The Stork and I

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A podcast for single women considering solo motherhood using donor conception

Episodes

Tuesday Mar 14, 2023

S6: E2 Solo Parent and Doula, Amelie

Tuesday Mar 14, 2023

Todays episode is with 38 year old solo parent Amelie Patrux Eddy. She is based in the French countryside on the outskirts of Paris but by the time this episode has aired with have moved to the Brittany region.

Amelie grew up in France, was raised by an (almost solo) South African mom and has lived many years in Australia before landing again recently in the suburbs of Paris (in the midst of a global pandemic you might have heard of!)

This melting pot of cultures gave her a profound love and curiosity for the diversity in people’s ideas, cultures, lives and opinions that make each one of us so unique and interesting.

She is a solo mom 'mostly' by choice to Elijah (Eli) , her now 22 months old toddler. Eli was conceived in Sydney through a clinic, after a breakup with her ex-partner and born in France in her family home surrounded by her mom and sister.

As a doula @feeling she has supported many solo moms, before having her son.

She recently created an online program naissanceholistique in France to help couples and solo moms prepare for birth. Being solo-mom-inclusive was absolutely a priority for her.

In June 2021, after a two-year debate in parliament, France has finally legalized fertility treatments including IVF for lesbians and single women – making the procedures free for them, just as they are for qualified heterosexual couples. Before that, French women were travelling everywhere in Europe to access fertility treatments.

She also created a small project called @nuancesdefamilles where she showcasts that there are many nuances to being a family but that LOVE is what makes a family. She created it to connect to like-minded families and offer different family models to children.

In todays episode we discuss:

- The option of living with family

- The benefits of parenting solo

- The importance of support network

- Redefining family

- Making the decision to pivot your career for a period of time

- The realities of solo parenting and the importance of sleep.

You can follow Amelie on Instagram

Thank you for listening to The Stork and I Podcast! I would love for you to share this episode and let me know what you think! Please take a moment to rate and review, it really helps others find the podcast which can be a great source of support!

About Mel Johnson

Hi! I'm Mel, The Solo Parenthood Coach and following my own journey to solo parenthood, I created The Stork and I to support others going through the same journey.

I'm also on a mission to change the narrative around solo parenthood

Learn more about me and the coaching I offer at The Stork and I Website

Newsletter

I have created a monthly Solo Parent Stork and I Newsletter that you can sign up for here

Instagram:

Join our Instagram community for more support

Thriving Solo:

You can sign up to Thriving Solo, The Stork and I Membership Community for solo mums to get access to our members only Podcast as well as loads of materials and resources and a monthly remote Community Connection Call to meet other Solo Parents.

Tuesday Feb 14, 2023

S6:E1 No Need For Prince Charming

Tuesday Feb 14, 2023

In the first episode of Series 6 I chat to Alisha Burns AKA @Noneedforprincecharming

Alisha is the host of the No Need For Prince Charming Podcast where she interviews Australian Solo Mums about their journey to parenthood.

For a change, she was the one being interviewed and I found out all about her own story, when she started thinking about solo parenthood, her journey to get there as well as her experiences as a parent.

We also discussed the children's book she has written. My Perfect Family. She very generously sent me a copy and I can honestly say it's one of the best books on family diversity that I've seen.

You can get 15% off using code STORK15

You can follow Alisha on Instagram at @noneedforprincecharming

About Mel Johnson

Hi! I'm Mel, The Solo Parenthood Coach and following my own journey to solo parenthood, I created The Stork and I to support others going through the same journey.

I'm also on a mission to change the narrative around solo parenthood

Learn more about me and the coaching I offer at The Stork and I Website

Newsletter

I have created a monthly Solo Parent Stork and I Newsletter that you can sign up for here

Instagram:

Join our Instagram community for more support

Thriving Solo:

Wednesday Apr 20, 2022

S5; E10 Chatting to donor conceived Skyler who was raised by a solo mum

Wednesday Apr 20, 2022

In todays episode, the last in series 10, I speak to 21 year old Skyler.

Skyler and her twin brother were conceived using egg and sperm donation and raised by their mum in a solo parent family.

