Finding peace after childlessness with "apprentice crone" Jody Day

Spoiler alert for Love Is Blind Season 10! And yes, we know he’s called Mike - but sometimes it’s hard to tell these guys apart 😅 Zoë dives deep into the toxic reality TV trope of “You’d be a great mom!” and reveals to James - and all of y’all - just how deep the pronatalist rabbit hole goes. You’re welcome? Seriously, we loved dissecting one of our guilty pleasures - if you enjoyed this too, let us know and we’ll do more eps like this!Liz Plank never lies: Love Is Blind Is Not a Dating Show It’s a Nature Documentary.Listen to Taking the road less-travelled, with 65-year-old clinical psychologist Shelley.Find out the problems with genetic testing, with this Ill Conceived podcast on Surrogacy.Join the waitlist for Hearth, an intimate live programme for childfree women who are ready to stop carrying the questions alone, and start finding answers together. Coming soon from We are Childfree!Support our mission of celebrating childfree lives by becoming a Dolly Patron. You’ll get full-length episodes of the pod, access to all our beautiful portraits, exclusive BTS from our journey, and more!Follow We are Childfree on Substack, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok and LinkedIn.And find out more at wearechildfree.com Get full access to We are Childfree at wearechildfree.substack.com/subscribe

The podcast is back! Zoë and James check in from the Canary Islands, taking a break from our Childfree Elders Project to share some inspiration and hope from older icons 🙌 If you've ever wondered, "Will I regret not having children?", then this ep is for you!Watch the video of this episode here.Check out our Childfree Elders Project - share your story and help spread the word!Learn how to look at your life with curiosity from our beautiful portrait of the iconic Maria CoffeyListen to Don’t fear regret, with Orna DonathSupport our mission of celebrating childfree lives by becoming a Dolly Patron. You’ll get full-length episodes of the pod, access to all our beautiful portraits, exclusive BTS from our journey, and more!Follow We are Childfree on Substack, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok and LinkedIn.And find out more at wearechildfree.com Get full access to We are Childfree at wearechildfree.substack.com/subscribe

Meet Jody Day, an icon, an inspiration, and a pioneer in creating community for non-parents 💝From the episode:- how Jody worked through her childless grief to feel as childfree as if she’d chosen it- why everyone along the non-parent spectrum needs to unite to fight against the powers of pronatalism- Alterkin, Jody’s innovative, in-person, intergenerational community of non-parents who vow to support each other as they ageWe are Childfree is an independent podcast and we rely on community support to keep going. Please consider becoming a Dolly Patron, starting at €5 a month. You’ll get full episodes, exclusive portraits, access to the chat and free childfree stories straight to your inbox.Help us get to 2000 members, to cover the costs of celebrating and supporting childfree lives for one more year! Find out how to become a Dolly Patron at wearechildfree.substack.com🔗 LinksFind Jody at Gateway Elderwomen  Book: Selfish, Shallow, and Self-Absorbed: Sixteen Writers on The Decision Not To Have Kids - edited by Meghan Daum Book: The Baby Matrix: Why Freeing Our Minds From Outmoded Thinking About Parenthood & Reproduction Will Create a Better World - Laura Carroll Book: No One Talks About This Stuff - edited by Kat Brown Get full access to We are Childfree at wearechildfree.substack.com/subscribe

We spill the childfree tea on the complicated feelings that come up when we find out our friends are pregnant. It’s something almost all of us will face at some point - so we surveyed the childfree community to get the truth about the topic!Then, in a re-released Ask WAC chat, we rally round a couple whose friend groups are now full of parents, with little time for anything but their kids. This is such a tricky problem, so we tapped the We are Childfree community hive mind for some stellar support and amazing advice!If you’d like more support making and keeping friends, you can join Zoë and a small group of childfree cheerleaders for a live workshop to feel seen, supported, and connected - especially when your friendships are shifting 🤗LinksChildfree Cheer Camp Presents: Navigating Friendships 🤗Survey: Navigating Friendships 🤗 Help us help you!Podcast: Claiming Zero - Friendship Before and After Kids Get full access to We are Childfree at wearechildfree.substack.com/subscribe

Maria Coffey has lived A LIFE. She started travelling in her teens, desparate to escape safe, settled life in the UK and see the world. From Morocco to Malawi to the remote Solomon Islands, Maria’s adventures have taken her to places and people she never would have experienced had she had children. Now 73, Maria looks back on a life full of love and loss, of risks and rewards - but no regrets!Follow Maria on Instagram and read her memor Instead: Navigating the Adventures of a Childfree Life (a We are Childfree book club favourite!)Join your community of childfree cheerleaders and sign up for a We are Childfree membership today! Get full access to We are Childfree at wearechildfree.substack.com/subscribe

