I’ve experienced six rounds of unsuccessful IVF and recurrent miscarriage, and lived with PTSD as a result of my experiences. Counselling changed my life, but so did finding good friends and a community where I could be open about my losses. Being able to talk about what had happened helped me begin to acknowledge and feel my grief rather than simply trying to carry it.

I’ve reached some very low points and, for a time, struggled to hold on to life. But I’ve come to understand that I am not less because of what I’ve been through — I am more for the journey I’ve taken.

Attending Fertility Fest in 2018, where I met Michael, became an important part of my recovery. A year later, I met Sarah at Fertility Fest, bringing the three of us together and ultimately leading to The Full Stop.

In 2013, I completed a Master’s degree in Graphic Design and Typography, which led to the creation of Walk In Our Shoes, a social design project exploring the experiences of people affected by childlessness.

I’ve spoken at Fertility Fest and Storyhouse Childless several times and have supported the events through panel discussions and other creative contributions. I was a World Childless Week Champion and created its original website and brand identity.

I’m the founder of award-winning design practice Hello Lovely Design & Co, and I bring my design, communication and creative skills to The Full Stop. I’m also a Mental Health First Aider, DEIB facilitator and a qualified coach and ‘owned’ by the rescue dog who rescued me, Lady Molly Lickalot.

Berenice brings her design, creative and technical skills to the Full Stop as the creator of its brand and website. With Michael, she runs the Circle space that hosts our Community.

Contact Berenice

I’m one half of a childless couple that have as we like to say “made it through” but we didn’t do it alone. Many years on the psychologists couch delving into the combined results of dysfunctional families, PTSD from childhood sexual abuse and depression from our childlessness helped us greatly.

On the other side of this we discovered a love of travel, that has taken us to many parts of the world this too helps us cope with being CNBC. It was the writing of a blog that I started on the eve of Mother’s Day 2016 at 1am in the morning in a motel off the i10 just outside of Quincy in Florida on one such trip that has led me to being part of this podcast.

It was from here we found a Facebook group ‘Childless Path To Acceptance’ that was full of women in our position. The warmth, support and love that flowed from this group opened our eyes to a wider world. It was 2018 on another adventure this time in the UK, in a Shepherds Bush pub, The Green, that we met Stephanie Phillips, the admin of the group, who went on to found World Childless Week, Berenice, and the courageous Sweetie Horne, who, just like my wife Vickie was scared of what was to come by opening themselves up, as we were all just about to venture into an event called Fertility Fest.

For those that like the more personal knitty gritty Vickie and I met when we were about 16 as we both had a casual job at the local McDonalds. I was new to Australia as my family had emigrated to Australia from the UK a couple of years before we met, Vickie on the other hand is a true ‘Skippy’. We married in our mid 20’s and started for a family closer to our 30’s and by 40 we had to draw a line in the sand to say, we’d never be parents. Of course there is much more to the story, but you’re going to have to listen to the podcast to find that out.

Michael edits the audio for our podcast and co-runs the administration of our Full Stop Community. He brings his unique voice to our work, and speaks for men who are childless not by choice. Read his Married and Childless blog and watch his videos.

Contact Michael