In this special fifth-anniversary episode of the Full Stop podcast, our community members join us - Michael, Sarah and Berenice - to reflect on the journey and influence of the Full Stop podcast.

In this podcast episode, we talk to Dr. Joanne Lawrence-Bourne and Dr. Robin Hadley, about the complex topic of loneliness, especially as it relates to childlessness. They discuss the subjective nature of loneliness, its distinction from social isolation, and its fluidity. The conversation covers the societal pressures and gendered experiences of loneliness. Personal stories and the impact of societal expectations on individuals without children are shared. The episode also touches on the role of social media and draws attention to the importance of inclusive narratives and support systems to combat loneliness.

In this episode, we were joined by artist Helen Segal who is the founder of Empowered Childlessness. Helen shares her inspiring life journey, discussing openly her grief and impact of IVF, and change in her life. It’s an incredible episode and we loved chatting to her, and there’s so much to take away from this.

In this special episode recorded on the eve of UK lockdown, we reflect on the impact of the Covid-19 coronavirus and our community, and Michael tells some stories! We also ask how we can help you.

Trigger: We talk briefly about the impact of ending IVF treatment during the crisis.

This episode is audio and video. We decided to include video as we felt you’d like a bit more of a connection with us and some friendly faces.

In this episode Michael, Sarah and Berenice were joined by Emily Scott from IVF Fairness and Mind to talk about coping during the holidays. We shared our own experiences of how we manage at times of celebration. Emily chatted to us about good mental health as part of the team at Mind and as a result of her journey.

In this episode Michael, Sarah and Berenice were joined by Meriel Whale to talk about Mental Health as the world pauses to acknowledge World Mental Health Day. We would like to make you aware that this episode does contain mention of suicide and therefore may not be suitable for everyone to listen to.