A listener asks: what do you say when a child asks, do you have kids?This one goes out to all the cool aunts, childcare professionals, and our wonderful childfree community who offered such great advice!If you have a problem you'd like the community's help with, email [email protected] with "Ask WAC" as the subject line.Questions from We are Childfree members get priority! To jump the queue, get episodes a week early, and find your community of childfree cheerleaders, join us at www.wearechildfree.com/join/ 🙌LinksWinery: Vinarija BoškovićA Bit Fruity podcast: Christian Indoctrination in HomeschoolingThe New York Times: Women Who Said No to MotherhoodStory: Mary Gay, 79, USAWe are Childfree: Share Your Story#DefundPawPatrol Get full access to We are Childfree at wearechildfree.substack.com/subscribe

OK this one’s a doozy! Even if you’re sure you want kids, society’s going to try and pressure you to doubt yourself and change your mind. And when that happens, how do you separate those external influences from your true heart’s desire. We offer some guidance, with the help of our wonderful childfree community!If you have a problem you'd like the community's help with, email [email protected] with "Ask WAC" as the subject line.Questions from We are Childfree members get priority! To jump the queue, get episodes a week early, and find your community of childfree cheerleaders, join us at www.wearechildfree.com/join/ 🙌LinksPodcast: No regrets, with 78 year-old childfree trailblazer Marcia Drut-DavisMasterclass: Create Your Childfree Life VisionBook: The Baby MatrixPodcast: Don’t fear regret, with Orna DonathPodcast: Kids or ChildfreePodcast: Navigating ambivalence, with clarity coach Keltie Maguire Get full access to We are Childfree at wearechildfree.substack.com/subscribe

We rally round a childfree couple whose friend groups are now full of parents, with little time for anything but their kids. This is such a tricky problem that we’ve all either faced or one day will, so we tapped the We are Childfree community hive mind for some stellar support and amazing advice!If you have a problem you'd like the community's help with, email [email protected] with "Ask WAC" as the subject line.Questions from We are Childfree members get priority! To jump the queue, get episodes a week early, and find your community of childfree cheerleaders, join us at www.wearechildfree.com/join/ 🙌LinksStudy: Parents spend more time with children now than they did 50 years agoThe Cut: Adorable Little DetonatorsReport: Our Epidemic of Loneliness and IsolationMeetup Group: Cape Coral Childfree WomenBook: We Should Get Together: The Secret to Cultivating Better FriendshipsChildfree Trip: Belize: Jungles, Mayans & Manatees With ZoeBook: Harpy: A Manifesto for Childfree Women Get full access to We are Childfree at wearechildfree.substack.com/subscribe

“Now I wish I'd never brought it up but mostly I'm sad and feel quite alone.”We help out a childfree woman whose partner is pushing back against her decision to get permanent birth control surgery. There’s tons of great advice from the childfree community here, about negotiating this tricky subject with your partner, what to do if they seem to be sitting on the fence, and owning what is ultimately your choice, for your life.If you have a problem you'd like the community's help with, email [email protected] with "Ask WAC" as the subject line.Questions from We are Childfree members get priority! To jump the queue, get episodes a week early, and find your community of childfree cheerleaders, join us at www.wearechildfree.com/join/ 🙌LinksChildfree Stories: My Body Their ChoicePodcast: Don’t fear regret, with Orna DonathJournal: Do childfree people regret their choice?Journal: Happy World Vasectomy Day!Resource: The Childfree Friendly Doctors ListResource: Sterilisation Binder Guide Get full access to We are Childfree at wearechildfree.substack.com/subscribe

Ever wondered how van life or any kind of long term travel really works? Like, practically speaking? In this episode we answer a great question from a day one supporter about how to downsize for a life of adventure. Listen in to hear...💪 Our brutal Marie-Kondo-on-steroids approach to shedding stuff🗺️ The logistics of long term travel without a home base🔮 How Essentialism (not Minimalism) helped us focus on what really matters📚 And some big news (HUGE) from the We are Childfree team!If you're worried about facing unwelcome questions this festive season, check out our FREE Childfree Holiday Survival Guide 🤶👍LinksPodcast: Cool aunt energy, with environmentalist, atheist and big, blended family member Marie FisherPodcast: Life done differently, with Lisa JansenMasterclass: Create Your Childfree Life Vision Book: Vagabonding by Rolf PottsBook: How to Be Childfree by We are Childfree! Sign up for updates 🙌If you have a problem you'd like the community's help with, email [email protected] with "Ask WAC" as the subject line.Questions from We are Childfree members get priority! To jump the queue, get episodes a week early, and find your community of childfree cheerleaders, join us at www.wearechildfree.com/join/ 🙌 Get full access to We are Childfree at wearechildfree.substack.com/subscribe