Take a moment to picture yourself on this beach that our guest this week is enjoying….close your eyes and listen to the waves.. the Caribbean waves telling you ‘everything is OK’
Genevieve Roberts spoke to Kate and I from Barbados, where she was testing out a Virgin Holiday as a solo parent and at on arrival, tired when wondering whether she’d bitten off more than she could chew, Gen flung open the balcony doors and listen to the lapping sea and knew she had nailed it! Impressive right!We were pleased to hear that the long flight had gone relatively smoothly and Gen had been helped by the people around her and despite it being quite a mission she was pleased to have gone.
I know Gen, from school. she was the year below from me and our paths have crossed over the years. Since I’ve been making this podcast and the conversations about solo motherhood have increased, with other ladies who I’ve spoken to on this podcast such as Mel Johnson and Jocelyn so has the community and support for women thinking about taking this option.
Aged thirty-seven, single and having experienced two miscarriages, Gen found out that her fertility levels were dwindling. On hearing this news, she made the courageous decision to embark on motherhood solo and eventually became pregnant using sperm from a donor bought at a US clinic.
She has been sharing her experiences in her work as a journalism, writing for the national press in the UK and also in her book ‘Going Solo’ where she describes her initial fear of the prospect of birth without a partner, and the trepidation she felt towards all the responsibility she has taken on. She recounts all the milestones of pregnancy and motherhood that most women share with their partner – going to NCT classes alone, taking part in birthing workshops with her sister-in-law, her amazement that two people in her pregnancy yoga class are following the same path as her.
Going Solo is for anyone whose life has taken an unexpected twist; for people who are interested in modern families and for those who want to take control of their life and follow their dreams of parenthood. It celebrates the fulfilment that comes from following what makes you happy and reminds us that beauty may be found when life offers a surprise or a deviation from convention.
Gen talks us through her support network, the challenges she has to overcome on a daily basis and how she spoke out to defend the totally unfair comments from one NHS trust talking about Single Mothers ‘A burden on society’ and along with 175 other single women who signed a letter calling for an apology – received it Here is her comment piece on the story as well
She talked about the stress of her youngest son having a heart condition and how it was dealing with that as a solo parent and the worry her Mother had about her initial decision to go on this journey alone, however what you will hear is a remarkable account of self belief and determination to get what you want. Check back on our socials on Wednesday as we’ll be launching a giveaway to win a copy of Gen’s book.
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