When your Plan A doesn't go as planned, what's your Plan B? What does our future hold without children? Can we Google the answer? What about Jeeves?We speak to Anne Barratt from Empowering Health about her story after IVF and a hysterectomy. Anne is a professional practitioner who employs kinesiology, EFT, counselling, hypnotherapy and a host of different modalities to help reset our minds and bodies to focus clearly on what we want for our future.Stats: Our elder community tell us how their lives have turned out without children.In Shit that comes up on our Feed, my guest co-host has a beef with the way women introduce themselves in a business Facebook group.Question of the Week: What is your Plan B? What are you going to do in the future? Even if it's your Plan A!Sign up to our newsletter over on our website: http://www.unripecommunity.com.auPrivate Group: @unripecommunitygroup - https://www.facebook.com/groups/unripecommunitygroupGroup: @Childless and Childfree Women  - https://www.facebook.com/groups/CCW40ANZInstagram: http://www.instagram.com/unripecommunityPlease share and leave a review on your favourite podcast app including iTunes and SpotifyList of resources and articles we referenced in the episode:Anne Barratt @ Empowering Health: http://www.empoweringhealth.clinic/anne-barratt/Our elders talk about life without children: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/23/reader-center/no-kids-no-regrets.htmlhttps://www.abc.net.au/life/women-share-what-its-like-to-live-childfree-and-with-no-regrets/11223972Childless women in Gambia are revered for their role as messengers: https://www.psychologytoday.com/au/blog/beyond-the-egg-timer/201501/childless-circumstancesJudy Graham @ Womanhood – https://www.womenhood.com.au/World Childless Week Elders webinar: https://worldchildlessweek.net/ageing-without-children-2020Jody Day: Living the Life Unexpected - 12 Weeks to Your Plan B for a Meaningful and Fulfilling Future Without ChildrenVolunteer:Australia - https://www.volunteeringaustralia.org/New Zealand - https://www.newzealand.com/au/feature/volunteering-in-new-zealand/Happy Feed Gratitude App: https://www.happyfeed.co

In our first mini episode we talk to World Childless Week founder Stephanie Phillips. World Childless Week 2020 is a virtual event held online through this website and on social media channels from September 14-20.To find out more about World Childless Week: www.worldchildlessweek.net/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WorldChildlessWeekJoin the (un)Ripe CommunityWebsite: www.unripecommunity.com.auFacebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/unripecommunity Private Group: @unripecommunitygroup - https://www.facebook.com/groups/unripecommunitygroupInstagram: http://www.instagram.com/unripecommunity Sound engineering and original music by Jeff Willis. You can find his tunes on Spotify and iTunes

Today I welcome Sarah Roberts to the podcast.We talk about grief and second chances! Sarah is not only a counsellor for childless women, she’s one of us! With over 25 years experience in counselling, teaching and community work, Sarah brings her lived experience to The Empty Cradle where she focuses on involuntary childlessness and motherhood loss. She understands the complexities of supporting women who experience involuntary childlessness.As the founder of The Empty Cradle, Sarah aims to bring women together in loving community to mourn the loss, be transformed by the grief and create a life they love.The Empty Cradle is a place where mourning, complexity, hope, spirituality, ambition and lifestyle collide. She offers rock solid strategies (think:  psychology, counselling, feminism, education, sociology, practical philosophy and spiritual practices) to clarify decision-making about your journey, grieve your loss and move forward with confidence about the future.  Sarah believes that grief is a skill to be learned: it deepens your ability to live and love and it awakens your whole being. And being childless herself, she gets us, and to a grieving woman, it makes all the difference. So while our conversation focuses on the losses for childless women, she brings us back around to the joy we can find once we allow it.Sign up to our newsletter over on our website: http://www.unripecommunity.com.au Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/unripecommunity Private Group: @unripecommunitygroup – https://www.facebook.com/groups/unripecommunitygroup Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/unripecommunity Please share and leave us a review on your favourite podcast app including: iTunes and Spotify Resources and articles referenced in the episode:Dr Leslie Cannold "What, No Baby?" and "The Abortion Myth": https://www.cannold.com/Brene Brown: https://brenebrown.com/Stephen Jenkinson "Come of Age: The Case for Elderhood in a Time of Trouble" on AmazonSound engineering and original music by Jeff Willis. You can find his tunes on Spotify and iTunesProduced by Jo Vraca