Skyler shares her experiences and thoughts about being donor conceived

In todays episode we cover:

- The things we do when we want to fit in as a child

- Growing up being the only solo parent family in the area

- When something happens to your only parent that prevents them for caring for you as they would have liked

- Finding your own male role models

- Whether solo parenthood through donor conception is a selfish decision

- Ways you can struggle growing up without a father

- The importance of honest communication

- What language to use with our children

....and much more!

Connect with Skyler

You can connect with Skyler on Instagram at @skylergranat

She would love to hear from other donor conceived people to share experiences.

About Mel Johnson

Hi! I'm Mel, The Solo Parenthood Coach and following my own journey to solo parenthood, I created The Stork and I to support others going through the same journey.

I'm also on a mission to change the narrative around solo parenthood

Learn more about me and the coaching I offer at www.thestorkandi.com

Newsletter

I have created a monthly Solo Parent Stork and I Newsletter that you can sign up for at www.thestorkandi.com (scroll down to the section where it says subscribe)

Instagram:

Join our Instagram community for more support: www.instagram.com/the_stork_and_i

Thriving Solo:

You can sign up to Thriving Solo, The Stork and I Membership Community for solo mums here: https://members.thestorkandi.com

Future Events:

You can see our planned future events here:

https://members.thestorkandi.com/webinar-library/

Wednesday Apr 06, 2022

S5: E9 Being connected to donor siblings families as a baby

Wednesday Apr 06, 2022

In todays episode I speak to Emma. Emma is solo mum to a 9 month old daughter using sperm donation and she talks to me about her wonderful experience of being connected by her Sperm Bank to the other recipient parents who have all used the same donor.

In todays episode we cover:

- Being a solo mum with a very limited support system

- Being connected to donor sibling families when the donor siblings are still all babies

- The language we use and whether we should use the term 'diblings'

- What makes a family and the importance of genetics

- Ways of finding donor siblings through Facebook Groups

and much more....

I mentioned being really interested in whether more sperm banks will follow what Seattle Sperm bank is doing, but actually the legislation in the UK will not allow it, so if we think this is something that should change, we would need to change the legislation in order for this to be able to happen for people who have used sperm from the UK.

The whatsapp group I referred to in the podcast for people who have used Manchester Fertility / Semovo has been replaced by a Facebook group that you can access here.

I have a live event planned with Seattle Sperm Bank to learn more about the programme Emma describes. You can get more information about that and how to join here.

About Mel Johnson

Hi! I'm Mel, The Solo Parenthood Coach and following my own journey to solo parenthood, I created The Stork and I to support others going through the same journey.

I'm also on a mission to change the narrative around solo parenthood

Learn more about me and the coaching I offer at www.thestorkandi.com

Newsletter

I have created a monthly Solo Parent Stork and I Newsletter that you can sign up for at www.thestorkandi.com (scroll down to the section where it says subscribe)

Instagram:

Join our Instagram community for more support: www.instagram.com/the_stork_and_i

Thriving Solo:

You can sign up to Thriving Solo, The Stork and I Membership Community for solo mums here: https://members.thestorkandi.com

Future Events:

You can see our planned future events here:

https://members.thestorkandi.com/webinar-library/

Wednesday Mar 30, 2022

S5: E8 Hearing from donor conceived Natasha who was raised by a solo mum

Wednesday Mar 30, 2022

In todays episode I speak to Natasha Fox. Natasha is 29 and was raised by her mum in London and then later Scotland. Natasha's mum was the first single woman in Scotland to use donor conception to conceive. Natasha has always known she was donor conceived and openly shares her experiences in this episode.

In todays episode we cover:

- Using a homemade book to talk to our children about their conception

- The importance of being honest and open about our childrens conception

- The influence we have over how our children feel about their conception

- Emphasising who we have in our life without labels

- Natasha's thoughts about growing up without a father in her life

- Why curiosity about a donor is not a reflection on the quality of parenting

- The best time to find donor siblings

and much more....

Resources

I have created a guide of how to create your own My Family book that is referred to in this episode available here

You can listen to the webinar I recorded with Natasha here

About Mel Johnson

Hi! I'm Mel, The Solo Parenthood Coach and following my own journey to solo parenthood, I created The Stork and I to support others going through the same journey.

