1 in 5 - Leading a life without children

Lucy Meggeson is a podcast producer and host, who previously worked as a programme-maker at BBC Radio 2. At the start of 2022, she launched the 'Spinsterhood Reimagined' podcast, which explores and celebrates single life, whilst challenging the stigma that can be attached to being single and without kids. Lucy is happily childfree, but in this chat, she shares an unexpected broodiness that happened in her early 40s, and how she navigated temporary feelings of grief and sadness. From smashing the negative stereotypes linked to spinsterhood and showing that being single isn’t plan B to embracing your life right now, there is so much that will resonate regardless of whether you are in a relationship or not.If you’d like to learn more about Lucy, do check out her website lucymeggeson.com Also we'd highly recommend her brilliant podcast Spinsterhood Reimagined https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/spinsterhood-reimagined/id1606620264If you enjoyed this chat, please do subscribe and share it far and wide. We'd would love to hear what you think, so if you can post a review or contact us via Instagram @geetapendse or email me [email protected] Thank you for listening.

Christine Erikson is an international executive and entrepreneur. She recently founded the New Legacy Institute, which aims to campaign for change around the social and policy inequalities faced by the collective community of those who do not have children. From workplaces to the education system, the New Legacy Insitute is challenging the often ingrained views of pro-natalism, where having kids is put on a pedestal.Christine describes herself as childless by circumstance, and in this chat, she shares how an abusive marriage influenced her own views around having kids. We also speak about the stigma those leading a life without kids can face, and why creating a collective voice for change is important.You can find out more about the New Legacy Institute and Christine’s work here https://newlegacyinstitute.com/ or on Instagram @newlegacyinstitute If you enjoyed this chat, please do subscribe and share it far and wide. We'd would love to hear what you think, so if you can post a review or contact us via Instagram @geetapendse or email me [email protected] Thank you for listening.

Mel Brown is a talent success manager, a trained celebrant and host of her own podcast, Mel’s Monday Musing. She describes herself as childfree by choice but can see children in her future. As a woman in her mid-thirties who is open to parenthood, in our chat Mel shares the pressures that come with dating when it feels like the biological clock is ticking. We dive into dating, exploring options such as egg-freezing and why Mel is asking herself if it is selfish to have children in a world of environmental uncertainty. As Mel is very much open to having kids, we do explore topics such as fertility and parenthood, which may not resonate with everyone. But as always my aim with this show is to explore all sides of life without kids in the present, even if that might change in the future. If you’d like to learn more about Mel’s work as a celebrant you can go to https://www.melbcelebrant.co.uk/ or listen to her podcast Mel’s Monday Musings on your podcast app. And you can find Mel on Instagram @melbrown0110.If you enjoyed this chat, please do subscribe and share it far and wide. We'd would love to hear what you think, so if you can post a review or contact us via Instagram @geetapendse or email me [email protected]

Vikas Shah is a hugely successful entrepreneur, investor and philanthropist. His book and blog, ‘Thought Economics’, has seen him interview some of the world’s leading thinkers. As someone who is childfree, Vikas has thought long and hard about legacy and purpose. In this chat, we explore the social expectations on men, dating when choosing to be childfree, creating a living legacy and the added layer of pressure that can come from growing up in a South Asian family. You can find out more about ‘Thought Economics’ here https://thoughteconomics.com/ or follow Vikas on Twitter @MrVikas to get all the latest on his work. If you enjoyed this chat, please do subscribe and share it far and wide. We'd would love to hear what you think, so if you can post a review or contact us via Instagram @geetapendse or email [email protected] Thank you for listening.

Kathryn Stanczyszyn is a British journalist and radio presenter who has felt ambivalent and confused about parenthood for decades. Always hoping that one day she would wake up and feel differently, during the pandemic Kathryn decided to embark on an active process to choose whether to have kids or not. In this chat, she shares how it’s not always black and white, and why the process can be a painful one. From navigating ambivalence on your own and in a couple, challenging our conditioning around where we find purpose and looking to the future as a childfree woman, Kathryn is refreshingly open and honest about her own journey.If you’d like to learn more about Kathryn and her work do check her out on Twitter @stanchers.If you enjoyed this chat, please do subscribe and share it far and wide. We'd would love to hear what you think, so if you can post a review or contact us via Instagram @geetapendse or send us an email to [email protected] Thank you for listening.