When did you know you weren’t going to have children.  Did you decide or were you a fence sitter? Or maybe you didn't decide, but there was a point when you just knew.My special guests are Dr Bronwyn Harman who is currently finalising her phD about childfree women. We also speak to friend of the podcast, Lovisa, who talks about her journey as a childfree woman, both in Sweden and in Australia.Stats: We crunch the numbers and facts about why women are childfree by choice or by circumstance, and looks at IVF failure, delayed childbirth & just not meeting the right partner. In Shit that came up on my feed, we talk about Australian Federal Treasurer, Josh Frydenberg's, recent rally cry to get Australians to start having more children as part of our economic recovery. Nice one.Question of the Week: When did you decide or know that you were not going to have children?Sign up to our newsletter over on our website: http://www.unripecommunity.com.auFacebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/unripecommunity Private Group: @unripecommunitygroup - https://www.facebook.com/groups/unripecommunitygroupInstagram: http://www.instagram.com/unripecommunityPlease share and leave us a review on your favourite podcast app including iTunes and SpotifyList of resources and articles we referenced in the episode:Assisted Reproductive Technology in Australia and New Zealand 2018, updated statistics: https://bit.ly/3mZJhN4Transparency in IVF: https://ab.co/346zxb7Legislative proposal requiring greater scrutiny of the IVF industry https://bit.ly/30fkIlBDelayed Childbirth: https://bit.ly/3ih71sdWhy being a childless women is rarely a simple case of choice or infertility: https://bit.ly/33bMQIbWhy are childless women childless? Findings from an exploratory study in Victoria, Australia, published in 2013 to the Journal of Social Inclusion by Melissa Graham: https://bit.ly/2ELhAGyStudies on Childfree by Choice: https://bit.ly/2ELhAGyDr Bronwyn Harman: https://drbronharman.com/about/SBS Insight - Why are more men and women choosing a life without kids? https://bit.ly/3kTUvRk Sound engineering and original music by Jeff Willis. You can find his tunes on Spotify and iTunes

Christmas can be exhausting, both physically and emotionally.  Today,  I'm also bringing you a series of tips to get you through the big days over the holidays. These tips will help all of us without kids to navigate the Christmas landscape when there might be a tonne of happy families with kids.Of course, you might love it! I find it exhausting so I keep it simple, but if you have no choice and you're heading off to a family affair where there will be family that you may not see very often, and who will likely ask you the usual series of "bingo" questions like: are you married? in a relationship? when are you having kids? - you know the ones - I hope that today's episode gives you some ideas for coping. And at the end, I also give some suggestions to people with children on ways they can help you get through the hols.Sign up to our newsletter over on our website: http://www.unripecommunity.com.auFacebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/unripecommunity Private Group: @unripecommunitygroup - https://www.facebook.com/groups/unripecommunitygroupInstagram: http://www.instagram.com/unripecommunityPlease share and leave us a review on your favourite podcast app including: iTunes and SpotifyResources and articles referenced in the episode:Jody Day's Christmas video - Coping with Holiday ExpectationsSound engineering and original music by Jeff Willis. You can find his tunes on Spotify and iTunes

What happens to friendships when you don't have kids but they do?In this episode I share my experience of all the friendships that have been lost to motherhood over the years. If you are a mum and you’re listening we’d love to hear your thoughts on your friendships with childless women and if they fell to the wayside or how you maintained them.In Shit that comes up on our Feed, Jo is angry (surprise!) over a recent IVF TV ad. Question of the Week: Childless women – how did you maintain your friendships with those who became mums?Sign up to our newsletter over on our website: http://www.unripecommunity.com.auFacebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/unripecommunity Private Group: @unripecommunitygroup - https://www.facebook.com/groups/unripecommunitygroupInstagram: http://www.instagram.com/unripecommunityPlease share and leave a review on your favourite podcast app including iTunes and SpotifyList of resources and articles referenced in the episode:US National Libarary of Medicine – 4 impacts of childlessness: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4251270/Social Exclusion of Australian Childless Women in Their Reproductive Years: https://www.cogitatiopress.com/socialinclusion/article/view/489/489Is there regret for childless women over 50: https://bit.ly/3isx7JQIs being childless detrimental to a woman's health and well-being across her life course: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25669856/Sound engineering and original music by Jeff Willis. You can find his tunes on Spotify and iTunes

Aging without children isn't always a choice, and this week we speak with 67-year-old Heather who surprises us with a story she hasn't shared with anyone. It’s a big story and we are honoured to have her share it.  Heather hopes her story helps other women share.Stats: We investigate advocacy for the aging childless and childfree population in Australia and New Zealand. There's plenty of room for improvement.  In Shit that Comes up on My Feed we share a must read Facebook page that flips sexism on its ass.Question of the Week:  Have you talked about your experience, with other people, about not having children?  What was the reception to your conversation?Sign up to our newsletter over on our website: http://www.unripecommunity.com.auFacebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/unripecommunity Private Group: @unripecommunitygroup - https://www.facebook.com/groups/unripecommunitygroupInstagram: http://www.instagram.com/unripecommunityPlease share and leave us a review on your favourite podcast app including: iTunes and SpotifyList of resources and articles we referenced in the episode:Aging Advocacy in New Zealand:https://www.ageconcern.org.nz/https://bit.ly/2HV1TOiAging Advocacy in Australia - My Aged Care: https://bit.ly/2TKipTOAging without Children Advocacy in the UK: https://bit.ly/3jT95HZAustralian Aging Agenda: https://bit.ly/3oOeZxzOlder Women’s Expectations of Care, Reciprocity, and Government Support in Australia. ‘Am I Not Worthy?’ https://bit.ly/3mIWysr Man Who Has it All: https://www.facebook.com/MANWHOHASITALL Sound engineering and original music by Jeff Willis. You can find his tunes on Spotify and iTunes