I'm also on a mission to change the narrative around solo parenthood

Learn more about me and the coaching I offer at www.thestorkandi.com

Instagram:

Join our Instagram community for more support: www.instagram.com/the_stork_and_i

Thriving Solo:

You can sign up to Thriving Solo, The Stork and I Membership Community for solo mums here: https://members.thestorkandi.com

Future Events:

You can see our planned future events here:

https://members.thestorkandi.com/webinar-library/

Wednesday Mar 16, 2022

S5: E7 Being donor conceived and using donor conception to conceive

Wednesday Mar 16, 2022

In todays episode I chat to Freya.

Freya is donor conceived and was raised by 2 mums. Then, her and her wife used donor sperm to conceive a daughter, so she has perspectives of both being donor conceived and also being a recipient parent.

**Warning: we discuss some characteristics of the sperm donor Freya used in the episode**

In this episode we cover:

- Feelings about being donor conceived

- A good age to meet donor siblings

- Finding your donor through DNA testing

- How it feels to connect with your donor

- What language feels comfortable

- Considering using a known donor

- The importance of constantly learning

and much much more!

Connect with Freya:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/unicorndcp

About Mel Johnson

Hi! I'm Mel, The Solo Parenthood Coach and following my own journey to solo parenthood, I created The Stork and I to support others going through the same journey.

I'm also on a mission to change the narrative around solo parenthood

Learn more about me and the coaching I offer at www.thestorkandi.com

Instagram:

Join our Instagram community for more support: www.instagram.com/the_stork_and_i

Thriving Solo:

You can sign up to Thriving Solo, The Stork and I Membership Community for solo mums here: https://members.thestorkandi.com

Future Events:

You can see our planned future events here:

https://members.thestorkandi.com/webinar-library/

Wednesday Mar 09, 2022

S5: E6 Julianne Boutaleb, Perinatal Psychologist

Wednesday Mar 09, 2022

In todays episode I speak to Julianne Boutaleb.

Julianne is the Clinical Director and Founder of the Parenthood In Mind practice. She is a passionate and highly experienced perinatal psychologist who has worked for over 20 years in the NHS and private practice with parents and parents-to-be and their babies (and bumps) who have needed support with a wide variety of issues.

In todays episode we cover:

- Our reproductive stories and coming to terms with the fact that they might be different to how we originally thought they would be

- Dealing with feelings of loneliness and shame

- Managing the 'ouch moments' beyond the fairytale

- Projections on our beliefs of motherhood

- The feelings of finding parenting hard after a difficult fertility journey

- The importance of finding our village

- The importance of filling our own cup

- Tips of how to manage tricky questions that catch us off guard

and much more.....

Connect with Julianne:

Website: https://www.parenthoodinmind.co.uk/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/parenthoodinmind/

About Mel Johnson

Hi! I'm Mel, The Solo Parenthood Coach and following my own journey to solo parenthood, I created The Stork and I to support others going through the same journey.

I'm also on a mission to change the narrative around solo parenthood

Learn more about me and the coaching I offer at www.thestorkandi.com

Instagram:

Join our Instagram community for more support: www.instagram.com/the_stork_and_i

Thriving Solo:

You can sign up to Thriving Solo, The Stork and I Membership Community for solo mums here: https://members.thestorkandi.com

Future Events:

You can see our planned future events here:

https://members.thestorkandi.com/webinar-library/

Wednesday Mar 02, 2022

S5: E5 Finding out you’re donor conceived in your teens

Wednesday Mar 02, 2022

In todays episode I speak to Emily.

Emily was conceived using a sperm donor and raised by a solo parent. Because it was pretty common to be a solo parent family where Emily grew up, she didn't ask many questions about her father until her mum showed her a documentary about donor conception when she was in her teens, and she realised that she was conceived with a donor.

We explore the impact of not having those in depth conversations at an earlier age.

In todays episode we cover:

- Finding out you're donor conceived through watching a documentary

- The impact of not having conversations about donor conception from an early age

- The experience of meeting your donor

- How it feels to connect with donor siblings

- Advice for others

and much more.....

