The Kids or Childfree Podcast

In this conversation, Keltie Maguire and Kate Brightwell explore the complexities of choosing a childfree life, including what it means to be a childfree woman in the workplace. You'll hear Keltie and Kate discuss:

• The pressures Kate faced to have children, despite having always known she didn't want any.
• How being childfree has impacted Kate's romantic partnerships and dating experiences.
• Kate's experience of feeling othered in the workplace due to her childfree status.
• The dynamics of workplace culture and the experiences of those who do not conform to traditional family structures.
• The intersection of the Kids or Childfree decision and women's reproductive rights — and why using your voice and voting power is as important as it's ever been.
• Cultural perceptions of childlessness and the significance of personal choices in shaping one's career and life path.

As mentioned in the show: Find Kate on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/kate-brightwell-a195b528/

About Kate: Kate is a lobbyist and tech public policy specialist, based in London. She has previously worked for a leading US tech company, global management consultancies, and the UK election regulator. Her passion for politics has enabled her to focus on public policy that impacts society and is what has driven her career to date. Kate is currently taking a career break, which she describes as her "maternity leave without a baby"! During this period of fun-employment she is thinking long and hard about what comes next while enjoying traveling in her campervan around Europe and spending overdue time with loved ones. She also has a side hustle as a dog sitter.

___ Join the upcoming Kids or Childfree Group Program here: kidsorchildfree.com/kids-or-childfree-program Check out our free resources here, or at kidsorchildfree.com/free-resources And don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and review The Kids or Childfree Podcast if you love what you’re hearing! You can leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts, or a rating on Spotify. Find us online at www.kidsorchildfree.com. Instagram: www.instagram.com/kidsorchildfree TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@kidsorchildfree

In this episode, Keltie chats with coach and The Single Greatest Choice podcast host, Katie Bryan, about her journey of choosing to have a child on her own. You'll hear them discuss:

• The complexities of deciding whether to wait for a partner or pursue solo parenthood.
• Katie's initial plans of being a stay-at-home mom and how her divorce at 28 changed everything.
• Katie's experiences of dating and settling in relationships, as well as the decision to freeze her eggs. 
• The process of finding a sperm donor and undergoing IUI, plus the emotions of shame, regret, and hopelessness that accompanied her journey.
• Why personal growth and self-love are essential in embracing the path of single motherhood.
• Katie's positive experience with pregnancy and the joy she felt in carrying her son, plus, what solo motherhood is like today.

• How support from friends and loved ones can make a significant difference during the process of becoming a solo mother by choice.
• How Katie provides support and coaching for women considering solo motherhood and has created a community for them to connect and share their experiences.

As mentioned in the show: Find Katie online at www.singlegreatestchoice.com. Instagram: instagram.com/single_greatest_choice Tune into the Single Greatest Choice Podcast: singlegreatestchoice.com/podcast Learn about the U.S. Donor Conceived Council, and the resources they offer, here: https://www.usdcc.org/ Learn about the company Katie shares, that offers ethical donor matching: https://www.theseedscout.com/ About Katie: Katie Bryan is a coach, community facilitator, and single mother by choice. After a divorce in her late 20s and an exhausting decade of unsuccessful dating, Katie decided she was ready to separate her desire for motherhood from her desire to find a life-partner. While solo motherhood was most certainly a Plan B, choosing to pursue pregnancy through IVF and donor conception is the single greatest choice she's ever made. She is now a mama to her 3 year old son and has pivoted her career to support other women who are considering or pursuing solo motherhood. She hosts The Single Greatest Choice Podcast and provides 1:1 and group coaching as well as retreats for women who are considering having a child on their own through pregnancy or adoption. — Get details on my Clarity Booster offering here: kidsorchildfree.com/claritybooster Check out our free resources here, or at kidsorchildfree.com/free-resources And don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and review The Kids or Childfree Podcast if you love what you’re hearing! You can leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts, or a rating on Spotify. Find us online at www.kidsorchildfree.com. Instagram: www.instagram.com/kidsorchildfree TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@kidsorchildfree

In this episode, Keltie speaks with writer and author, Jackie Shannon Hollis, about what happens when you fall in love with a man who doesn't want children, joyfully commit to a life together...and then begin longing for a child, shortly after your wedding day.  You'll hear them discuss:

• The importance of being intentional in our choices and not being locked into societal expectations.
• The role of other people's opinions and how Jackie managed her feelings of longing for a child while being in a relationship with someone who didn't want kids.
• Why there is no right or wrong answer when it comes to having kids.
• How Jackie made peace with the decision not to have children and how she found joy and fulfillment in other areas of life.
• The challenges and rewards of aging without children, and the richness that comes from focusing on what one has rather than what one does not have.