Recently, Lena Dunham wrote a follow up article for Harpers Magazine about the two years since her hysterectomy after an endometriosis diagnosis. I discuss the importance of talking about endo and normalising the conversation. I learn that period pain may be common, but it's not normal.I also speak to Naturopath and Women's Health Specialist, Michelle Edwards, about the signs and what to do if you suspect you have endometriosis.Sign up to our newsletter over on our website: http://www.unripecommunity.com.au Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/unripecommunity Private Group: @unripecommunitygroup – https://www.facebook.com/groups/unripecommunitygroup Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/unripecommunity Please share and leave us a review on your favourite podcast app including: iTunes and Spotify Resources and articles referenced in the episode:Lena Dunham  "In Her Own Words: Lena Dunham on Her Decision to Have a Hysterectomy at 31."Lena Dunham - "False Labor: Giving up on motherhood."Endometriosis Australia - https://www.endometriosisaustralia.orgMichelle Edwards – Naturopath - www.adelaidenaturalfertility.com.auSound engineering and original music by Jeff Willis. You can find his tunes on Spotify and iTunesProduced by Jo Vraca

Within the next couple of decades, the number of households without children is set to outnumber the number with children, through the idea of the "traditional family" on it head. In today's episode, I speak to Sharon Green, writer, editor and co-founded of She Defined, an Australian publication that tackles the challenges that face today's woman. Sign up to our newsletter over on our website: http://www.unripecommunity.com.auFacebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/unripecommunity Private Group: @unripecommunitygroup - https://www.facebook.com/groups/unripecommunitygroupInstagram: http://www.instagram.com/unripecommunityPlease share and leave us a review on your favourite podcast app including: iTunes and SpotifyResources and articles referenced in the episode:Millennials vs Gen X: Three-in-ten Millennials live with a spouse and child compared with four-in-ten of Gen Xers at a comparable age. Childless couples 'on track to be Australia's most common family type' by Stephanie Corsettihttps://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-05-15/childless-households-on-the-rise/8528546Helen Razer -  Work instability is stopping millennials from having kid https://www.sbs.com.au/topics/voices/family/article/2018/01/17/work-instability-stopping-millennials-having-kids Why a generation is choosing to be child-free by Sian Cainhttps://www.theguardian.com/books/2020/jul/25/why-a-generation-is-choosing-to-be-child-freeSound engineering and original music by Jeff Willis. You can find his tunes on Spotify and iTunes

What is the point of having a period when you can't or don't intend to have children?In this episode, we go deep and get super personal all about period and speak to members of the community to find out what periods mean to them.  From 67-year-old guest Heather  who teaches us all about “rag suspender belts” to 34-year-old Skye, who had to have a hysterectomy at 31, and 44 year-old Pen, with heavy periods and nine miscarriages. Stats: What can impact periods (plenty) and the average ages we “become” women and when it all ends.In Shit that Comes up on my feed, we have a doozy. Stay tuned.Question of the Week:  What does your Period mean to you?   Is it pointless?Sign up to our newsletter over on our website: http://www.unripecommunity.com.auFacebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/unripecommunity Private Group: @unripecommunitygroup - https://www.facebook.com/groups/unripecommunitygroupInstagram: http://www.instagram.com/unripecommunityPlease share and leave us a review on your favourite podcast app including: iTunes and SpotifyList of resources and articles we referenced in the episode:The Tampon Ad: https://youtu.be/aL9333Y_ADIModiBodi:  https://www.modibodi.com/The Last Fuckable Day video: https://youtu.be/vDz2kcjWpOsHow old are we when we get our periods in Australia and New Zealand? https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/menstruationhttps://bit.ly/35iMfnDPeriods affected by Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS):https://www.cancer.org.au/cancer-information/types-of-cancer/ovarian-cancerPeriods affected by Ovarian Cancer in Australia and New Zealand:https://www.cancer.org.au/cancer-information/types-of-cancer/ovarian-cancerhttps://www.nzdoctor.co.nz/article/undoctored/time-government-listened-facts-ovarian-cancer-women-working-together-get-wordPeriods after Miscarriage: https://miscarriagesupport.org.au/how-pregnancy-loss-affects-your-hormones-and-mood/Periods and IVF:https://www.ivf.com.au/planning-for-pregnancy/female-fertility/female-fertility-factors/menstrual-cyclePeriods affected by Fibroids and Endometriosis: https://www.ivf.com.au/planning-for-pregnancy/female-fertility/endometriosisAustralasian Menopause Society: https://www.menopause.org.au/hp/management/early-menopause

