at Storyhouse Live launching I Always Wanted To Be A Dad on 23rd September in person with Berenice and Rosalyn. You can buy a copy there or online at Amazon.
This month meet Gail Miller. She is a coach, and medical doctor working in healthcare in the USA. She’s made it her mission to challenge insensitivity and bias in the healthcare profession to help those who are childless as patients and non-parents who work in medicine to enable people to have a better, less triggering experience and create a place in which to learn. This podcast episode mentions miscarriage, IVF, cancer and infertility.
We were delighted to welcome members of our online Full Stop online community, some of whom work in medical organisations including the NHS and had some valuable contributions to make. We’re following up with them to see what we can to provide support and signposted to World Childless Week’s resources.
The Full Stop podcast is free to listen on our many listening channels and published monthly. To be a guest, please check our ‘Be A Guest’ page.
The Full Stop Community supports our podcast and provides in-depth access to the content, to us, our future plans and recordings in real time. It’s a warm, safe online space full of conversation and cheerleading and open to all genders.
We are committed to creating a diverse environment without regard to race, colour, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, or age.
Our July 2023 guests are Janine Ford and Cecilia Rebild who talk to us about community and friendship. They met in Copenhagen in Denmark and generously shared their story about friendships that can be forged from childlessness experiences and the meaning of friendship as we come to terms with not being parents. They are co-creators of a support network in Denmark, a vision they shared and acted on during the height of the pandemic. You can read more details about their work on our website.
This June 2023 episode is with Karin Enfield De Vries who many of you know a supportive moderator and counsellor. She is the founder of Pure Tranformations, a grief and loss counsellor with a focus on childlessness, a wellbeing coach and a change management consultant. Karin volunteers as a guest speaker for various cancer trusts in the Netherlands to help raise awareness of the long term consequences of being childless after cancer.
Listen for an empowering discussion about self-compassion, finding a support network, how to find help and Karin's Circle of Transformation, and so much more. We had some outstanding questions, too, which you'll hear us answer in the recording.
In this episode, the three of us invite you into our space as we share three pieces of exciting news that will inspire and empower you.
They may concern some of you, and you almost certainly will have questions. You're welcome to ask us questions - all queries are welcome, and none are silly - and to be part of this journey with us. Please do get in touch with any of us.
What began as an idea on a post-it note after Michael and then Sarah mentioned to Berenice that they loved podcasts has far exceeded what we predicted.
To be honest, when we got to 8 episodes, we were amazed. When people wanted to be on our podcast, that was incredible, then we saw others having a go too and thanking us and inviting us to speak with them - wow! Now we're listened to in every continent apart from Antarctica, and we're award-winning! That's some going for a podcast that relies entirely on organic growth, love, and virtual coffee donations. If you've shared a post of ours, then the chances are you've helped someone in need, and that's all we've ever asked for. Not fame nor awards, and your donations have helped us along, so thank you so much for the Kofi too.
That said, almost everything we do is our time and expenditure. Growing what we do, sustainably securing our future, and giving you something extra matters. We realise that we have a thing' we may want to pass on one day and to keep our digital legacy secure.
More informationRead our blog post and access our press release
What is a CIC?
We are delighted to bring you our next episode on solo ageing with Patricia Faulks and Denise Jackson (whom you may recall from our first year of broadcasting).
Patricia Faulks set up her blog, Lilley and Me, during Covid lockdowns to share the story of ageing alone with childlessness and the challenges that brings including learning how to use her computer and Zoom calls. Denise Jackson returns to the podcast to talk about bias around money saving having challenged UK money expert Martin Lewis to tackle solo households. You can find her on Twitter.
Patricia and Denise cover so much ground here that applies not just to childless people but to those who are creating online environments and apps as we discuss digital exclusion. They also discuss bias and exclusion around power of attorney, the cost of living crisis, human rights and make a call for more support and awareness.
Resources to help you:
Age UK
Carers Trust
Centre for Better Ageing
Ageing Well Without Children
United Nations Ageing resources
National Institute of Ageing (USA)
Meaningful Ageing in Australia
Dr Robin Hadley’s resources
Full Stop guest, Ming Ho’s words on Dementia Carers Count.
You can get involved too! Please email us with your news, events, and if you'd like to be a guest, you can do that here. You can also tag us on Twitter, and find us on LinkedIn and Facebook. We'd also like to say a huge thank you for the donations on Kofi.
We’re joining by two guests who you’ve met before. Catch up with Ken and Lisa as we talk about step parenting when childless not by choice.
We cover the difficulties of Mother’s Day and daily life. Ken and Lisa talk about society’s perception of being a step parent both within the childless community and outside it. We ask about the problems of language and how that affects the sense of place in a family.
