We went into the loft today and found some boxes. The video (a first on Walk In Our Shoes) explains the rest. It felt like good timing having read an email that arrived telling me that the availability of IVF on the NHS is the reason the world is so overpopulated. It's not been the most pleasant of days and this find wasn't the nicest and it shook me. But I firmly believe in talking about IVF and infertility, so here is a bit of our journey.
Read MoreUpdated links
We've updated our links page to include groups that have helped us along the way and some suggestions. If you have a blog you think will help others, run a site that's help you and you want to share please do comment below or drop a line.
There are so many ways to help, and it's great to get recommendations.
Thank you.
Finalist, Cambridgeshire Digital Awards, 2017
I am thrilled to announce that Walk In Our Shoes has been nominated for an award!
Read MoreMeet Cara
Cara's post was one of the bravest and most read on our Facebook wall and when you read her words, you'll know why. Meet Cara.
Time To Change
We are having a holiday which is why the blog has been a little quieter than usual. It's been great to spend time together but with leading busy lives, reconnecting isn't always easy. Life carries on outside the holiday bubble (two pregnancy announcements, one invite to a christening and a wedding), so issues of sensitivity and care to good mental health matter even at this time.
Read MoreFriday find: resources for men
I use the phrase 'unsung heroes' for men who are living with involuntary childlessness and coming to terms with infertility. If resources and conversation around support for women need to be more mainstream then they can feel invisible for men. Hence, unsung heroes.
Fortunately there are some great sites and researchers out there providing invaluable work to change that perception. I know from feedback for this site that these resources provide comfort and information to our male contributors and their friends and family, helping to push past feeling of isolation.
Read MoreWhat is Walk In Our Shoes?
How can we help?
Read MoreDo you want to write for Walk In Our Shoes?
Walk In Our Shoes often features guest posts from like minded people who share the similar ethos of hope and inspiration. The site welcomes contributions from authors in the field of loss and involuntary childlessness, events, healing, managing grief and recognised therapies. We love to hear from fellow bloggers and those who run support groups as our ethos is one of sharing.
Read MoreWalking Forward
Monday Motivation: Walking Forward Business Network
You can share a grumble, seek support on an issue, share your work and generally team up with like minded souls in a 'mumtrepenuer' free zone (or a 'dadtrepenuer'- is that even a word?).
Read MoreConference on Childlessness, October 14th 2017
It's less than a month until the Conference on Childlessness for 2017 and if you don't have tickets, do grab them before it's a sell out! I know many were disappointed to miss out.
Read More#IVFis40
I can vaguely remember hearing about Louise Brown. I wasn't very old and didn't understand what it all meant but wondered why someone made the news. Her name, of course, has come to mean so much more. She is a sign of hope for many women who wish to be a mother and a benchmark for science.
Read MoreWorld Childless Week statistics and a BIG thank you!
Walk in Our Shoes hit a high of 3,500 page views last week. The site kept up over 2,000 each day which is incredible. Thank you so much - if just one person reads this site and says it made a difference then I'm happy - so you can imagine the joy from reading the stats for this website.
Read MoreChildless Hour Twitter chat how to guide
A few people have asked for a video on how to log into and take part in a Twitter Chat. There are lots of really useful links out there but this is my very ad-hoc guide to Tweet Deck.
Read MoreNew gallery entry from Jill
A new gallery entry from Jill, on this last day of World Childless Week 2017
Read MoreWorld Childless Week. Why?
This week isn't about one group, but about lots of groups and people coming together to share a common theme. We have other awareness weeks - Infertility Awareness and Miscarriage Awareness too, and WOW. Why do we need another? Well, why can't we have another? Let's get talking. #worldchildlessweek
Read MoreWorld Childless Week: Worthy
One quote that I return to often is this one. “Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful.” William Morris.
Read MoreWorld Childless Week. Ouch, in response to comments that hurt.
It’s a reaction that I experience a lot. In my research and continued work with Walk In Our Shoes, Childless Hour and Walking Forwards Inspiration Group I hear of many irritations with people who try to fix by making suggestions. I’ve been told to adopt, try surrogacy, offered eggs and relax to help me find peace. Silence is, for me, probably the worst response because it feels like a shared discomfort that can make me question the validity of my feelings.
I absolutely know, that until I went on this journey and experienced miscarriages and failed IVF, that I too would have not known what to say.
Read MoreWorld Childless Week. Dealing with invites to baby showers and other events
I often try to put myself on the other side. If someone came up to me, some fifteen years ago (for that’s how long my journey has been), and said I can’t have children what would I have said? How could I have been kinder to that person? Would I have fixed them? Underestimated the pain and how would I have known what to do? I’m midway through a manuscript on this very subject and talking to parents and involuntary childless has been enlightening. It helps to just walk in their shoes, as we ask them to walk in ours.
Read MoreWorld Childless Week. Meet Robert
Ageing without children is a worry that many of us have. Not just about care but also whom to leave our possessions to and who will remember us. Here Robert speaks movingly of his life.
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