Hidden childless stories, the unseen grief of invisible illness: October 2022

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 guests Our 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 guests Nina 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 Robert Robert 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.