Here’s our guest detailsLisa Kissane is the owner of Silvertongue Copy & Content Writing, a project born of many years experience in sales, marketing and writing for pleasure. She is particularly keen to work with members of the childless and LGBTQ+ communities and offers a free trial in the form of one piece of content (e.g. a blog post, newsletter, web landing page) to business owners who identify as such. You can also find her on Twitter and Instagram
Ken Fenton is an founder member of The Childless Men’s Community and role model to his fellow members. He’s been a guest on our men’s episodes.
We thank Lisa and Ken for their time and words.
We’d like to introduce you to Anastasia MacDonald who many of you may already know from her constant and reassuring presence online. We gather to talk about how the menopause affects us as the childless not by choice community. Is it a relief? A time of mourning and what’s it like on the other side?
Like many of our episodes, we connect our community both as listeners but also as guests and we have a feeling that there will be some interesting collaborations to come. We do love seeing our guests meet and share stories! If you’d prefer to read, you’ll find a transcript below..
Here’s our guest detailsAnastasia can be found on Instagram here and the book she mentioned is What Fresh Hell is This? by Heather Corinna (please do buy from an independent book shop if you can) and the podcasts are The Menstruality, and the Hit Play Not Pause podcast.
We’d like to introduce you to our guests who are rather marvellous company, as you’ll find out in our 47th episode. Mike Sparks restores vintage electrics (yes, we also through he has a great name!) and teaches water skiing, how this two areas of his life come about? Caroline Stafford sells gorgeous biscuits and she talks about how she came to create a baking business. Also joining us is Vicky House who founded Clem’s Garden which we’ve long loved, and she explains her vision and her boundaries.
Here’s our guest detailsCaroline’s The Kitsch Hen bakes gorgeous biscuits which you can order from her website.
Mike Sparks restores vintage electrical items and sells them online.
Vicky can be found in Clem's Garden which is currently taking a rest but you’ll find lots of gorgeous images and their social media photography is a delight.
In this episode we were joined by your words. We were delighted to receive messages from our community which we’ve shared with you. And it was a chance for the three of us to reveal our themes for 2023, ask if you’d like be a guest and a little on how we’ve grown over 2022.
In this episode we were joined by Penny Rabarts from The Childless Wanderer and Elaine Ritchie, who works for the NHS; she provided palliative care during the height of Covid.
More people are childless due to being single than any other reason but it’s not spoken about. Are we in danger of creating bingos in our childless community and how we support each other? These were all questions we put to Elaine and Penny. Both were keen to share their experiences and be open about the triggers that have affected them. It’s an empowering listen.
Here's the link to the transcript.
In this episode we were joined by Charlie Bishop, Palo Barker and Steph Penny. Often the wider world can assume that the only reasons we do not have children are failed IVF, failed adoption or didn't try. This narrative excludes many for whom getting pregnant can be life threatening or a hidden illness means one cannot conceive. Charlie, Palo and Steph all spoke about how invisible illnesses can compound and complete the unseen grief of not having children. We also asked them to share the support groups they have founded or are involved with, and resources that have helped them. We thank them all for speaking so honestly and informing us.
Show notes: MRKH Connect a registered charity founded in 2014 supporting those with MRKH (Mayer Rokitansky Kuster Hauser) Syndrome which affects 1 in 5000 female births leading to the absence of underdevelopment of the uterus, cervix and shortened vagina. MRKH Connect has been involved in numerous research studies on mental health and the psychological impact of MRKH, runs events and aims to Connect those with MRKH together whilst providing valuable resources for the community and the public. Our Guest, Charlie, is the Director of MRKH Connect and also an advocate for MRKH and for the childless community also being part of the Tutum Journal editorial team, a magazine for, and by, childless women. Find out more by following @mrkhconnect across social media, @tutumjournal or email Charlie.
Our guest Palo supports chronic survivors at Chronic Survivors Childless Warriors and myasthenia group Diet and Myasthenia Gravis UK You can also find on the admin teams for Childless Not By Choice-Non-Religious and Childless by Circumstance, Not by Choice
Palo has a private group for Asian childless women and (optionally) chronic condition sufferers. This is a secret/private group by invitation, please contact The Full Stop and we’ll connect you with Palo.
Steph Penny is the author of Surviving Childlessness: Faith and Furbabies, and composer of Angel At My Keyboard. You can find all of Steph’s work on her website.
In this episode we were joined by Charlie Bishop, Palo Barker and Steph Penny. Often the wider world can assume that the only reasons we do not have children are failed IVF, failed adoption or didn't try. This narrative excludes many for whom getting pregnant can be life threatening or a hidden illness means one cannot conceive. Charlie, Palo and Steph all spoke about how invisible illnesses can compound and complete the unseen grief of not having children. We also asked them to share the support groups they have founded or are involved with, and resources that have helped them. We thank them all for speaking so honestly and informing us.
