In this episode I speak to children's entertainer and Red Wiggle, Caterina Meta about her journey to become a solo parent of twins. *trigger warning we do discuss miscarriage in this episode For over three decades, The Wiggles, the world’s most popular children’s entertainment group have educated, entertained, and enriched the lives of millions of …

In this episode I speak to solo parent Holly. We cover: - Choosing a sperm donor - Finding donor siblings - Deciding whether to try for a sibling - The experience of being a solo parent and sharing some of the trickiest parts - Experiencing post natal anxiety - Our desire for constant cleaning to feel more in control - The mental load of a solo par…

In todays episode I speak to solo parent Sarah In the episode we cover: - The difference between using the term single parent or solo parent - Making the decision to become a solo parent - Having IUI or IVF - Having a really tough time postpartum and getting through it - The benefits of parenting solo - The unrealistic expectations we think we'd ha…

In todays episode we meet with Jayneel Patel about her journey to solo parenthood. In the episode we discussed: Coming from an Indian family and the impact that has on the decision to become a solo parent Going through an arranged marriage and the learnings from that Considering adoption Having the support of the important people in our lives Being…

In the last episode of Series 6 of the Stork and I Podcast I chat to solo parent Alexandra. Alexandra is a solo parent and an award winning Melbourne writer who has written for theatre, screen and print. Her memoir Inconceivable was recently published by Hachette. In the episode we discuss: - Her memoir Inconceivable - Splitting up with a partner b…

Todays episode is with Solo parent Jess, who lives with her baby daughter in Thailand. In the episode we cover: - The considerations of solo parenthood when you live abroad - Using a known donor - Support network when you live away from family and how friends can really step up - Childcare options when abroad - Deciding whether to try for a 2nd bab…

Todays episode is with solo parent Talia. In the episode we cover: - Why things are not always easier with a partner - Keeping a positive attitude - Embracing non traditional living arrangements and making them work for us - Pregnancy after loss - Enabling our kids to engage with other donor conceived people and the importance of that for them You …

Todays episode is with Claire Holland AKA @Claire_needs_coffee. Claire is a solo mum to her 4 year old Theo and chats with me all about her decision to become a solo parent, the journey to get there and the realities of parenting with no partner. In the episode we discuss: - Choosing IUI vs IVF - Having a more challenging fertility journey than exp…

In todays episode I chat to Alpa, solo mum to 5 year old Mia. We discuss: - Deciding to become a solo parent - Managing pregnancy solo - Moving to be closer to parents - Choosing a sperm donor - A challenging birth and post natal experience - Changing careers - The realities of parenting solo and much much more. Thank you for listening to The Stork…

In todays episode I chat to solo parent to twins, Julia Shields. Julia has 4 year old twins. Her son was born with a complex heart condition that shapes a lot of how they live their lives. In this episode we discuss: - Julias decision to become a solo parent - The living arrangements Julia has put in place - How blended family living can work - Par…

In todays episode I chat to solo parent Kirsten. Kirsten is solo mum to 2 children by double donation. In todays episode we discuss: - Fertility tests an understanding your fertility - Deciding to use donor eggs as well as donor sperm - Making the decision to try for a sibling - The experience of parenting two children solo Thanks so much to Kirste…

In episode 3 of series 6 of the Stork and I Podcast, I chat to Claire Davies about her roller coaster journey to solo parenthood so far. We discuss: - Deciding between IUI and IVF - Getting treatment on the NHS - Experiencing chemical pregnancy - Dealing with miscarriage and recurrent loss - Not realising how tough the journey can be after you've s…

Todays episode is with 38 year old solo parent Amelie Patrux Eddy. She is based in the French countryside on the outskirts of Paris but by the time this episode has aired with have moved to the Brittany region. Amelie grew up in France, was raised by an (almost solo) South African mom and has lived many years in Australia before landing again recen…

In the first episode of Series 6 I chat to Alisha Burns AKA @Noneedforprincecharming Alisha is the host of the No Need For Prince Charming Podcast where she interviews Australian Solo Mums about their journey to parenthood. For a change, she was the one being interviewed and I found out all about her own story, when she started thinking about solo …

In todays episode, the last in series 10, I speak to 21 year old Skyler. Skyler and her twin brother were conceived using egg and sperm donation and raised by their mum in a solo parent family. Skyler shares her experiences and thoughts about being donor conceived In todays episode we cover: - The things we do when we want to fit in as a child - Gr…

In todays episode I speak to Emma. Emma is solo mum to a 9 month old daughter using sperm donation and she talks to me about her wonderful experience of being connected by her Sperm Bank to the other recipient parents who have all used the same donor. In todays episode we cover: - Being a solo mum with a very limited support system - Being connecte…