How did our family influence our childlessness? This week's special guest, Maree, is one of four adopted siblings. We chat about her family, her mother's trauma over her own infertility, and how that influenced Maree's choices around family, relationships and children.Statistics: What are the stats relating to the backgrounds of childless women, are there common threads?Shit that comes up on my feed: The online Tupperware party! Icebreakers can be heart breakers. Be warned. We also ask, are we being too sensitive?Question of the Week: Did the family you grew up in impact your decision to have children, not have them, or delay having them? Sign up to our newsletter over on our website: http://www.unripecommunity.com.auFacebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/unripecommunity Private Group: @unripecommunitygroup - https://www.facebook.com/groups/unripecommunitygroupInstagram: http://www.instagram.com/unripecommunityList of resources and articles we referenced in the episodeABS - Family Formation Trends in childlessness - https://bit.ly/3hg1JNuDeakin University Study - Why are childless women childless? Findings from an exploratory study in Victoria, Australia: https://bit.ly/3jObEeKWhy are childless women childless? by Melissa Graham: https://bit.ly/3h8IrtfFamily background, schooling and childlessness in Australia by Nicholas J. Parr: https://bit.ly/3hd6YxcSound engineering and original music by Jeff Willis. You can find his tunes on Spotify and iTunes

Known as the Patron Saint of the childless community, Jody Day is a force to be reckoned with. With one book under her belt, a massive, global community of childless women in Gateway Women, a TED Talk, and a nature that is both energising and soothing, Jody is entering, as she calls it, her elderhood. In this episode, I talk to Jody about her experiences as a childless woman, and her plans for her future and the future of advocating for childless women.Sign up to our newsletter over on our website: http://www.unripecommunity.com.auFacebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/unripecommunity Private Group: @unripecommunitygroup - https://www.facebook.com/groups/unripecommunitygroupInstagram: http://www.instagram.com/unripecommunityPlease share and leave us a review on your favourite podcast app including: iTunes and SpotifyJoin the Gateway Women Community: http://www.gateway-women.com/Sound engineering and original music by Jeff Willis. You can find his tunes on Spotify and iTunes

This week's episode is all about the birth of UnRipe. Who is Unripe, who is Jo? What is the (un)Ripe mission and our focus on Women in Australia and New Zealand who do not have children?Statistics: An intro to childless and childfree stats for women n Australia and New Zealand. Shit that comes up on my feed: A weekly round-up of stories that we've encountered. This week is all about an article published on Mamamia, "Parents in Lockdown", once again pitting parents against the childfree.Question of the Week: Have you spoken to a counsellor or psychologist (or even your GP) about the grief you've experienced from childlessness?Website: http://www.unripecommunity.com.auFacebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/unripecommunity Private Group: @unripecommunitygroup - https://www.facebook.com/groups/unripecommunitygroupInstagram: http://www.instagram.com/unripecommunityList of resources and articles we referenced in the episode.Stats:Australian Bureau of Statistics: https://bit.ly/3lDWESzNZ Census: https://bit.ly/3lDWESzDaily Mail: http://dailym.ai/3lrTwZTMamamia article: https://bit.ly/2QDz4XGSound engineering and original music by Jeff Willis. You can find his tunes on Spotify and iTunes

Let's talk about our families. We’re going to talk about families and the relationships we have with them as childless adults. What are those family occasions that hurt because we're childless at events that focus on families and children? (Please excuse the sound in parts of this episode. We had a few tech issues!) Statistics: We talk about household sizes over time. Our guest this week shares her childless story that includes chronic illness, IVF, marrying into a large family and her healing career. In Shit that comes in our Feed we bring good news about magazines that are publishing articles about women who are living childfree and childless lives. And don't forget our question of the week!  Sign up to our newsletter over on our website: http://www.unripecommunity.com.au Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/unripecommunity Private Group: @unripecommunitygroup - https://www.facebook.com/groups/unripecommunitygroup Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/unripecommunity List of resources and articles we referenced in the episode Sally Liston - Omni Wellness: https://omniwellness.com.au/about/ NZ household sizes: https://bit.ly/32sW5mX NZ fertility rates: https://bit.ly/33oipgQ Australian household sizes: https://bit.ly/2Fv7oSG Australian fertility rates: https://bit.ly/3mlLMbZ Childless couples: https://bit.ly/3k7VL2W The Ancient Greeks! YES!: https://bit.ly/2Fkbz41 And in Ancient Rome: https://bit.ly/33vAOZ6 Not having kids is nothing new: https://wapo.st/3iDmeVS China's baby policy  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One-child_policy Australia's baby bonus: https://bit.ly/2RpOYFx The Guardian Childfree series: https://bit.ly/3c1giU8 SheDefined childfree series: https://bit.ly/3mmseo3 Sound engineering and original music by Jeff Willis. You can find his tunes on Spotify and iTunes