Show notes: MRKH Connect a registered charity founded in 2014 supporting those with MRKH (Mayer Rokitansky Kuster Hauser) Syndrome which affects 1 in 5000 female births leading to the absence of underdevelopment of the uterus, cervix and shortened vagina. MRKH Connect has been involved in numerous research studies on mental health and the psychological impact of MRKH, runs events and aims to Connect those with MRKH together whilst providing valuable resources for the community and the public. Our Guest, Charlie, is the Director of MRKH Connect and also an advocate for MRKH and for the childless community also being part of the Tutum Journal editorial team, a magazine for, and by, childless women. Find out more by following @mrkhconnect across social media, @tutumjournal or email Charlie.
Our guest Palo supports chronic survivors at Chronic Survivors Childless Warriors and myasthenia group Diet and Myasthenia Gravis UK You can also find on the admin teams for Childless Not By Choice-Non-Religious and Childless by Circumstance, Not by Choice
Palo has a private group for Asian childless women and (optionally) chronic condition sufferers. This is a secret/private group by invitation, please contact The Full Stop and we’ll connect you with Palo.
Steph Penny is the author of Surviving Childlessness: Faith and Furbabies, and composer of Angel At My Keyboard. You can find all of Steph’s work on her website.
When we met up with Jessica Hepburn for episode 43, two things came to mind. The first is how we met her, which you’ll discover in the recording which was had a time of new starts for all of us and the importance of 43 which Jessica explains to us, and oddly how this is indeed, episode 43!
It’s fair to say that her pursuit of motherhood is just one of many parts of this pond to peak adventurer’s story! Jessica has been on many journeys herself and inspired others; maybe she’ll do that for you as you find out more about struggling well.
How to follow and connect with Jessica Jessica’s website, and you can follow her on Facebook, and Instagram.
Buy Jessica’s books:
In Pursuit of Motherhood or shop B-Corp at World of Books.
21 Miles
When we met up with Jessica Hepburn for episode 43, two things came to mind. The first is how we met her, which you’ll discover in the recording which was had a time of new starts for all of us and the importance of 43 which Jessica explains to us, and oddly how this is indeed, episode 43!
It’s fair to say that her pursuit of motherhood is just one of many parts of this pond to peak adventurer’s story! Jessica has been on many journeys herself and inspired others; maybe she’ll do that for you as you find out more about struggling well.
How to follow and connect with Jessica Jessica’s website, and you can follow her on Facebook, and Instagram.
Buy Jessica’s books:
In Pursuit of Motherhood or shop B-Corp at World of Books.
21 Miles
Annie Kirby lives on the south coast of England where she works part-time as a university researcher. She has an MA in Creative Writing from the University of East Anglia and a PhD in American Studies. Her short stories have been published in anthologies and broadcast on national radio and she is a winner of the Asham Award for short fiction. Annie is a graduate of the Penguin WriteNow programme.
Annie first appeared on our podcast in episode 2, way back in 2019. In episode 42, she joins us again as The Hollow Sea is released for publication.
If you enjoy our episodes and like the newsletter, we'd appreciate your support. At the moment, we're keeping our Kofi account open. Just £1 goes a long way to securing the future of the Full Stop podcast, and helping us with the hosting costs and growing our podcast to include transcriptions. You can donate to us via Kofi, with the reassurance that all funds go direct to the podcast. Click here if you'd like to
In Episode 41, meet Rob Hutchings, a seasoned endurance athlete and author of Downriver Nomad. In his autobiography, Rob tells tales of his nomadic adventures in triathlon, marathon swimming and sports, navigating hairpin bends, whirlpools and white-water rapids.
We were thrilled when he accepted our invitation to the Full Stop. In this recording, he discusses what compelled him to tackle adventure sports and speaks honestly about his struggles with an alcoholic father and childlessness. It’s a story that will open your eyes to strength, vulnerability and adversity.
You can buy Rob’s book, Downriver Nomad: A Triathlete's Adventures and Adversities into the Rapids on Amazon, in paperback and ebook editions.
In Episode 40, we were honoured to share spacing with Katy Seppi who joined us in early June to talk about the forthcoming Childless Collective Summit. It’s happening again on 14-17th July 2022. Join us as we meet Katy and discuss the event and creating communities for people.
In Episode 39, we put our own Sarah Lawrence in the hot seat with coach Sarah Bagg. They've teamed up to launch the Childless Mental Health Hub and shared the story of the idea from it's website to a business with a network that promises to make a huge change.
If you're inspired to ask to Sarah Lawrence (for the counseling side) or Sarah Bagg (if you offer coaching), you can get in touch through the website. Sarah Bagg can also be found via her website, Life, Love and Me.