In todays episode I speak to Natasha Fox. Natasha is 29 and was raised by her mum in London and then later Scotland. Natasha's mum was the first single woman in Scotland to use donor conception to conceive. Natasha has always known she was donor conceived and openly shares her experiences in this episode. In todays episode we cover: - Using a homem…

In todays episode I chat to Freya. Freya is donor conceived and was raised by 2 mums. Then, her and her wife used donor sperm to conceive a daughter, so she has perspectives of both being donor conceived and also being a recipient parent. **Warning: we discuss some characteristics of the sperm donor Freya used in the episode** In this episode we co…

In todays episode I speak to Julianne Boutaleb. Julianne is the Clinical Director and Founder of the Parenthood In Mind practice. She is a passionate and highly experienced perinatal psychologist who has worked for over 20 years in the NHS and private practice with parents and parents-to-be and their babies (and bumps) who have needed support with …

In todays episode I speak to Emily. Emily was conceived using a sperm donor and raised by a solo parent. Because it was pretty common to be a solo parent family where Emily grew up, she didn't ask many questions about her father until her mum showed her a documentary about donor conception when she was in her teens, and she realised that she was co…

In todays episode I speak to Melissa from the United States Donor Conceived Council. Melissa was conceived using anonymous egg donation and her parents told her and her brother when she was 21. Melissa is part of the US Donor Conceived Council, which is a nonprofit organization run by and for Donor Conceived People. They connect with other DCP, rec…

In todays episode I chat to 24 year old Nikita. Nikita was donor conceived through sperm donation and raised by a solo mum in Birmingham. Being donor conceived inspired her to work in fertility which has allowed her to better understand the process from the parent perspective. She believe's it is important to hear the views of both parents and dono…

In todays episode I chat to licensed professional counselor and international consultant specializing in fertility and family building, Jana Rupnow. Jana M. Rupnow, MA, LPC, is best-selling author of the book, Three Makes Baby-How to Parent Your Donor-Conceived Child. She introduced the field to the “five common fears” that parents face as they con…

In episode one of series 5 of The Stork and I Podcast I chat to Kiara. Kiara is a 24 year-old donor conceived person who was raised by her solo mom, Nicki. She lives in Chicago and is writing a book about being donor conceived and her story of navigating life and finding her donor related family. She is trying to redefine society's notion of a "tra…

The wait is finally over! The Stork and I Podcast for solo parents and those considering solo parenthood is back! Series 5 of the podcast is launching on 2nd February 2022 and is focusing on all things donor conception. Subscribe now so you don't miss out!بقلم thestorkandi

Todays episode is a bit different from usual. I'm not talking to a guest. Instead I have dedicated this episode to provide guidance for friends and family members of solo mums. I've tried to incorporate my own experience as well as everything that has been shared with me by my fellow solo mum community. I've covered all the things we wish our frien…

Todays guest is Helen Davenport-Peace from @at_the_fold Helen is a yoga teacher that has been immersed in the path of yoga, embodiment and teaching for 25 years. She is the owner of a small yoga studio in Greater Manchester, The Fold - a hub for anyone trying to conceive. Her aim is to provide a sanctuary of rest and community amidst the landscapes…

Todays guest is Sarah Holland, the Fertile Mindset® Coach and has a unique, effective and empowering approach to fertility support. Working in the world of fertility since 2001, and having experienced fertility challenges herself, she pioneered the use of EFT Tapping specifically for fertility support. With the Fertile Mindset® approach to coaching…

In todays episode, I chat to Shani Silver. Shani is a writer and the host of A Single Serving Podcast. Her work focuses on changing the negative narratives around being single in an effort to improve the way single life is experienced. Shani's work helps singles reframe the limiting, shame-filled societal messages around singlehood and reframe them…

In todays episode I chat to Emma Haslam from @yourIVFabroad Emma is an expert in fertility treatment abroad and after her own journey with treatment abroad she set up Your IVF abroad, to help others by making fertility treatment more affordable, accessible and supported and to give people who she was missing. Emma helps people to find a clinic that…

In todays episode I speak to Ruth, a single mum who works in the charity sector. She has two young boys who she has raised solo since her eldest was six months old. Her first was conceived through marriage, and the second via donor conception. Ruth has been writing about single parenting for over six years on her blog Ellamental Mama, trying to rai…

In todays episode I chat to Sophy. Sophy is 36 and lives in South Oxfordshire with her 3 year old twins. She started the journey to solo motherhood at 31 after receiving the results of a fertility test she took. Sophy got 2 eggs from her treatment, transferred them both and now has twin girls. In this episode we cover: - The decision to transfer 2 …

In today's episode I speak to Emma, 25, from Denmark who is donor conceived. Emma was born using an anonymous donor. She has a mum and a dad and 2 sisters. She started a blog 3 years ago where she shares her thoughts and experiences on being donor conceived. In this episode we cover: - The importance of how our children's conception story is shared…

