The Stork and I

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 friends and family knew about how to best support us...

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 of creating a family.    Helen supports people i...

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, support and emotional healing she has helped tho...

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 to hold more truth and authenticity. On October...

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 matches their needs and wants and supports them t...

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 raise understanding of the realities faced by single...

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 embryos - Solo parenting twins - Using an au...

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 with them - Why Emma decided to start @dono...

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 this episode helps to provide some further clarit...

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 sexuality studies, Sarah uses her skills as an occupa...

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!

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 ask if they would be interested in being a donor...

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 during pregnancy - Being creative with finan...

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 being an egg donor - Getting treatment abroad -...

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 of having 3 generations in one house -...

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 with their children and the feelings that b...

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 originally thought our life would play out...

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 whether there is really time to meet someone to...

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 embryos - The benefits of living with parents - The rea...

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 the two week wait - Having your mum as you...

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 time to meet someone, or to embark on solo motherhoo...

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. 

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 has been featured on BBC1, Sky and Channel 4...

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 mothers by choice and families created by assist...

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 all. She has experience supporting solo mums...