As mentioned in the show: Purchase Jackie's book, This Particular Happiness: A Childless Love Story, here: jackieshannonhollis.com/purchase Find Jackie online at www.jackieshannonhollis.com. Facebook: facebook.com/Jackie.Shannon.Hollis Instagram: instagram.com/jackie.shannon.hollis Threads: threads.net/@jackie.shannon.hollis Join an upcoming quarterly "fireside" chat on Zoom, with childless elders the NoMoCrones (Non Mom Crones): gateway-women.com/gateway-elderwomen/ About Jackie: Jackie Shannon Hollis is a writer, storyteller, speaker, and the author of the memoir, This Particular Happiness: A Childless Love Story (Forest Avenue Press). Her writing has been described as honest and intimate, exploring complex human issues in prose that is both direct and lyrical. Her work has appeared in various literary magazines, including The Sun, Rosebud, Inkwell, High Desert Journal, VoiceCatcher, Nailed, and Slice Magazine. — Join the upcoming Kids or Childfree Group Program here: kidsorchildfree.com/kids-or-childfree-program Check out our free resources here, or at kidsorchildfree.com/free-resources And don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and review The Kids or Childfree Podcast if you love what you’re hearing! You can leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts, or a rating on Spotify. Find us online at www.kidsorchildfree.com. Instagram: www.instagram.com/kidsorchildfree TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@kidsorchildfree

In this episode, Keltie reflects on the insights and takeaways from the second season of The Kids or Childfree podcast.  -- Subscribe, rate, and review The Kids or Childfree Podcast if you love what you’re hearing! You can leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts, or a rating on Spotify. Find us online at www.kidsorchildfree.com. Instagram: www.instagram.com/kidsorchildfree TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@kidsorchildfree

In this conversation, Keltie interviews Nicole Louie: writer, translator, and author of the brand-new book, Others Like Me: The Lives of Women Without Children. You'll hear them discuss:

• Nicole's experience of not wanting to become a mother from a young age and the challenges she faced in navigating societal expectations.
• The importance of turning up the volume on one's own voice and inner knowledge when making the decision to be childfree.
• The inspiration behind Others Like Me, and how it's fourteen stories highlight the diversity of experiences and perspectives within the childfree community.
• The complexities of the decision to have children or remain childfree.
• The need for inclusivity and understanding among women without children, and the dangers of imposing labels and categories on others. 
• How intergenerational connections between women without children of different ages can provide support, wisdom, and inspiration.

As mentioned in the show: Find Nicole on Instagram: instagram.com/bynicolelouie And on Twitter: twitter.com/bynicolelouie Read Nicole's book, Others Like Me: The Lives of Women Without Children.  About Nicole: Nicole Louie is a writer and translator based in Ireland. A former content strategist and creative writer for virtual assistants, she holds a BA in advertising and postgraduate diplomas in literature and translation. When not writing, she is reading about the lives of women without children. Her essays have appeared in Oh Reader and Childfree Magazine and her curated collections of books, movies, and podcasts about women who are not mothers by choice, infertility, circumstance or ambivalence can be found on Twitter and Instagram: @bynicolelouie. Others Like Me: The Lives of Women Without Children is her first book. About Others Like Me: Others Like Me: The Lives of Women Without Children by Nicole Louie (published by Dialogue Books in the UK in June & House of Anansi in North America in Nov 2024). A deeply personal exploration of childless and childfree women in their own words. Others Like Me is the story of fourteen women around the world, from different walks of life, who don't have children. It's also the story of why Nicole Louie had to find them and what they taught her. Part memoir, part exploration of childlessness through candid conversations, this book showcases the many ways in which people find fulfillment outside of parenthood. And because the social expectation to procreate weighs the most on women, Louie focuses solely on them, their experiences, and how they flourish outside of motherhood. In doing so, she upends the stereotypes that diminish women who are not mothers and offers reassurance and companionship on a path less known. — Join an upcoming Kids or Childfree Workshop here: kidsorchildfree.com/workshop Check out our free resources here, or at kidsorchildfree.com/free-resources And don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and review The Kids or Childfree Podcast if you love what you’re hearing! You can leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts, or a rating on Spotify. Find us online at www.kidsorchildfree.com. Instagram: www.instagram.com/kidsorchildfree TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@kidsorchildfree

In this conversation, Keltie interviews her colleague and mentor, Merle Bombardieri — author of The Baby Decision, clinical social worker, and parent decision coach — about the decision to have or not have children. You'll hear them discuss:

• How couples can navigate disagreements on this topic and find a solution that works for both partners.
• Why there's no obligation to do anything special as a childfree person, and also, many childfree individuals end up doing extraordinary things. 
• Some of the more recent factors that Merle has seen over her 45-year career, which are making the Kids or Childfree decision more difficult.
• Tips for addressing a fear of pregnancy and loss of control over one's body during pregnancy and child birth.
• The societal pressures and expectations surrounding the Kids or Childfree decision — plus guidance on how to navigate these concerns and make an informed choice.
• Why having one child could be an excellent — yet often-overlooked — option for fence-sitters.
• The existential questions and mortality that can be stirred up by this decision, and the importance of curiosity and self-trust in the decision-making process.