In Episode 38, we were reunited with Sarah who was recovering from Covid, and Stella Duffy OBE joined us. It's fair to say that when we asked Stella to be a guest and she said 'yes' we were thrilled, as admirers of her work. You’ll also see Stella in Gateway Women's videos.
Where does anyone start with describing the work and joy that Stella brings to theatre, yoga, mentoring, literature and life? As you'll find out, we struggled to find the words! There's a lesson right there - ask the guest to describe what they do in their own words!
"There is huge power in grief, power in understanding what loss is like but as well as being pronatal and heteronormative, our culture is 'let's be happy' and to never admit that things are hard sometimes." Stella Duffy, OBE
It's a very passionate episode as we discuss worth, loss and life-changing experiences, but there are some moments of profound discovery. There are tears and lots of laughter too. As with all podcast guests, we wanted Stella to join us in person for a party and a book reading too - but we'll have to wait a bit longer for that in this ever-changing world. We do hope you'll love this episode as much as we loved recording; it felt extra special for us for so many reasons, as you'll hear.
We invited a few guys from the Clan of Brothers to discuss this topic, we were lucky enough to get guys from three different continents and cultures. Of course it was a rhetorical question we all need community, but what I found enriching were the reasons why.
We are not immune to loneliness as you will hear. We all need a safe space to share those inner most emotions and feelings with others knowing we will not be ridiculed. We also know that in community we have so much potential that can make our lives even better as we age.
Empowerment can be a big act or something personal. In this episode we share our podcast episode with Judy Graham and Sarah Roberts who run their own practices supporting people who are childless not by choice. They’ve also dived into politics and tackled the issue of equality and this episode is an astonishing example of shared alliances and experiences.
In this episode, we share the details on our plans. The background to the change is future proofing our work and making it more streamlined so that we can continue to inform, entertain and give a voice to our community.
We feel very fortunate to spend time with each other and our community including you, and people who support each other and take time out to care, making some incredible connections. Please listen and join us!
This episode was recorded during January 2022 and Covid-19 rules and restrictions we might discuss may have changed in your location in the meantime.
In this episode we are joined by past guests from the podcast to share messages of hope and coping techniques to help you through the festive season. Our guests share their experiences, and as always, there maybe some mentions of infertility treatment and miscarriage in this podcast.
We were joined by Helen Segal, Bindi Shah, Professor Krista Cooper, Clare Elleray (Mee) and Tessa Broad. You’ll also find some messages from past guests too.
This episode was recorded during November 20121 and Covid-19 rules and restrictions may have changed in your location in the meantime
In this episode we discuss the healing properties of The Full Stop, what we’ve learned from our guests and share the episodes that made an impact on us. We also share the plans we’re making to secure the future of the podcast from 2022.
In this episode we were joined by Katy Schnitzler who is a trainer, researcher and lecturer, studying for a PhD. She’s doing amazing work as the founder of MIST (Miscarriage & Infertility Support Training) providing workshops and information for businesses who want to support employees who are struggling with miscarriage, infertility and childlessness, and give them advice on creating a balanced workplace.
If you are a business owner, work in HR or any area of training, you’ll find this very useful. Colleagues and managers of anyone who is childless will also benefit from this as well as our listeners who will find a wealth of advice in Katy’s words. We also think you’ll find it a huge comfort.
You can find out more about Katy’s work here and she’s on Twitter too, right here.
Some of you mentioned, in our World Childless Week webinar, that you found LinkedIn to be a challenge. You maybe interested to know that The Full Stop podcast is on the platform and we’ll be pleased to connect with you. Click here to find us.
Happy World Childless Week to you. Join us - Michael, Berenice and Sarah - as we talk about sex and how being childless affects mental health, perception and worth. We discuss the triggers, the challenges and misunderstandings that come with not being a parent and how this life-changing journey has impacted intimacy.
We also celebrate being World Childless Week Ambassadors and Sarah’s award as the World Childless Week People’s champion, voted by our community.
In this episode, we talk about sex and there may be triggers for you as we include trying to conceive, fertility treatment, miscarriage and grief. As always we speak with care and sensitivity.
In this episode, we were joined by the founder of World Childless Week, Stephanie Joy Phillips to get the inside information on the plans for the 5th year of this week-long event. World Childless Week brings together Ambassadors selected from the thought leaders, campaigners, and awareness raisers who volunteer alongside Steph, to give hope, support, and strength to our childless not by choice community.
In this exclusive gathering with Sarah Lawrence, Ambassadors Michael and Sarah, Steph also discussed what next for World Childless Week, how you can be involved and some of the events that are new to the week for 2021.