Emma Duval is on a personal mission to reveal and document the lives of childfree and childless women in history. Raised in France and now living in the US, Emma felt a lack of positive role models growing up. From a Gallo-Roman physician and a Buddhist nun to Hollywood icon Greta Garbo, Emma is using social media and her research skill to amplify the lives of hundreds of women. Emma is currently writing a book about single women in history. Whilst none of us are defined by our status with or without kids, in a world where leading a life without children can be painted as negative Emma’s approach is refreshing. If you’d like to find out more about Emma’s work do check out her Instagram account: @millenialemma or you can go to her website millenialemma.comIf you enjoyed this chat, please do subscribe and share it far and wide. I’d love to hear what you think too, so please do post a review or contact Geeta via Instagram or twitter @geetapendse

Kat Brown is a journalist, commentator and social media editor. In 2022 she successfully crowdfunded, 'No One Talks About This Stuff', a new book which will see 25 writers share their experiences of infertility, childlessness, baby loss and almost motherhood. In this chat, we explore topics including ambivalence, choice, delaying parenthood due to financial instability, infertility and the power of hearing other women’s stories. If you’d like to hear more about No One Talks About This Stuff and Kat herself, you can find more information on Instagram @noonetalksaboutthisstuff @katbrownwrites or visit Kat’s website: Katbrownwrites.comIf you enjoyed this chat, please do subscribe and share it far and wide. We'd would love to hear what you think, so if you can post a review or contact us via Instagram @geetapendse. Thank you for listening.

Michelle Ackerley is a TV and radio presenter who is championing more honest conversations about women’s health. Michelle recently shared her experience of living with endometriosis and the impact it can have on fertility. In this chat, she talks about the complex reasons why women may choose not to have children or are unable to and why there needs to be more openness and support around this. We also talk about how working in the public eye can add an extra layer of scrutiny when it comes to the question of children. It’s a must-listen!You can find Michelle on Instagram @michelle_ackerley or on twitter @MichAckerleyIf you enjoyed this chat, do subscribe and post a review. We'd would love to hear what you think. Contact us via Instagram @geetapendse. Thank you for listening.

Erin Spurling is on a mission to change the conversation for and about women who are embracing a childfree lifestyle, whether that’s by choice or circumstance. Erin is a writer and music journalist, who set up Curiously Childfree as a platform to cultivate positive, understanding and judgement-free conversations. In this chat, Erin shares her experience of being in a heterosexual childfree couple, and how she is often treated differently from her partner. We talk about the importance of community and why Erin is refusing to fulfil the trope of being angry or bitter, hating parents and children, having a lonely life, or thinking her life is better than someone else.If you’d like to learn about Curiously Childfree – you can find information on Instagram @curiouslychildfree or go to Erin’s website https://erinspurling.com to find out more.This is the last episode in Series 1 but we are happy to say that the 1in5 podcast will be back soon with a new series. In the meantime we’d would love to hear your thoughts on series and what topics you’d like us to get into next. You can email [email protected] or find Geeta on Instagram or twitter @geetapendse – thank you so much for listening!

Jody Day is the Founder of Gateway Women, a global friendship, support and advocacy network. Described as the Beyonce of childlessness, Jody’s Ted Talk “The Lost tribe of childless women” has been viewed almost 170,000 times. Her book “Living the Life Unexpected: How to Find Hope, Meaning and a Fulfilling Future without children” is what many professionals consider the ‘go-to’ book on this topic.In this chat, we explore a range of topics including social infertility, the power of community and how grief can be a transformative experience with the right support. If you would like to learn about Gateway Women, then you gateway-women.com – all the details are in the show notes. And they have a range of workshops, talks and resources, which are really worth checking out.