Talking about childlessness: Jody Day interviews Christine Erickson

• published: 11 Jun 2015
• views: 318

This video interview, recorded by Jody Day (Founder of Gateway Women) in June 2015 is with Christine Erickson, the American author of The Mother Within: A Guide To Accepting Your Childless Journey, published on Amazon Kindle in May 2015 and nominated for an International Book Award. http://www.gateway-women.com http://www.themotherwithin.com In this frank, friendly and taboo-busting discussion we cover, amongst other things: - The many ways we can become a childless woman not by choice - The power of online communities in creating the 'tribe' of childless women, including the private Gateway Women online community (amongst others, see http://www.gateway-women.com/resources for more info) - How we're not always aware that the decisions we make, for solid, ethical and compassionate reasons when younger women, might impact our chances to become mothers at a later date -The lack of accurate knowledge so many of us discover, too late, we have about our fertility, and what we can do to make sure that the next generation of young women aren't so misinformed, and how the option of being childless/childfree also needs to be included in those discussions. - How 'miracle baby stories' distort the narrative for all of us, as do 'celebrity' late pregnancies - Coming through the grief of childlessness and working out ways to express our 'mothers hearts' in our lives if not as mothers. - Jody's model of 'unrequited grief' and the importance of our grief being, as Christine says, 'witnessed in a compassionate way' - Systemic conversations that need to be had, such as the issues around ageing without children and Jody's role as a Founding Member of AWOC.org (Ageing Without Children collective in the UK). - Realising that the childless and childfree women of the world are a powerful tribe with a great deal to offer, and what we might be able to achieve and change if we came together in an organised and compassionate way - How the childless liberation movement can be inspired by the work and impact of the gay liberation movement over the last 50 years. - How the paradigm of marriage and family is changing in the US - How and why Christine runs equine healing retreats in nature for childless women, and how working with horses for the last 8 years has been part of her own recovery from childlessness, and how she came to integrate horses into her coaching practice. - Christine's hope to create a 'canvas for our expression' for childless women through her website 'The Mother Within' and discover and share 'who we are as women' to end the invisibility of childless women Christine's book is an excellent read and has been nominated for an International Book Award. You can read more about it and her equine retreats on her website www.TheMotherWithin.com or go straight over to your country's Amazon site to download it for your Kindle. If you don't have a Kindle, you can read download the Kindle software free from Amazon and read it on your computer, tablet or smartphone. You can also find The Mother Within on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Mother-Within/796993967037131?fref=ts Thank you so much Christine for such a wonderful interview and for being part of the tribe that is ready to speak our truth fearlessly and honestly so that other childless women may begin to realise that they too have nothing to be ashamed of. Jody Day Founder: Gateway Women http://www.gateway-women.com Author of Rocking the Life Unexpected: 12 Weeks to Your Plan B for a Meaningful and Fulfilling Life Without Children