"No feeling is good or bad, right or wrong. I don't get to judge, but I can sit with you and help you know you are not alone and that there is support out there." Chrissy Pantlin
Our guest this month is Chrissy Pantlin. She’s based in Australia. After illness, Chrissy qualified in counseling and set up her practice in the pandemic. Chrissy has taken all her knowledge from working in health and safety in heavy industry where she saw an absence in support mental and physical health and skills to provide a much-needed service. In this episode, Chrissy talks about what she’s learning from the men who come to her practice and shares a wealth of advice that we know will be useful to all genders.
Please be aware that we discuss failed pregnancy and suicide in this episode. If you would like further support you can find resources here on our toolkit.
Episode 28: The joy in the everyday is a celebration of self-care and looking after ourselves. We hope you’ll be inspired by our guests, Bindi Shah and Clare Elleray
Bindi Shah is a meditation teacher, a life coach and a healer. She’s started online meditation classes specifically for our community and Berenice loves them.
“I love meditation practice but it was always hard to find a space that was trigger-free. I know that each week, I have a class in my diary and a time to connect not just with myself, but with friends in the group. I have complete trust in Bindi to guide me through a peaceful meditation that is part of my healing journey.” Berenice
You can find out more about the classes and Bindi’s work on this link to her website here
Clare Elleray is the founder of Growing, Singing Childless and Whole which is an experience that Clare says is best understood by joining for a taster session.
“We spend an hour on Zoom in the company of other women who happen not to have kids, when that was their plan, learning and singing lovely, meaningful, positive songs with beautiful harmonies and rhythms and helpful, fun, uplifting messages in them that we'll maybe find are useful mantras to carry with us in our daily lives. While not focussing on talking about our childlessness we do get a moment in every session to connect with the other women in the session.
By connecting and singing together we gain confidence in using and enjoying our voices in our lives and find so many others just like ourselves who are growing into their childless selves acknowledging the sadnesses and the joys of being who they are.
Joining in requires no specialist musical or singing skills at all. You won't be heard by others on the call but will be able to hear all the song parts on recordings that support your singing voice wherever you are. You'll then have access to the website (if you decide to join us) where all the details of the songs and recordings of many of them are shared so you can refer to them between sessions.”
Here’s the website for more details
Clare also wrote a song to celebrate 10 years of Gateway Women and you can find that here
Join us - Sarah, Michael and Berenice - as our guests turn the tables on us. We were not able to have an in-person party because of COVID and travel restrictions across the world, so we set up an open house with Jody Day, Robin Hadley, Sarah Roberts, Victoria Firth, Yvonne John and Lesley Pyne, with a special message from our podcast inspiration, Civilla Morgan.
When Jody asked us if she could celebrate 10 years of Gateway Women with The Full Stop podcast, we were delighted. All three of us are proud to call Jody a friend and an inspiration.
Gateway Women means a lot to Sarah and Berenice who have been members for many years and the model and thinking of the community has inspired Michael who has seen great change.
To find out more about Gateway Women and how to join please click here
This episode actually began as an ‘admin’ chat! We hit record and we realised there might be a few nuggets of wisdom. Join us as we riff about screen sharing, Covid in our countries (we do get a bit emotive here, and this was recorded in early February so the statistics have changed), handling Zoom meetings and boundaries.
We are delighted to share with you, our next episode with Kate Kaufmann in another cross-continent broadcast - we get very excited about making connections across the world! We’ve called this episode Navigation because Kate, for us, is a fantastic voice for our community, not just through her book Do you Have Kids, Life When the Answer is No, but in the many articles she has published, as a World Childless Week Champion and a good friend to many of us. She’s steering a path for all of us and for the future. She’s inspired us along the way with the podcast as a speaker outside our community, helping to educate and bridge the gap with eloquence and knowledge.
We were absolutely thrilled to have her as our guest. It’s fair to say that when Michael and Sarah had finished the recording, they were both telling Berenice (who missed this recording because of a vaccine appointment) how powerful it was.
You can find out more about Kate, her book, and find links to her social media and articles through her website by clicking right here.
We wanted to use this episode to discuss how we’ve had to adapt in this current climate of online communication. Who better than Helen Louise Jones who has been raising our spirits with singing through her Childless Voices project and Chanting Circles. The choir began before lockdown in the UK in March 2020 and she had to quickly adapt the delivery to keep providing support and it’s been growing as a result. She joined us to talk about the power of voices and how it’s helped her to grow too.
We were also delighted to welcome Lisa Ann Kissane who talked about her love of books and how she’s encouraging our community to read through her website and Gateway Women’s NoMo Book Club which hosts online meetings to chat about the books she's recommended. If you’ve ever been triggered by a book then you need Lisa in your life! We encourage you to check out her website for her reviews, it's such an inspired idea.
Making connections is such an important part of our lives today but it can be hard, especially in this current climate. If you're setting up an event for our community then we'd love to hear from you and offer you our support. Please do get in touch.