I'm back from semi-retirement to bring you one of my favourite episodes of the other podcast I produce!  When was the last time you celebrated a milestone? So many of us childless women simply don't. On the other hand, when you’re a parent, there are so many milestones that everyone celebrates – new baby, first step, first word, first day at school, first girl or boyfriend, graduation, first marriage, first grandchild… You get my drift. But I feel like when I do it, I’m bragging and showing off. How about you? You can actually leave me a voice message here: https://anchor.fm/saywhatthepodcast Today, I’m sharing an episode of my other podcast, Say What, which is all about the words we say, and why we say them. And this is one of my favourite Episodes. It’s about the history of the word Hysteria. With everything that is happening around the world that affects us women, I can’t think of a better episode to share with you. If you like the sound of this, subscribe to Say What. Join me on Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/saywhatthepodcast Please share and leave us a review on your favourite podcast app including Apple and Spotify - it makes it easier for others to find the show. Or find your favourite listening app HERE Sound engineering and original music by Jeff Willis. You can find his tunes on Spotify and iTunes Produced by Jo Vraca. You can find my books on Amazon Additional music thanks to https://uppbeat.io

I have a little surprise. Today I'm bringing you the first full episode of my new show, "Say What The Podcast", for word nerds and history geeks. Enjoy!Come and hang out on Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/saywhatthepodcast You can follow for free on your favourite listening app HERE Please share and leave us a review on your favourite podcast app including Apple - it makes it easier for others to find the us.Sound engineering and original music by Jeff Willis. You can find his tunes on Spotify and iTunes

It's unRipe's 1st Birthday! And I have a little surprise. Today I'm bringing you a taste of my new show, "Say What The Podcast", for word nerds and history geeks. Enjoy!Come and hang out on Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/saywhatthepodcast You can follow for free on your favourite listening app HERE Please share and leave us a review on your favourite podcast app including Apple - it makes it easier for others to find the us.Sound engineering and original music by Jeff Willis. You can find his tunes on Spotify and iTunesProduced by Jo Vraca

In Part 2, Jeff (my husband) and I answer your questions about how we live our lives as a childless couple. Like, what brings us joy? How have we managed not to get divorced? Do we actually work together every day? What happened to our friends when they had kids? And, what does the future look like?Join the Conversation:Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/unripepodcastPrivate Group: @unripecommunitygroup – https://www.facebook.com/groups/unripecommunitygroupInstagram: http://www.instagram.com/unripecommunityPlease share and leave us a review on your favourite podcast app including: Apple and SpotifyOr find your favourite listening app HERESound engineering and original music by Jeff Willis. You can find his tunes on Spotify and iTunesProduced by Jo Vraca

I got really curious about some of the things that we childless women are told, like how we’re selfish, we don’t know what true love is unless we’ve had a baby, and so on. Some people in the childless community refer to these as “bingos”. What are bingos? Well think of it this way – if you’ve played bingo, you’ll know that you get a card, and when a number is called – Legs 11!!! – you mark off that number on the card. It’s a kind way of making light of the shit we hear from others. So I asked my friend, Sarah Roberts, herself a childless woman and a counsellor, about whether there’s actually any truth to these bingos. Are childless women actually selfish? Join the Conversation: Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/unripepodcast Private Group: @unripecommunitygroup – https://www.facebook.com/groups/unripecommunitygroup Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/unripecommunity If you are looking for a counsellor who has empathy and understands our experience in all its many forms, I cannot recommend Sarah enough. You can find her by heading over to www.theemptycradle.com Please share and leave us a review on your favourite podcast app including: Apple and Spotify Or find your favourite listening app HERE Sound engineering and original music by Jeff Willis. You can find his tunes on Spotify and iTunes Produced by Jo Vraca

In Part 1 of 2, I tell you my story and how came to be (happily) childless after infertility. Plus, my husband, Jeff, who is also the sound engineer for the show, talks about his life in the States, and how he sees our childless life. I learn a few new things about him, after almost 28 years and I tell about the moment he broke my heart at the end of our IVF and fertility journey.Join the Conversation:Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/unripepodcastPrivate Group: @unripecommunitygroup – https://www.facebook.com/groups/unripecommunitygroupInstagram: http://www.instagram.com/unripecommunityPlease share and leave us a review on your favourite podcast app including: Apple and SpotifyOr find your favourite listening app HERESound engineering and original music by Jeff Willis. You can find his tunes on Spotify and iTunesProduced by Jo Vraca

In the childless and childfree community, we talk about building a community with adults, where we’re not always surrounded by babies, kids, pregnant women and people talking about their kids. And it’s not just the childfree who are looking for a reprieve. Even us childless folk talk about adult only spaces – like planes, restaurants, resorts, you get it. What If I told you there is a perfect adult only space, a real community where nobody brings their kids, it’s unlikely there will be any pregnant women, and, actually, nobody talks about their kids at all?What if I told you that these communities could be found everywhere. In your neighbourhood. Maybe even your street. Would that group pique your curiosity? I mean, an adult only space where kids are pretty much never mentioned? Would you want to join that group?In this episode, I speak with Joy Sharp, originally from Israel, about her 9 IVF cycles, divorce and her rebirth as a rope master in the Kink community.You can find our more about the kink community over at fetlife.comListen to Joy's Podcast, Transcendental Kink HEREJoin the "Friends with Benefits" Group HEREYou can find our more about the kink community over at fetlife.comJoin the Conversation:Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/unripecommunityPrivate Group: @unripecommunitygroup – https://www.facebook.com/groups/unripecommunitygroupInstagram: http://www.instagram.com/unripecommunityPlease share and leave us a review on your favourite podcast app including: Apple and SpotifyOr find your favourite listening app HERESound engineering and original music by Jeff Willis. You can find his tunes on Spotify and iTunesProduced by Jo Vraca