As mentioned in the show: Find Merle online at thebabydecision.com. Instagram: instagram.com/thebabydecision Facebook: facebook.com/thebabydecision About Merle:

Merle Bombardieri, MSW, LICSW, has been a private practice clinical social worker and psychotherapist for over 30 years. She specializes in parenthood decision-making, infertility, adoption, and making the most of a childfree life. The first edition of her book The Baby Decision was published in 1981. She lives in St. Petersburg, Florida, and Peterborough, New Hampshire. 

— Join an upcoming Kids or Childfree Workshop here: kidsorchildfree.com/workshop Check out our free resources here, or at kidsorchildfree.com/free-resources And don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and review The Kids or Childfree Podcast if you love what you’re hearing! You can leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts, or a rating on Spotify. Find us online at www.kidsorchildfree.com. Instagram: www.instagram.com/kidsorchildfree TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@kidsorchildfree

In this conversation, Keltie speaks with author, actress, and model, Alice Grecyzn, about Alice's decision to be childfree, and the ups and downs she has faced along the way to making this choice. You'll hear them discuss:

• Alice's experience of an ultra-religious upbringing, losing her faith — and how both have influenced her childfree path
• The parallels between fundamentalist religion and the pressures that we all face in our lives
• The role that questioning the ethics of motherhood has played in Alice's decision
• The "ingredients" that Alice discovered non-regretful parents to possess 
• The parts of motherhood that Alice has had to grieve — and what this mourning process entailed
• Why we can't separate who we are – nor our circumstances — from the Kids or Childfree decision 
• What Alice's exploration of the Kids or Childfree decision looked like with her partner

...plus, they touch on so many other aspects of the mixed emotions and complexity that can accompany this decision.  As mentioned in the show: Find Alice online at alicegreczyn.com Instagram: instagram.com/alicegreczyn Read Alice's substack: alicegreczyn.substack.com Buy Alice's memoir, Wayard, here: https://a.co/d/hP503cM About Alice:

Alice Greczyn is an author, actress, and model. Known for her acting roles in film and TV, Alice is now more recognized for her work as a religious trauma recovery advocate, appearing on prominent podcasts and presenting at conferences on the topics of purity culture, neurotheology, and finding meaning in life as an atheist. Alice founded DaretoDoubt.org in 2019 connecting those fleeing spiritual abuse with resources helping survivors heal from the unintended damage of faith-based beliefs. A controversial figure for her outspokenness against religious and political fundamentalism, Alice finds her deepest sense of purpose helping others free themselves from the shackles of fear and shame. She lives in LA with her cat and fiancé and loves hiking, learning, and eating anything with melted cheese. — Join an upcoming Kids or Childfree Workshop here: kidsorchildfree.com/workshop Check out our free resources here, or at kidsorchildfree.com/free-resources And don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and review The Kids or Childfree Podcast if you love what you’re hearing! You can leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts, or a rating on Spotify. Find us online at www.kidsorchildfree.com. Instagram: www.instagram.com/kidsorchildfree TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@kidsorchildfree

In this conversation, Keltie Maguire interviews Dr. Natasha Ghosh, a therapist and coach, about her journey into motherhood and the decision to have children. You'll hear them discuss:

• The mixed emotions and uncertainties that come with becoming a mother, as well as the external pressures and societal expectations surrounding parenthood. 
• The importance of listening to your own voice and making choices based on personal desires and values — plus how to tap into this inner voice.
• How trusting oneself and cultivating self-love can help in navigating the challenges and uncertainties of parenthood.
• Fear of regret and the challenge of trusting oneself in making this decision.
• Practical tools for connecting with oneself, cultivating inner knowing, and managing anxiety and fear in the decision-making process.

...and so many other aspects of this choice. As mentioned in the show: Find Natasha online at www.digdeepcounselling.com. Instagram: instagram.com/digdeepcounselling/ LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/natashaghosh About Natasha:

With over 20 years of experience in the field of Psychology, Dr Natasha Ghosh, PhD, MEd, CHyp, RCC, is an expert in helping people feel more emotionally grounded, peaceful, purposeful and in charge of their life.