In this episode, we were joined by Sarah Roberts from The Empty Cradle, Stephanie Phillips from World Childless Week, Andy Harrod from Invisible Childlessness with Jody Day from Gateway Women to share our reflections on the year passed and our hopes for 2021.
"It’s almost like we’re starting to claim our space in the culture" Sarah Roberts, The Empty Cradle
In this episode, we were joined by our good friend Andy Harrod who is the voice behind Invisible Childlessness. He’s one of many new, powerful contributors to our community as he explores coming to terms with involuntary childlessness through writing and academic study. He’s also part of the Clan of Brothers.
From the start, this episode poses questions about events that lead us to this space called involuntarily childlessness and we do mention infertility treatment.
In this episode, we were joined by artist Helen Segal who is the founder of Empowered Childlessness. Helen shares her inspiring life journey, discussing openly her grief and impact of IVF, and change in her life. It’s an incredible episode and we loved chatting to her, and there’s so much to take away from this.
On 15th October 2020, it’s the Wave of Light for Baby Loss Awareness Week. Helen will be running a free workshop on this date, and a longer one on 26th October. To find out more please visit her website here and also check out her Facebook group here too.
In this episode we were joined by Victoria Firth and Meriel Whale as we continue to explore the unheard voices in our community. We wanted to learn about what it means to be LGBTQI+ and involuntarily childless. Please join Michael and Berenice on this powerful and moving episode with our two amazing guests.
Trigger: This episode discusses alternative parenting including adoption and IVF.
Victoria is a performer, theatre maker and director, born in Yorkshire in the UK. She makes plays that embrace the physical and playful. ‘How To Be Amazingly Happy’ was shown at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2018 and an extract performed at Fertility Fest in 2019, and explores how you find a new ‘once upon a time’ after the ‘happy ever after’ never turned up. We were delighted to welcome Victoria to The Full Stop podcast!
Meriel Whale is a counsellor and much welcomed return guest to the podcast. She works compassionately with people in great distress to help them to move forward with their lives and has a particular empathy with involuntary childless community.
Resources and reading Stonewall
Galop
Penguin Random House LGBTQIA and Pride reading list
Book Riot
Helpline details You can find lots of resources in our Toolkit here.
UK: Contact the Samaritans on freephone 116 123, they're open 24 hours and are there to listen and Mind.
USA: Suicide Prevention
Canada: Canada Crisis
Australia: Beyond Blue
Covid-19 resources European Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (links to worldwide Government resources)
The International Association of National Public Health Institutes
The World Health Organisation
In this episode, we were joined by Kirsty Woodard, a leading figure in raising awareness in ageing without children and founder of Ageing Well Without Children, Ming Ho, a screenwriter who writes, speaks, and campaigns on dementia and carer issues at Dementia Just Ain’t Sexy and Denise Jackson, a experienced carer and only child.
Please go to our website for show notes and more information
"Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced." James Baldwin Trigger: motherhood and birth are briefly mentioned in this episode.
Our community has heart. The warm welcome and kind words that we’ve heard in response to the many incredible stories of pain, recovery and hope from our guests never fails to move us. We know that there is a lot of compassion in our audience, and strength to adapt and change.
The world took a breath at the senseless murder of George Floyd this summer. Some broke lockdown to express pain and many of us felt compelled to learn. We wanted to bring the Full Stop podcast into this conversation and use our channels to show support. We thought hard about how to do this. It’s so much more than a hashtag. We wanted to change with empathy. There was no question that us three white presenters would lead this episode but we had every confidence when we handed over the podcast to Yvonne John, friend to many and author of Dreaming of a Life Unlived.
You’ll hear a lot less of us talking but we’re there and we are learning with you. As Michael says in the introduction, some of the conversations may make you uncomfortable but we’re used to seeing that in others and how that feels, and we’re also well versed in empathy. We really hope you’ll get as much from this episode as we did.
Yvonne is joined by her guests Haneefah Muhammad, Krista Cooper PhD, LLMSW, Bindi Shah and Civilla Morgan and they’re talking about the impact of the murder of George Floyd and Black Lives Matter on them, how we all need to face up to change, and how childlessness and racism have affected their lives. We were also thrilled to have our first poetry reading on the podcast by Haneefah.
Resources Our guests were keen to share resources with us, but you’ll hear a common theme in the episode. Education is down to the individual. We hope that you’ll find this episode part of your journey to understanding.
Books White Fragility by Robin Diangelo
Natives: Races and Class in the Ruins on Empire by Akala
How to be an Antiracist by Ibram X Kendi
Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People about Race by Reni Eddo-Lodge
Slay in your Lane by Elizabeth Uviebinené and Yomi Adegoke
The Hate U Gave book and film by Angie Thomas
White spaces, Missing faces by Catrice M. Jackson
Websites, podcasts and blogs Nova Reid
The History Chicks
Films Thirteen
Now They see Us
Arts Childish Gambio
Norman Rockwell ‘The problem we all live with’
In this episode we’re joined by Rosalind Bubb, a therapist and EFT International 'Accredited Certified Master EFT Trainer’. Rosalind has been volunteering her skills to NHS workers during the Covid-19 pandemic. In this episode she shares her story with us, and guides us through an EFT Tapping Session and we hope you’ll join in.
