Finding Space with Dee Kelly

In this episode of Finding Space, I'm joined by Professor Gayle Letherby, a sociologist, author and researcher who has spent over 35 years exploring some of life's most personal and often difficult subjects.Gayle shares her own experiences of pregnancy loss and involuntary childlessness, and how these experiences influenced her life, writing and research.We talk about the different emotions that come with childlessness, the expectations placed on women, and what it means to grow older without children. Gayle also shares her thoughts on living with loss while making room for other experiences, relationships and opportunities along the way.In this episode, we touch on:Gayle's personal experience of pregnancy loss and involuntary childlessness.The different emotions that can come with not having children.How Gayle's experiences influenced her writing and research.The pressure to find another purpose when motherhood doesn't happen.Growing older without children, and the importance of feeling valued at every age.How conversations around pregnancy loss and childlessness have changed over the years.Why sharing our experiences and hearing different perspectives matters.A gentle note: This episode includes discussions of pregnancy loss, infertility, involuntary childlessness and bereavement. As always, please take care while listening.You will find support links and resources in the show notes below.💛If this episode resonated with you, I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments on Spotify.Sharing, rating or reviewing the podcast really helps these conversations reach more people.Connect with Me:⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠Email: [email protected] with Gayle:⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠WebsiteEthical Exercise ⁠⁠⁠⁠Resources & Support:⁠⁠

In today's episode of Finding Space, I’m joined by Maria Walsh MEP.Many will know Maria from her work in politics and advocacy, and as the 2014 International Rose of Tralee, but today she joins me to share a very different and personal part of her life.We talk about Maria’s decision to become a solo mum, her experience of fertility treatment and donor conception, pregnancy after treatment, how she's balanced it all alongside a demanding career, and why conversations like these matter.A really open and personal conversation, and one I’m so grateful Maria took the time to share.In this episode, we touch on:Choosing to become a solo mumFertility treatmentDonor conceptionHormonal impact of treatmentThe importance of more open conversations around fertility and different paths to parenthoodAs always, please take care while listening.You will find support links and resources in the show notes below.💛If this episode resonated with you, I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments on Spotify.Sharing, rating or reviewing the podcast really helps these conversations reach more people.Connect with Me:⁠Instagram⁠Email: [email protected] with Maria:⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠Resources & Support:⁠⁠⁠⁠Music Credit to Purple Planet 55245402

A short thank you to close Season Two, and a little look back at a very busy seven months for Finding Space; the podcast, the events, the conversations, the connections and everything in between.A huge thank you to every guest, every listener and everyone who has supported along the way.Finding Space may have started as a podcast, but it really does feel like a community now. Thank you all for being part of Season Two. You will find support links and resources in the show notes below.💛I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments on Spotify. Sharing, rating or reviewing the podcast really helps these conversations reach more people.Connect with Me:⁠Instagram⁠Email: [email protected]⁠⁠Resources & Support:⁠⁠Music Credit to Purple Planet 55245402

In today's episode I'm joined by Laura Boland. Some of you might remember Laura from Episode 14 of Finding Space. When we first recorded in late July last year, Laura shared her fertility journey with incredible honesty. She spoke about endometriosis, IVF, the early arrival of her son Charlie, an ectopic pregnancy, failed embryo transfers and the heartbreaking loss of another much-loved baby.Just a few weeks after we recorded our first conversation, Laura found out she was pregnant.Today, she's back to share what happened next. We talk about pregnancy after loss, the anxiety and uncertainty that can come with it, what life looks like now after everything she's been through, and how welcoming another baby doesn't take away the love or grief for babies lost.We also reflect on the power of sharing our stories, why hearing hopeful news from others who have walked a similar path can bring a different kind of joy, and how speaking openly about our experiences can help us process what we've carried for so long.In this episode, we touch on:▪︎ Pregnancy after loss▪︎ The anxiety and uncertainty that can come with it▪︎ The lasting impact of pregnancy loss▪︎ Why one baby can never replace another ▪︎ The power of sharing our stories▪︎ Finding hope after infertility and pregnancy lossAs always, please take care while listening.You will find support links and resources in the show notes below.💛If this episode resonated with you, I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments on Spotify.Sharing, rating or reviewing the podcast really helps these conversations reach more people.Connect with Me:InstagramEmail: [email protected] with Laura:Instagram⁠⁠Resources & Support:⁠Music Credit to Purple Planet 55245402

Today on Finding Space, I'm joined by Sandra who shares her own journey, which included multiple surgeries for endometriosis, IVF, and the devastating turn her life took following a traumatic pregnancy loss that changed her life forever.Recently, as part of her Psychology degree, Sandra completed a qualitative research study exploring the experiences of 11 involuntarily childless midlife women (aged 40–55) living in the pronatalist state of Ireland.We talk about grief that often goes unseen, identity, friendships, and what it means to live in a society where motherhood is often seen as the expected path.Sandra also shares the key findings from her study, including what needs to change, the concept of post-traumatic growth, and the possibility of finding meaning and new possibilities after loss.You'll hear us talk about infertility, IVF, pregnancy loss, hysterectomy, childlessness not by choice, grief, identity after loss, post-traumatic growth, and the lived experiences of involuntarily childless women in Ireland. This is a powerful conversation about, resilience, belonging, and finding meaning after heartbreak.As always, please take care while listening.You will find support links and resources in the show notes below.💛If this episode resonated with you, I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments on Spotify.Sharing, rating or reviewing the podcast really helps these conversations reach more people.Connect with Me:Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Email: [email protected]⁠Resources & Support:Music Credit to Purple Planet 55245402