When I first heard about childless stepmums, I thought to myself, how lucky! You may not have had your own, but here you are, an instant family.But then I started hearing from women who have this exact experience and, honestly, it seems so fraught and complex. Not only are you dealing with, potentially, angry exes, but kids who don’t really want a new parent. Plus, having someone else’s family doesn’t take away from the grief of not having your own biological family. On today’s episode, I speak with Sue Fagalde Lick, who wrote about her experience as a childless stepmother in the memoir “Childless by Marriage”, based on her blog by the same name, which she started in 2007. On both the blog and in the book, Sue talks about what it’s like to raise someone else’s kids, knowing that your husband doesn’t want any more. You can find Sue on Instagram: @suefagaldelick/Sue's Blog: https://childlessbymarriageblog.com/author/suelick/Sue's books on AmazonJoin the Conversation: Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/unripecommunityPrivate Group: @unripecommunitygroup – https://www.facebook.com/groups/unripecommunitygroupInstagram: http://www.instagram.com/unripecommunityPlease share and leave us a review on your favourite podcast app including: Apple and SpotifySound engineering and original music by Jeff Willis. You can find his tunes on Spotify and iTunesProduced by Jo Vraca

Tanya Hubbard and her husband live in Vancouver Canada and, like Australia, they have a robust public healthcare system with long waiting periods for elective, non-emergency surgery – and it certainly doesn’t over IVF. Tanya explains that, like so many of us, she didn’t start trying to get pregnant until her mid to late 30s, and by that time, she learned she had a massive fibroid that needed attention before she could even think of trying got carry a baby.As always, with guests, I’m curious about what brought them to this space, how they came to be childless not by choice, and what they’re doing instead.In today's episode, I talk to Tanya about  Post Traumatic Growth, Toxic Positivity, giant fibroids, being one of the 30% of childless women with unexplained infertility, and how she processes her childlessness while helping her clients navigate theirs.You can find Tanya on Instagram: @tanyahubbardcounsellingTanya offers FREE 15-minute consultations. You can check her out over at: https://www.tanyahubbard.com/Join the Conversation: Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/unripecommunityPrivate Group: @unripecommunitygroup – https://www.facebook.com/groups/unripecommunitygroupInstagram: http://www.instagram.com/unripecommunityPlease share and leave us a review on your favourite podcast app including: Apple and SpotifySound engineering and original music by Jeff Willis. You can find his tunes on Spotify and iTunesProduced by Jo Vraca 

I've mentioned it before - I'm an only child. So I reached out to see how many of us childless are also onlies and today's guest, Alisha Saavedra put up her hand. Alisha lives in Southern California with her husband. She is originally from Mexico, and her husband is from Bolivia, where big families play a big role. With unexplained infertility and two chemical pregnancies behind her, we talk about what it's like being an only child AND childless in  our Latin cultures that put motherhood big families on a pedestal.We also talk about the weird and, well, weirder, things we've done to improve our chances of getting pregnant, like drinking raw liver smoothies and walking around with crystals in your undies.We also talk about Alisha's experience with fostering, jealousy, and talking to your parents about childlessness when they, too, are probably grieving over not becoming grandparents.New York Lonely Boy by The Milk Carton Kids: https://youtu.be/n6naKHbmwgEJoin the Conversation:Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/unripecommunity Private Group: @unripecommunitygroup – https://www.facebook.com/groups/unripecommunitygroupInstagram: http://www.instagram.com/unripecommunityPlease share and leave us a review on your favourite podcast app including: Apple and SpotifySound engineering and original music by Jeff Willis. You can find his tunes on Spotify and iTunesProduced by Jo Vraca

