Our Stories: Paulina Grace
As told to Kathleen Guthrie Woods Now 38, Paulina Grace spent five years actively pursuing pregnancy. Her arduous journey included three miscarriages, one hysterosalpingogram (HSG), one dilation and...
View ArticleAn Interview with Henriette Mantel
By Kathleen Guthrie Woods Henriette Mantel was first introduced to me as the editor of No Kidding: Women Writers on Bypassing Motherhood. In this collection of essays, some very funny women—including...
View ArticleIt Got Me Thinking…About Happy Endings
By Kathleen Guthrie Woods My friend Patti* announced to our group of mutual friends that after a long period of trying to decide if she really really wanted kids, she was pregnant. We raised our...
View ArticleLetting Go of the Dream of Motherhood eBook is Here!
By Lisa Manterfield Exiting news! The first book in the Life Without Baby ebook series is out today. Workbook 1: Letting Go of the Dream of Motherhood is available on Amazon now and will be showing up...
View ArticleWhiny Wednesday
It’s Whiny Wednesday, your chance to gripe about the issues you’re dealing with this week. This week’s suggested topic is one we’ve all had to deal with: An over-abundance of work pregnancies I can...
View ArticleKnowing Who I Am
By Lisa Manterfield There was a time when I found it difficult to be around mothers of young children. It was hard to listen to them talk about their kids when I felt I had nothing to contribute, and...
View ArticleMaking My Mother Proud
By Lisa Manterfield During my recent visit to the U.K., I got to be my Mum’s date at a senior social night she wanted to attend. Aside from the organizer’s son and grandchildren, I was the only person...
View ArticleIt Got Me Thinking…About Empowerment in the Media
By Kathleen Guthrie Woods Over the past couple of months, it feels like childfree women have been stepping out of the shadows and speaking up—quite publicly. Several friends have asked me, “What do you...
View ArticleIt Got Me Thinking…About Evil Fantasies
By Kathleen Guthrie Woods It was a dark and stormy period in my life. I was single, alone, lonely, and hoping to turn my close-knit group of friends into a contemporary family unit. One of those...
View ArticleNavigating Workplace Challenges
By Lisa Manterfield During my years of trying to conceive, I worked in the corporate world. I managed a department of about eight people. When I first took the position, only one member of my staff had...
View ArticleWhiny Wednesday
I know I’m probably going to have to duck for cover with this week’s topic. We’ve all heard it and the sting never seems to diminish. So here we go: “You wouldn’t understand; you don’t have kids.” I’ll...
View ArticleWhiny Wednesday
This week’s topic is the antithesis of the “People who talk about nothing but their kids” topic, but it can be just as difficult to deal with: People who assume you don’t want to be around...
View ArticleDealing With Issues and Protecting Yourself
By Lisa Manterfield I’ve learned a lot from my experience of navigating the world as an unwillingly childless woman. I’ve learned that it’s not a straight road of recovery, where you get progressively...
View ArticleNothing is Crazy
By Lisa Manterfield I nicknamed my infertility journey “The Crazy Train.” It felt crazy because of the endless cycle of doctors and opinions that never seemed to get results. It was crazy because of...
View ArticleOur Stories: Diana
As told to Kathleen Guthrie Woods I was so excited to see a new story pop up in my inbox. I love getting to know our members, and I’m always encouraged when I can see a bit of myself in their stories....
View ArticleDealing With the Day-to-Day Challenges
By Lisa Manterfield The third book in the new Life Without Baby ebook series is out today. In Dealing With the Day-to-Day Challenges I tackle all those issues we talk about here on the blog, including...
View ArticleThe Next Happy: An Interview With Tracey Cleantis
By Lisa Manterfield Last week I sat down with Tracey Cleantis to talk about her new book, The Next Happy: Let Go of the Life You Planned and Find a New Way Forward. Tracey has long been a voice for the...
View ArticleIt Got Me Thinking…About Being Childless by “Choice”
By Kathleen Guthrie Woods Recently, I received an e-mail from “Kim” who was struggling to find her place in our community. She hadn’t been through infertility, nor had she made a conscious “choice” to...
View ArticleMarking Anniversaries…The Happy and the Sad
By Lisa Manterfield March is a funny old month for me. It’s filled with all kinds of anniversaries, both happy and sad. March is the month I lost my dad (sad) and, later, my stepdad (also sad). March...
View ArticleOur Stories: Kara
As told to Kathleen Guthrie Woods Kara, 34, was one of those little girls who mothered her baby dolls and younger siblings. “I always knew I was going to be a mom with a lot of kids,” she says, but...
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