You can find out more about EFT and Rosalind’s work at her website
On our website we have a video where Rosalind talks us through the technique, you can watch this here
In this special episode recorded during lockdown in Spain, UK and Ireland, we reflect on the impact of the Covid-19 coronavirus and our community, with a focus on what it’s like to be single and childless in the pandemic.
We are joined by Rod Silvers, Jody Day with Julie and Joss from Gateway Women.
Trigger: we discuss our journey to childlessness and adult themes.
In this episode Michael, Sarah and Berenice were joined by Dr Robin Hadley, PhD researcher Andy Harrod, Ken Fenton and Kevin Roberts, husband of Sarah Roberts who runs The Empty Cradle.
One of the most rewarding parts of running a regular podcast is that we have many opportunities to meet new and old friends, We were delighted to welcome Andy back onto the show - he joined us on our first men and childlessness episode in August 2019. You can read more about Andy on his website, Decoding Static.
We were also delighted to catch up with Dr Robin Hadley, a supporter of the podcast since we first began. Many of you may already know Robin through his valuable research work, and personal experience, of male infertility. You can read more about Robin here
It’s also good to hear new voices and new stories. Ken Fenton is a good friend of Michael’s and he discusses being a step parent. Kevin Roberts joined us from Australia where his wife Sarah, supports the community through The Empty Cradle.
In this episode, we discuss men and involuntary childlessness, being a step parent and how to handle Father’s Day
We have been checking in daily with each other to make sure we’re okay. We decided that we’d catch up on Zoom and ended up doing an impromptu recording. So here’s Episode 13, recorded on the eve of the UK lockdown. We reflect on the impact of the Covid-19 coronavirus and our community, and Michael tells some stories! We also ask how we can help you through our podcast. Can we use our resources to support your work, mental health… please do tell us.
Please do note that we talk briefly about the impact of ending IVF treatment during the crisis, this may be a trigger for you.
We promised a twist when we talked about this on social media and here it is! This episode is audio and video. We decided to include video as we felt you’d like a bit more of a connection with us and some friendly faces, you can head to our website to watch us recording.
Mother’s Day is a day of mixed emotions. We can feel a sense of loss and perhaps conflict too. In this episode, join Michael, Sarah and Berenice in conversation with fellow podcaster, Civilla Morgan (listen to her podcast Childless Not By Choice here) who shares her views on faith, the loss of her mother and how she’s inspiring churches to take a new approach. We welcomed Allie Anderson, a freelance journalist, editor & writer specialising in health to the podcast. She shares her advice on tackling the day and we discuss new activities and… Colin Firth!
You’ll also find out how to win a copy of Jody Day’s fabulous revised edition of ‘Living The Life Unexpected’. (read our review here)
We do mention miscarriage and parental loss so this episode maybe triggering.
“Could your concept of who you are be expanded to include the plants and animals around you? Could it include mountains, rain and wind? What would our lives feel like if we started to include non animate elements as part of our family?” Suzan Muir
Join Michael, Sarah and Berenice in conversation with Suzan Muir and hear more about her extraordinary and inspiring life.
To find out more about Suzan’s retreats please visit her website by clicking here
Helpline details You can find lots of resources in our Toolkit here.
UK: Contact the Samaritans on freephone 116 123, they're open 24 hours and are there to listen and Mind.
USA: Suicide Prevention
Canada: Canada Crisis
Australia: Beyond Blue
We hope this wonderful episode with Bibi Lynch, broadcaster and journalist, will inspire you. As many of you will know, Bibi has written and spoken openly in the media about her childless life and received support from many, and attracted critics too. She has lots of wisdom to share and we all came away feeling charged up to tackle life. We hope you feel the same.
We also bring you community news from The Empty Cradle in Australia, a new guide from The Fertility Network UK, details of Words That Heart and a new choir from Helen Louise-Jones.
Christmas is hard work at the best of times, but being part of this community only makes it harder. Yes, we get it and that’s why we’ve done something different with episode 8 – The Alternative Kings and Queens speech.
Because as Michael’s mantra says ‘you’re not alone’, and we’ve channelled that into this episode with voices speaking from our community, big and not so big, to support you all. As you’ll hear, the messages are filled with love, support, guidance and most of all, understanding.
Yes, Christmas will never be straightforward for us, because it’s difficult to be on the outside looking in, but we hope this episode will help you realise you’re part of a community full of friends, love and shared emotions. And believe us, there was plenty of that as we made this episode for you.