Laura Curtis uses her voice to tell stories through song and sound. She met her husband when she was 22 and he was 36. He’d had a vasectomy in a previous relationship, so when Laura expressed her desire to become a mum, he had a reversal. Easy peasy. After all, Laura was not infertile and, in fact, she had a healthy reproductive system. But things didn’t quite go as planned when the reversal didn’t work. Cue a few years of fertility treatment, and several embryo transfers and the couple were still no closer to the dream. They took a break, and a holiday, and decided to give it another go, and that’s when Laura was diagnosed with MS.In this episode, I speak with Laura about the effects of infertility after a vasectomy, how it can wreak havoc on relationships and how Laura turned a personal devastation into a super fascinating research study on sex hormones and the voice. She has now embarked on a PhD on the impacts of infertility on female singer identity.Check out Laura's Masters Thesis - The Effects of Infertility on Female Vocalist Identity - The Effects of Infertility on Female Vocalist Identity (uwo.ca)Interested in joining the Childless Voices Choir or Sunday Chants, head over to www.ourhealingvoice.comIf you’re in Australia and need support for your relationship, contact Relationships Australia. They offer assisted payments. www.relationships.org.au  Ph: 1300 364 277If you are facing any challenges with anxiety, depression or addiction, please speak to your GP or call Lifeline on 131114 For information about vasectomy reversals: www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/vasectomy-reversalJoin the Conversation:Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/unripecommunity Private Group: @unripecommunitygroup – https://www.facebook.com/groups/unripecommunitygroupInstagram: http://www.instagram.com/unripecommunityPlease share and leave us a review on your favourite podcast app including: Apple and SpotifySound engineering and original music by Jeff Willis. You can find his tunes on Spotify and iTunesProduced by Jo Vraca

I am my own worst enemy and a terrible cheerleader. That’s why I want you to meet Jody O’Brien. Jody is calls herself the "Chief Cheerleader" and she is cheering us all on. After being diagnosed with early menopause in her late 30s, and the only way she would carry a baby would be with a donor egg, Jody and her husband moved to China for a few years, tried Chinese medicine, then decided that they would simply get on with life. And they have!Adopted just weeks after she was born, Jody is the ray of sunshine we all need, the vibrant cheerleader we could all use in our lives.Jody O’Brien lives in rural Victoria in Australia and you can find her working with food producers, paddling on the river, walking her dog, giving excellent advice, engaging in stand up paddle boarding, catching up with friends and sharing non-alcoholic bevvies, wearing hot pink boots and riding around in a convertible on her Instagram page Childless and Confident. Jody is a traveller and, sorry for the cliché, she’s a real inspiration to us childless folk. She's both childless AND confident!Stay tuned as Jody gives advice to women who are facing the choice to be childless or pursue treatment.If you are facing any challenges with anxiety, depression or addiction, please speak to your GP or call Lifeline on 131114 Find Jody on Instagram @/childless_and_confident/Join the Conversation:Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/unripecommunity Private Group: @unripecommunitygroup – https://www.facebook.com/groups/unripecommunitygroupInstagram: http://www.instagram.com/unripecommunityPlease share and leave us a review on your favourite podcast app including: Apple and SpotifySound engineering and original music by Jeff Willis. You can find his tunes on Spotify and iTunesProduced by Jo Vraca

 “What’s my purpose in life if I don’t have kids? Hold my beer while I find out.”That's a quote by Brigid May of The Fruitless Figtree. Brigid is everything you want from a bestie - she's angry, vocal, honest, a little bit dark, wants to light things on fire (in her head only!), and she's a little pissed at Brooklyn 99. Brigid is also a Montessori pre-school teacher, she's married and infertile - a terrific combination!From her home in Washington State in the US, Brigid tells us about the challenges of being a teacher to little kids, especially when parents say things like "oh you'll understand when you have kids".  She's a cocktail crone (her husband is the cocktail maker) and she loves to post drunk rom-com reviews on Instagram.Brigid is also a gardener and poet. Her journey to infertility is pretty normal but with a slight difference in that, when she found out she was infertile and that the next step would be fertility treatment, she opted for wine and sushi instead.Find Brigid on Instagram @thefruitlessfigtreeSign up to our newsletter over on our website: http://www.unripecommunity.com.au Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/unripecommunity Private Group: @unripecommunitygroup – https://www.facebook.com/groups/unripecommunitygroup Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/unripecommunity Please share and leave us a review on your favourite podcast app including: Apple and SpotifySound engineering and original music by Jeff Willis. You can find his tunes on Spotify and iTunesProduced by Jo Vraca

“I was given a sample jar and a key; the technician then tells me that I’m in the room behind me. “There is only one key so you can feel secure that once locked no-one else will enter”, she said. “There is scotch in the cupboard and magazines in the draw, wash your hands before you start and do not get any other liquid in the sample jar”.  In a daze I turned, opened the door and stepped inside, then the reality of my situation dawned on me. Lock the door, lock the door, I thought.”I didn't get a bottle of scotch at my IVF clinic!Today I speak with Michael Hughes about male infertility and what it's like to be a childless man in a world that thinks all men can keep fathering children until the day they die, like Mick Jagger and Rod Stewart.But here are the facts: Those men are the odd ones. One in six couples have difficulties falling pregnant. Overall, one-third of infertility cases are caused by male reproductive issues, one-third by female reproductive problems and another third by both male and female reproductive challenges or by unknown factors. Plus, the paternal age effect is a huge factor. What's that? Have a listen. Enough of the stats. Let’s talk to a real live man who, along with his wife Vickie, has grappled with infertility, and has written his story in a moving and honest blog – Married and Childless. Michael talks bout his experience and, today, he’s going to enlighten us about a lot of things, including the toxic language around male fertility.Michael blogs over at: https://www.marriedandchildless.comTo join Clan of Brothers: https://www.facebook.com/groups/clanofbrothersThe Full Stop Podcast on SpotifySign up to our newsletter over on our website: http://www.unripecommunity.com.au Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/unripecommunity Private Group: @unripecommunitygroup – https://www.facebook.com/groups/unripecommunitygroup Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/unripecommunity Please share and leave us a review on your favourite podcast app including: Apple and SpotifySound engineering and original music by Jeff Willis. You can find his tunes on Spotify and iTunesProduced by Jo Vraca 

