She asked,
I replied, No, I don't have any,
Read moreWhen Hope Fades: My Childless Not by Choice Story
I was 21 years old when I had my first, and only, pregnancy.
Read moreWhat's my Definition?
I was meant to be a mother
But if that isn't now to be
I'm not sure what happens next
What is it now that defines me?
Read moreFighting Fire with Fury
Anger’s a motherfucker, tearing through my chest,
Ripping out the bullshit I tried to digest.
Stand up for those who can’t speak (yet)
Finally, the day had come: the awareness event for being childless not by choice that I had wished for since so many years at my workplace was announced for the 8th of July.
Read more"Silly girl"
When I was 18, a friend of the same age became pregnant. My mum described her as a “silly girl” because “she had her whole life ahead of her and she has ruined it.”
Read moreThe path that chose me
I’ve known since I was a teenager that having children might not come easily to me. PCOS was the label I was given. I was told it might affect my fertility, but no one could say how or when. At that age, it's hard to understand what that really means.
Read moreA Rainbow Dog
So the final diagnosis would be “unexplained infertility”.
Read moreIs Every Woman a Mother?
Stay still
I Can’t Talk About My Kids Because Of You
Dearest reader, can you imagine as an involuntary childless person having the words ‘I can’t talk about my kids because of you!’ hurled abusively across a staff canteen at you during your lunch break.
Read moreThe Big C
Overwhelmed and Lonely
I often wonder to myself: How long has it been that I have felt so overwhelmed by life? How did I get so far behind on the things that need to be done?
Read moreWhy Am I Here
Not a sister. Not a mother.
Read moreMan of the Year
'I told you to cut your stick' Peggy's soft words came to Mairead’s ear once more like a whisper.
Read moreThe line up
As a child I have been lined up with my brother and cousins and these have always been my favourite photos.
Read moreAt My Second Sonogram Because
I refuse to believe the first one.
It’s the same tech as yesterday
the one who’s scared of my tears.
Read moreI swirl slowly
Rivers don’t always flow. Swirling whirlpools form due to irregularities in the riverbed, constrictions, and differential current speeds.
Read more