In today's episode of the podcast I chat to George Agan. George is a Chartered Financial Planner. He runs Principles Personal Finance which is a financial education site. He also has his own YouTube channel. I often get questions about finances from people who contact me and I didn't used to feel properly equipped to answer in depth enough, and thi…

Welcome to episode 1 of the 4th series of The Stork and I Podcast In this episode I chat to Occupational Therapist and Sex Educator, Sarah Sproule. When Sarah was 11 she was afraid she was only growing one breast and didn’t know who to turn to for help. Now as mother of three teens, with two decades experience as a therapist and a masters in sexual…

The wait is finally over. The Stork and I Podcast for those considering solo parenthood is back! Series 4 of the podcast is launching on 1st September 2021. Subscribe now so you don't miss out!بقلم thestorkandi

In todays episode I chat to Joscelyn Webb, solo mum to a nearly 4 year old son. Joscelyn lives in Hong Kong and travelled to the UK for treatment using a known donor. In this episode we cover: - Making the decision to start trying to conceive following fertility test results - Deciding on using a known donor - Contacting potential known donors to a…

In todays podcast I chat to solo mum, freelancer and author Kate Sawyer. Kate has an 18 month old daughter and has just had her first book, The Stranding, published. We discuss how Kate has made freelancing work for her, as a solo mum. In todays episode we cover: - Making sacrifices in order to save money for becoming a solo mum- Writing a book dur…

In todays episode I chat to Natalie. Natalie is an avid traveller and a solo mum to 2.5 year old Tiger. She chats to me about using her maternity leave to spend time travelling with her daughter. In this episode we discuss: - Meeting someone in our lives who inspires us to travel- Becoming a solo mother when you have a boyfriend- Egg freezing and b…

In todays episode I speak to Jenny Nash, solo mum to Dottie and the Founder of Solo Mothers By Choice UK Facebook Group. In this episode we cover: - Telling our grandparents about our decision- Fertility education at school- The advantages of freezing eggs in your 20s- The importance of getting good sleep and what help is available- The experiences…

In todays episode I chat to David Watkins AKA @the_dadness. David is a solo dad by choice to his son Miles who he conceived using an egg donor and a surrogate. I was really excited to chat to him to hear his perspective of embarking on the journey to solo parenthood as a single man. In this episode we cover: - The experience of seeing other people …

In this episode I chat to Louisa Pateman, author of Single Again and Again and Again, this month's very first Stork and I Book Club book. Louisa is a solo mum to a 10 year old and has documented her story in this amazing book which I couldn't put down and highly recommend. In this episode we cover: - How we keep adjusting our plans from how we orig…

In today's episode I chat to Sarah Camlett, solo mum to 2 children. A 2 year old son and a 6 year old daughter. Sarah has a successful career in film and TV that has taken her all around the world and I was really interested to chat to her about how she manages to balance family life and career. In today's episode we cover: - Doing the maths on whe…

In todays episode, I chat to Harriet, a solo mum to twin boys. Harriet conceived whilst living in New York, but when she found out she was having twins decided to move back to the UK, to get the support of her family. In this episode we cover: - The impact of living abroad on meeting a partner - The considerations when deciding to transfer 2 embryo…

In todays episode I chat to Julie Seal @the_chronicoptimist, solo mum to her daughter Betsy. Julie contracted Lyme disease following a mosquito bite whilst in Greece and we discuss the impact of that, on her solo motherhood journey. In this episode we cover: - Dating when wanting a baby- Wanting to transfer 2 embryos, but being told no- Managing th…

The first episode of series 3 is all about Egg Freezing as a way of Fertility Preservation. In this episode I chat to Amy Hart, best known for Love Island and Celebs Go Dating and as she says in our interview, who is famously single. Amy has shared openly her desire to start a family in the future and her decision to freeze her eggs to give her tim…

The trailer for series 3 of the Stork and I Podcast. This series is a collection of stories covering a variety of different paths to parenthood and solo motherhood stories.بقلم thestorkandi

In the last episode of Series 2 I chat to Dating Coach Hayley Quinn. Hayley is an internationally recognised dating coach and founder of the UK’s largest dating coaching company. She has over 2 Million views on her TED talk and over 100,000 YouTube subscribers. She is the spokesperson for Match, the biggest online dating platform in the world. She …

In this episode of the podcast I speak to Professor Susan Golombok. Susan Golombok is Professor of Family Research, Director of the Centre for Family Research at the University of Cambridge. Her research examines the impact of new family forms on parenting and child development, specifically lesbian mother families, gay father families, single moth…

In this weeks episode I chat to Lorraine who is a doula otherwise known as Mama2Mama. Lorraine offers faces to face support in and around Leeds and Manchester and remote support across the UK. After training with Nurturing Birth, Lorraine has cared for a diverse number of clients with compassion and a tenacity to improve the birthing experience for…