Kati Seppi is the supercharged founder of Chasing Creation. In today's episode we tackle the big topics -  Designing a childfree life, strengthening relationships after infertility.Katy grew up Mormon in Utah, and lives in Utah today with her husband, and she calls herself “unexpectedly childfree after infertility".  We speak about her journey to infertility through endometriosis, and about the life she and her husband have found for themselves despite that. Katy went from being someone whose life ambition was to be a stay at home mum, to someone who found fulfilment in outher ways, finding independence, getting degrees that gave her alternative challenges and building a life outside of children.Her story is both heartbreaking and inspiring. We also speak about an exciting, upcoming event - The Childless Summit.What is the Childless Collective Summit?The Childless Collective Summit is a 4-day virtual event, featuring 28 speakers, all focused on topics related to being childless not by choice. The event is taking place on March 18 - 21. Grab your tickets HEREThe Summit is Free! The Basic Access Pass gives access to audio and video recordings of the presentations for a full year, and access to Katy of Chasing Creation’s new workshop “Responding to Intrusive Questions and Unsolicited Advice”. Or you can choose to grab an All-Access Pass that includes all of the Basic Access inclusions, plus transcripts of the presentations, tons of speaker-contributed bonuses and goodies, and exclusive episodes from some of your favorite podcasters! Katy versus "persistent" infertility coaches on Instagram HERE.Find Katy on Instagram @chasing.creationSign up to our newsletter over on our website: http://www.unripecommunity.com.au Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/unripecommunity Private Group: @unripecommunitygroup – https://www.facebook.com/groups/unripecommunitygroup Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/unripecommunity Please share and leave us a review on your favourite podcast app including: Apple and SpotifySound engineering and original music by Jeff Willis. You can find his tunes on Spotify and iTunesProduced by Jo Vraca

Four Childless Women Walk Into a Bar... Actually, we're at my house, which can sometimes look like a bar. And all four of us are childless. Ranging from 34 to 51, we're all at different stages of our childless journeys. and we all come from very different backgrounds culturally. Obviously you know my Italian culture, Mariecris is 38, Phillipino, she’s currently engaged and has been married once before, and there’s a lot of cultural pressure in her community for women to have babies and grow big families. Mariecris is the first to admit, however, that she’s done a lot of personal development work so she hasn’t let that pressure influence her. But she does want kids, so she’s currently starting IVF. Lauren’s family is the complete opposite - she was always told she could do whatever felt right. Lauren is 34, she’s married and, at the moment, she’s still undecided, but knows that she’s starting to get to the pointy end of her fertility so she wants to make a decision soon so she can either go for it, or go on with her life and not give it any more thought. Laura is 42, a British emigree, she’s currently single, and, wow, she probably got more pressure from her mother to NOT have children. Laura is a world nomad, having lived in seven countries throughout her life and is currently in Australia. I really hope that by listening to four women, all at different stages of our lives, you get some clarity, and firmly feel that you are not alone. That your thoughts are more common than you think.PS. There were four of us sharing two microphones so the sound can sometimes get a bit iffy. Sorry.Sign up to our newsletter over on our website: http://www.unripecommunity.com.au Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/unripecommunity Private Group: @unripecommunitygroup – https://www.facebook.com/groups/unripecommunitygroup Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/unripecommunity Please share and leave us a review on your favourite podcast app including: iTunes and SpotifySound engineering and original music by Jeff Willis. You can find his tunes on Spotify and iTunesProduced by Jo Vraca

Welcome to (un)Ripe. We're a juicy community of Australian-based women who are either childfree by choice or childless by circumstance. In this episode you'll meet Jo and her guest host. We'll tell you a little about ourselves and the (un)Ripe project.  unRipe is a vibrant, supportive community created for and by childless and childfree women who are anything but unRipe. A community where we can tell our stories, speak our truths, build advocacy, and find our purpose and meaning when it is not defined by for us through the role of motherhood. Sign up to our newsletter over on our website: http://www.unripecommunity.com.auFacebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/unripecommunity Private Group: @unripecommunitygroup - https://www.facebook.com/groups/unripecommunitygroupInstagram: http://www.instagram.com/unripecommunityPlease share and leave us a review on your favourite podcast app including: iTunes and Spotify Sound engineering and original music by Jeff Willis. You can find his tunes on Spotify and iTunes