Today on Finding Space, I’m joined by Senator Linda Nelson Murray, who shares her long and deeply personal fertility journey, including multiple miscarriages, the loss of one of her twins during pregnancy, and becoming a mum to two beautiful daughters.Linda speaks openly about the reality of trying to build a family, the grief that follows pregnancy loss, the comments that stay with you, returning to work, and why acknowledgement matters.We also talk about the work of the Cross-Party Oireachtas Group on Pregnancy and Infant Loss, the proposed Pregnancy Loss Certificate, and the importance of continuing to improve support, recognition and care for individuals and families affected by miscarriage and baby loss in Ireland.This is an honest conversation about loss, hope, advocacy and the power of using lived experience to help make a difference.As always, please take care while listening, as this episode touches on fertility struggles, pregnancy loss and grief.You will find supports and resources in the link below.💛If this episode resonated with you, I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments on Spotify.Sharing, rating or reviewing the podcast really helps these conversations reach more people.Connect with Me:Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Email: [email protected] with Senator Linda Nelson Murray:Instagram ⁠⁠Cross Party Group InfoPregnancy Loss Research GroupResources & Support:Music Credit to Purple Planet 55245402

Today on Finding Space, I’m joined by Sabrina Fletcher, founder of The TFMR Doula, podcast host and advocate. In 2018, Sabrina and her husband were faced with the heartbreaking decision to end a very wanted pregnancy after receiving a devastating diagnosis during their daughter Clara’s pregnancy. Since then, she has dedicated her work to supporting other parents through diagnosis, decision-making, grief, and life after loss.In this episode, Sabrina shares her journey with us. We talk about TFMR, the stigma that can still exist, the language used around pregnancy loss, and why so many parents feel unseen in their grief. She also shares how her own experience led her to create support groups, resources and communities for other families navigating TFMR.Most of all, this is a conversation about creating space for parents whose experiences are often misunderstood or not talked about at all.As always, please take care as you listen. This episode includes discussion of pregnancy loss and grief. Support resources are linked in the show notes below.Connect with Me:Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠Email: [email protected] with Sabrina:InstagramWebsiteBook: The Impossible ChoiceGrief Book: It's OK That You're Not OkBook: Flowers in our womb ⁠Resources & Support:⁠Music Credit to Purple Planet 55245402

This week's episode is a solo one.Recently,  I shared some experiences sent to me by members of this community around infertility, pregnancy loss, grief and some of the everyday moments that can feel unexpectedly difficult when you’re carrying all of that. I originally shared them on Instagram StoriesAfterwards, a lot of people reached out to say they could relate, shared their own experiences, offered advice, or simply let someone else know they weren’t alone. I also shared some of these messages in a follow-up post.As not everyone is on social media, I wanted to bring some of those Instagram conversations together into a podcast episode too.My hope is that by sharing them here, someone listening might feel seen, understood, or simply reminded that they are not the only one feeling this way.As always, please take care as you listen. This episode includes discussion of infertility and pregnancy loss. You will find support links and resources in the show notes below.💛If this episode resonated with you, I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments on Spotify.Sharing, rating or reviewing the podcast really helps these conversations reach more people.Connect with Me:InstagramEmail: [email protected]⁠Resources & Support:⁠Music Credit to Purple Planet 55245402

In today’s episode I’m joined by award-winning journalist and author Jennie Agg, whose writing around miscarriage, fertility and women’s health has helped so many people feel less alone.After experiencing recurrent miscarriage, Jennie began writing openly about what she was going through in an attempt to make sense of it all. That writing later became her award-winning blog, The Uterus Monologues, and eventually her beautiful and deeply moving book, Life, Almost.In this episode, Jennie shares her experience of pregnancy loss, recurrent miscarriage, trying again after loss, and the complicated mix of grief, fear and hope that can come with trying to conceive. We also talk about miscarriage being so common, yet still feeling so misunderstood and hidden, the language we use around pregnancy loss, gaps in care and support, and the silence so many people still experience while going through it.Jennie also speaks so honestly about the emotional reality of living in the “in-between”, wanting something so desperately, while being terrified of losing it again.As always, please take care as you listen. This episode includes discussion of infertility and pregnancy loss. Support resources are linked in the show notes below.Connect with Me:Instagram: Email: [email protected] with Jennie:InstagramWebsiteBook: Life AlmostThe Uterus MonologuesLinktr.ee⁠Resources & Support:⁠Music Credit to Purple Planet 55245402

Today on Finding Space I’m joined by Charlotte who shares the heartbreak of her premature ovarian insufficiency diagnosis and later discovering she had stage 4 endometriosis after 26 years without answers.After years of trying to conceive, navigating multiple hurdles, and travelling abroad for treatment, Charlotte is now mum to a beautiful baby girl.This is a very honest conversation about delayed diagnosis, endometriosis, IVF, grief, and hope. It’s also an insight into years of living with extreme pain from the age of 11, while being repeatedly told it was just “normal period pain”.Charlotte shares what it was like trying to get on with everyday life while quietly dealing with debilitating symptoms for years, through school, work, holidays, and major life moments, all while feeling repeatedly dismissed and unheard by medical professionals.We also talk about the heartbreak of receiving her POI diagnosis, how poorly and insensitively that news was delivered, and the emotional impact of eventually having to move to IVF. Charlotte also opens up about coming to terms with the fact that her path to parenthood was not going to look the way she had always imagined.We also touch on the pain of watching others around you become pregnant and move through milestones that you are so desperately longing and fighting for yourself.As always, please take care while listening, as this episode touches on infertility and pregnancy loss. You will find support links and resources in the show notes below.💛If this episode resonated with you, I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments on Spotify.Sharing, rating or reviewing the podcast really helps these conversations reach more people.Connect with Me:InstagramEmail: [email protected]⁠Resources & Support:⁠Music Credit to Purple Planet 55245402