We hope you find it supportive and that Christmas is a time of peace and reflection for you.
Our thanks to: Jody Day, Lesley Pyne, Andy Harrod, Civilla Morgan, Rosalind Bubb, Anna Barratt, Stephanie Phillips, Brandi Higgins Lytle, Helen Segal, Kate Kauffman, Tanya Trusler, Tessa Broad, Yvonne John, Sophia Andeh and Jennifer Parrish. We also welcomed submissions from those who did not want to share their name at this time, thank you for taking part.
Helpline details You can find lots of resources in our Toolkit here.
UK: Contact the Samaritans on freephone 116 123, they're open 24 hours and are there to listen and Mind.
USA: Suicide Prevention
Canada: Canada Crisis
Australia: Beyond Blue
In this episode Michael, Sarah and Berenice were joined by Emily Scott from IVF Fairness to talk about coping during the holidays. We shared our own experiences of how we manage at times of celebration. Emily chatted to us about good mental health as part of the team at Mind.
In this episode Michael, Sarah and Berenice were joined by Meriel Whale to talk about Mental Health as the world pauses to acknowledge World Mental Health Day.
We would like to make you aware that this episode does contain mention of suicide and therefore may not be suitable for everyone to listen to.
Meriel is a counsellor who lives and runs her practice in East Sussex in the UK. She’s a member of Gateway Women and she’s a World Childless Week champion, contributing to diversity and LGBT in our community. She has a Postgraduate Diploma in Person Centred Counselling from the University of Brighton (2010) and you can find out more about her counselling on her website here.
Episode timings From the start Michael, Sarah and Berenice share personal stories.
At 0.58 you can listen to community news
At 1.12 Meriel Whale joins Michael and Sarah in conversation.
This episode is 1.35 minutes long.
Helpline details UK: Contact the Samaritans on freephone 116 123, they're open 24 hours and are there to listen and Mind.
USA: Suicide Prevention
Canada: Canada Crisis
Australia: Beyond Blue
This Full Stop podcast episode was almost called ‘how many Champions can you fit in a podcast’! We think we’ve done a cracking job of getting the words of World Childless Week founder Stephanie Phillips and her Champions including our own Michael and Berenice, into this hour-long episode. There’s so much to talk about when it comes to World Childless Week.
For those who don’t know, Stephanie Phillips founded World Childless Week in 2017. It’s an online event to raise awareness and support the childless not by choice community. In its initial week in September 2017 #worldchildlessweek was tweeted 1.2 million times (source: Twitter analytics). In 2018 World Childless Week reached 85 countries. Wow! This year World Childless Week will take place from 16-22nd September 2019. Each day explores a different element of being childless: our stories, letters about forgiveness, using art to release emotions, men matter too, how we have empathy, finding our worth in society and how to move forward.
Stephanie is supported by the World Childless Week Champions who are all childless not by choice and share the same determination to grow the awareness week. The Champions are based from across the world and represent diverse ethnicities, disabilities, genders and sexual orientation.
Sarah Lawrence hosted this episode and asked some amazing questions which inspired Steph, and Champions Jody Day, Robin Hadley, Rod Silvers, Vicky Page, Anne Barratt, Karin Enfield De Vries, Yvonne Maier, Bibi Lynch and Yvonne John to talk about what World Childless Week means to them and the community. We also lingered on the big issues that challenge us and themes to tackle for the future.
We all came away from this interview feeling incredibly empowered. It was through community initiatives like World Childless Week and Fertility Fest that we three presenters met. Without these events, voices go unheard. We hope you’ll be as moved by the words of the Champions and Steph as we were.
In this episode Michael, Sarah and Berenice were joined by Dr. Robin Hadley, actor and writer Rod Silvers and PhD researcher Andy Harrod.
In this episode we talked about Writing It Out with Tessa Broad who chatted to us about her experiences of writing Dear You and Lesley Pyne, author of Finding Joy Beyond Childlessness. Please head to our website to find out how you can win a copy of Lesley's book.
We are joined by Dr Lorna Gibb who shared her experiences of writing and researching Childless Voices and Dr Annie Kirby, winner of the Asham Award 2005 and author, who spoke to us about plans for her creative writing workshops for our community.
In this episode, hosts Michael, Sarah and Berenice are joined by Jody Day from Gateway Women to talk about speaking out about infertility and share what it's like to be childless not by choice. Listen to them chat about family, the workplace and the importance of conversation and their personal experiences.
A childless not by choice community podcast. Inspired by you. Featuring you. Made for you.
Find out about our three presenters in our own unique Q&A. We picked five questions to ask each other and came up with five unique answers! There’s a lot of laughs and we hope you’ll find it fun to listen to!