How being childless not by choice shaped these people's lives
1 year, 2 months ago

How being childless not by choice shaped these people's lives

ABC  

Michael Hughes and his wife underwent infertility treatment for 15 years. "This last Father's Day, for the first time since we stopped IVF 16 years ago, my wife turned to me and said: How old would our child have been if they survived that miscarriage? 'My grief was twofold' Pamela Rowland, 70, Victor Harbor, SA Pamela Rowland says she's lived a fulfilling life that perhaps she may not have with children. 'To say I feel alone in my grief is an understatement' Casey, 39, Melbourne/Naarm Many readers shared that the grief of childlessness has never left them. 'I formed a subconscious belief that motherhood equalled misery' Katherine Baldwin, 52, Dorset, England Katherine Baldwin says she tries to embrace her life without children.

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History of this topic

Whether to have children: Ambivalent motherhood shouldn’t be this lonely.
1 year ago

Whether to have children: Ambivalent motherhood shouldn’t be this lonely.

Slate  

When you turn 40 with no kids and a profound ambivalence about having them, you become acutely aware of just how little time you have left to get over your indecision. Maternally ambivalent women are told over and over again to look deep inside ourselves, to tune out social expectation and fear of regret and the voices of our anxious …

Being childless wasn't my choice, but people assume it was
1 year ago

Being childless wasn't my choice, but people assume it was

ABC  

Growing up, Michael Barnett didn't expect to have children. "I'd never thought about the possibility of being in a relationship with a woman, or a man either, as I was born in 1969 and people didn't talk about same-sex couples," the 54-year-old from Naarm/Melbourne says. Childless not by choice Photo shows Michael takes a selfie standing next to his wife …

‘I had no choice’: The people who regret becoming parents
2 years, 5 months ago

‘I had no choice’: The people who regret becoming parents

The Independent  

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Involuntary childlessness can cause 'incredible pain and grief' for anyone who wants to be a parent
3 years, 2 months ago

Involuntary childlessness can cause 'incredible pain and grief' for anyone who wants to be a parent

ABC  

For decades, the lives of Wollongong couple Michael and Vickie Hughes have been defined by something that's missing. When the couple was ready to conceive, Ms Hughes' health issues meant they turned to "a whole gamut of fertility treatments," including what Mr Hughes now calls "the devastating rollercoaster" of IVF. 'We just shut it down' Mr and Ms Hughes, now …

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