Natasha’s practice is rooted in science and soul; integrating both evidence-based therapies, strong intuition and specialized techniques that lead to deep healing and transformation. You will develop and discover clarity and make sustainable change so that you can live fully and fearlessly. — Join an upcoming Kids or Childfree Workshop here: kidsorchildfree.com/workshop Check out our free resources here, or at kidsorchildfree.com/free-resources And don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and review The Kids or Childfree Podcast if you love what you’re hearing! You can leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts, or a rating on Spotify. Find us online at www.kidsorchildfree.com. Instagram: www.instagram.com/kidsorchildfree TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@kidsorchildfree

In this episode, The Childless Collective online community host, Katy Seppi, shares her journey of infertility and becoming childfree not by choice.  You'll hear her and Keltie discuss: 

• Katy's personal experience with infertility, IVF, and endometriosis — and the challenges of accessing proper medical care.
• How and when Katy decided to stop fertility treatments and pursue a hysterectomy. 
• How the lack of support and understanding from the healthcare system can exacerbate the emotional and physical challenges faced by individuals struggling with infertility and reproductive health issues.
• The difficult decisions that come with choosing to stop trying for a child.

• The harmful messaging around never giving up on having a child and the complexities of fertility treatments, surrogacy, and adoption.
• The nuances and complexities of the terms 'childless' and 'childfree' and the societal pressures associated with these choices ...in what is a heartfelt, raw, and important conversation. 

As mentioned in the show: Check out Katy's community for childless women and non-binary people, The Childless Collective, here: childlesscollective.com Find Katy on TikTok here: tiktok.com/@childlesscollective And on Instagram here: instagram.com/childlesscollective About Katy: Here's what Katy shares about her story: "My four-year infertility journey ended with a hysterectomy in 2017. At the time, I didn’t have a single person I could talk to who was also involuntarily childless. I decided to use my background in community organizing to create gathering places for childless people to connect, access support, and talk about the common themes that weave through our experiences. I host the Childless Collective online community, which is a year-round hub of connection and support for childless women and nonbinary people. I've also hosted the Childless Collective Summit for the past four years, bringing together 100 speakers and over 8,000 attendees together. I have a Master’s of Social Work degree from UGA, with an emphasis in community empowerment and program development. My current home is Savannah, Georgia, where I spend my free time on my bike, exploring swamps, reading, hanging out with my favorite people, finding the best tiki drinks, and anything else that strikes my fancy." —  Check out our free resources here, or at kidsorchildfree.com/free-resources And don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and review The Kids or Childfree Podcast if you love what you’re hearing! You can leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts, or a rating on Spotify. Find us online at www.kidsorchildfree.com. Instagram: www.instagram.com/kidsorchildfree TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@kidsorchildfree

Travel journalists and long-time couple, Scott and Collette Stohler, share their journey of deciding to have a child and how it's impacted their adventurous lifestyle.  You'll hear them and Keltie discuss:

• Why having a child doesn't have to mean giving up travel, adventure, and freedom
• Challenges of the postpartum period and the transformation it brought to their identities
• Their experiences navigating the challenges and joys of parenting, travel, and their relationship as a couple
• The importance of communication, openness, and flexibility in maintaining a strong partnership and family dynamic
• The joys and challenges of traveling with a child

...and many other topics, for a conversation that's sure to inspire, no matter which Kids or Childfree choice you ultimately make. As mentioned in the show: Find Collette and Scott online at roamaroo.com And on social media at: Facebook: facebook.com/roamaroo TikTok: tiktok.com/@roamaroo_travel YouTube: youtube.com/c/Roamaroo Instagram: instagram.com/roamaroo About Collette & Scott:

Here's what this adventurous family has to say: "We are Collette, Scott, and baby Scotland, family travel journalists dedicated to inspiring & empowering families to travel. As a traveling family, we believe that there is no age limit on adventure and no limit to what families can accomplish together. We have 18 special years as a family and we hope you’ll join us as we dream big, explore more, and discover life.

In 2015, we decided to quit our jobs as corporate desk jockeys and redefine the American Dream. Since then, we have been traveling the world full-time, exploring off the beaten path locations and inspiring others through our active vagabond lifestyle.  We rented our house, quit our jobs, and threw caution to the wind all with an end goal of viewing the world and all its wonders. In 2022, we decided to grow our traveling family when we welcome our baby girl, Scotland, and our dog, Lucy, to the crew!"

___ Get the details on the summer session of my group coaching program, Confidently Childfree, here.  Check out our free resources here, or at kidsorchildfree.com/free-resources And don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and review The Kids or Childfree Podcast if you love what you’re hearing! You can leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts, or a rating on Spotify. Find us online at www.kidsorchildfree.com. Instagram: www.instagram.com/kidsorchildfree TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@kidsorchildfree