About Mel Johnson

Hi! I'm Mel, The Solo Parenthood Coach and following my own journey to solo parenthood, I created The Stork and I to support others going through the same journey.

I'm also on a mission to change the narrative around solo parenthood

Learn more about me and the coaching I offer at www.thestorkandi.com

Instagram:

Join our Instagram community for more support: www.instagram.com/the_stork_and_i

Thriving Solo:

You can sign up to Thriving Solo, The Stork and I Membership Community for solo mums here: https://members.thestorkandi.com

Future Events:

You can see our planned future events here:

https://members.thestorkandi.com/webinar-library/

Wednesday Feb 23, 2022

S5: E4 Hearing from the US Donor Conceived Council

Wednesday Feb 23, 2022

In todays episode I speak to Melissa from the United States Donor Conceived Council.

Melissa was conceived using anonymous egg donation and her parents told her and her brother when she was 21.

Melissa is part of the US Donor Conceived Council, which is a nonprofit organization run by and for Donor Conceived People. They connect with other DCP, recipient parents, donors, industry professionals, and the general public to increase awareness of issues that impact DCP and promote change that advances their health, welfare, and human rights."

In this episode we cover:

- The important topics that the United States Door Conceived Council are fighting for

- The feeling of burden that can be felt by DCP trying to find family members

- Some of the challenges with worldwide donor limits

- The differences in experiences of a RP and a DCP

- How societys view of what makes a family, might impact our thoughts about the term 'parent'

- The importance of not making the subject of donor conception taboo for our kids

- Why we should try not to take criticisms of the industry personally

....and much much more.

Connect with Donor Conceived Council

To connect with the US Donor Conceived Council you can follow them on Instagram

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/donorconceivedcouncil/

About Mel Johnson

Hi! I'm Mel, The Solo Parenthood Coach and following my own journey to solo parenthood, I created The Stork and I to support others going through the same journey.

I'm also on a mission to change the narrative around solo parenthood

Learn more about me and the coaching I offer at www.thestorkandi.com

Instagram:

Join our Instagram community for more support: www.instagram.com/the_stork_and_i

Thriving Solo:

You can sign up to Thriving Solo, The Stork and I Membership Community for solo mums here: https://members.thestorkandi.com

Future Events:

You can see our planned future events here:

https://members.thestorkandi.com/webinar-library/

Wednesday Feb 16, 2022

S5: E3 Chatting to donor conceived Nikita who was raised by a solo mum

Wednesday Feb 16, 2022

In todays episode I chat to 24 year old Nikita. Nikita was donor conceived through sperm donation and raised by a solo mum in Birmingham.

Being donor conceived inspired her to work in fertility which has allowed her to better understand the process from the parent perspective. She believe's it is important to hear the views of both parents and donor conceived people for future generations to have a more positive experience.

She started looking for her donor and siblings aged 16 and feels very lucky to have a supportive family.

In todays episode we cover:

- Talking to your childs friends parents about donor conception

- The benefits to our children of knowing other donor conceived children

- How it feels to find out your donors non identifying information at 16

- Finding half siblings and 3rd cousins!

- The benefits of RPs doing the work when it comes to finding donor siblings to give the options for DCP and not leaving all the investigations to our children

- Changing feelings about a donor over time

- How a sense of identity can be linked to understand who your donor is

- Creative ways of trying to find your donor

- The part genetics plays in our lives

and much much more!

Connect with Nikita

To connect with Nikita you can follow her on Instagram, where she will be more than happy to answer any questions:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/itsnikitaxx

About Mel Johnson

Hi! I'm Mel, The Solo Parenthood Coach and following my own journey to solo parenthood, I created The Stork and I to support others going through the same journey.

I'm also on a mission to change the narrative around solo parenthood

Learn more about me and the coaching I offer at www.thestorkandi.com

Instagram:

Join our Instagram community for more support: www.instagram.com/the_stork_and_i

Thriving Solo:

You can sign up to Thriving Solo, The Stork and I Membership Community for solo mums here: https://tinyurl.com/yckpfd9k