Being childless we can find ourselves focused on the end of something, be it our fertility window or finding Mr or Mrs Right. So when we take that emotionally charged step of crossing the mental line of hoping to become a parent to knowing our dreams have gone we can feel stuck in a void.
Then we hear people talk about their Plan B, and the suggestion that something bigger, better, brighter and more fulfiling and rewarding is what await us in our future. But what if plan B never seems to appear or we work our way desperately through the alphabet and find ourselves waving goodbye to Plan Z?
Join us as we discuss what happens when there isn’t a Plan B (or z)
DATE: Sunday 17th September
TIME: 7pm BST - Find your timezone HERE
REGISTER FOR THIS WEBINAR HERE
Please note: Whilst the panellists will be recorded, your camera and audio will be turned off. If you are unable to attend the webinar live, you DO NOT need to register to watch the replay on the website.
PANELLISTS
Stephanie spent a large part of her twenties in an abusive relationship and took the contraceptive pill to ensure children would not be born into that situation. In her early thirties she met her husband to be but they didn't try to conceive until nearing forty. At the age of 39 she was told by an unsympathetic doctor "if he manages to get you pregnant it is highly unlikely you'll carry full term". She knew in that moment, she would never be a mum.
In 2016 Stephanie Joy Phillips founded three childless support groups on Facebook: Childless Path To Acceptance focuses on support, Childless Chit Chat is a trigger free zone and Childless Perks!! is all about laughter and finding the positives of being childless, without a parent saying 'I told you so'.
In 2017 after realising there was no national recognition of the childless community she founded World Childless Week. Seven days that enables the childless community to have a platform where they can find their voice and share their stories with confidence.
Steph lives in Worcestershire with her husband and two rescue cats, Storm and Tea-Cup. She enjoys gardening, arts and crafts, a good book, dining out and relaxing in front of the television with a puzzle book and one of her two cats snuggled up beside her.
Carrie Brauninger - US
Carrie is a therapist, certified life coach, and childless not by choice through circumstance. Carrie has experienced the, isolation, fear, worry, sadness, and anxiety that comes with grieving being childless. She is a strong believer in shared experience and community as a way to heal and educate others that you can live a meaningful, purposeful, and fun life even when childless not by choice. She lives in Denver, Colorado and loves spending time with her Great Dane named Gavin.
Sheri Johnson - Canada
Sheri helps childless women to navigate the grief and triggers so they can live full and joyful lives of purpose and meaning instead of lack. Her passion is to show childless women how to take gentle action towards processing their emotions and recreating their future instead of waiting for time to make it all go away.
After 3 miscarriages and 6 years of infertility, Sheri’s coaching background and spiritual training led her to discover a process for moving through the emotions, the feelings of exclusion and the lack of purpose. It wasn’t long before she was living a life she loved.
She packaged up this process into a framework that she teaches in 1:1 coaching and group immersions. Women leave her programs feeling at peace with all the questions and advice, a sense of belonging no matter what crowd they’re in and a vision for their bright future.
Lana Manikowski - US
Lana Manikowski: Certified Life Coach, Infertility Activist.
When a 7 year fertility journey ended without a child - and donor egg & adoption wasn’t for her - Lana yearned for a community who could understand the loneliness, self judgment and loss around navigating childlessness. When she couldn’t find one, she established one when launching The “So Now What?” Podcast in 2021.
Lana has helped thousands of women thrive and feel fulfilled without the children they thought they'd have, and loves serving as an example that childless women can create the life of their dreams, even when it didn’t turn out as planned.
An activist for infertile and childless women in the workplace, Lana advocates for their access to care and benefits inline with those with children. She has an unwavering commitment to help the CNBC community create a life that feels meaningful, powerful and purposeful again.
Instagram: @lana.manikowski
Becky - UK
Becky and her husband, Tom, couldn't conceive naturally and after a year + of fertility investigations, including invasive scans, surgery and a medical diagnosis, they finally got put through for IVF. Had four rounds of treatment, resulting in 7 embryo transfers in total, resulting in one pregnancy on the first round, but unfortunately miscarried.
Their journey came to a close, Summer 2021. They went through the grieving process with the support of fertility counsellors. Once they finally found peace with their journey, they're now reshaping their lives.
The five years of life being 'on hold', taught them: life is precious, and incredibly short.
Based in Yorkshire, UK, their 'plan b', is doing the things they wouldn't be able to do if they had kids, grabbing opportunities that life presents, meeting new people, trying new things, learning, playing, laughing, and also…using their annual leave to see the world.
Marilisa Beatty - US
Marilisa Beatty is a researcher and business owner in the Life Sciences industry.
She also advocates for the childless community through involvement in pageantry. Marilisa competed in the Mrs. America pageant in 2020 as Mrs. Pennsylvania, and continues to compete and use her “crown” as a platform to raise awareness of childless not by choice issues across the USA.
Marilisa believes that we all have many gifts to share, outside of and beyond parenthood, and that we should celebrate our gifts through all stages of life. She strongly believes that volunteerism and community service are meaningful ways to share those gifts.
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