An inspiring and practical guide to a life without children.
JODY DAY is the British founder of Gateway Women, the global friendship and support network for childless women with a reach of almost two-million around the world. A thought-leader on female involuntary childlessness, she's an integrative psychotherapist, a TEDx speaker, a former Fellow in Social Innovation at Cambridge Judge Business School and a former board member at AWOC (Ageing Without Children). A proud World Childless Week Champion she now lives in the Republic of Ireland.
This book, Jody’s beautiful baby, changes lives. And probably saves
a few, too. By offering love, support and empathy – and, crucially,
practical help on moving through the grief of childlessness and
finding joy in your unexpected future – Jody offers hope. Nobody
gets this like Jody does. The devastating visceral past, present,
future pain of being childless by circumstance. And nobody deals
with this like Jody does. She talks of the agony, of course – but
then she offers hope. This book’s practical help on moving through
the grief of childlessness and finding joy in your unexpected
future is priceless.
*BIbi Lynch, Journalist and Broadcaster*
The book to recommend to patients when they face coming to terms
with unavoidable childlessness.
*British Medical Journal*
A huge part of my coming to terms with my child-free status came
via Jody Day’s Gateway Women – a support network for childless
women. Jody (whose marriage failed after repeated attempts to get
pregnant) is passionate about helping other
childless-by-circumstance women grieve their losses and restructure
their lives. Her book helped remove the guilt and shame I felt
about my childless status and I would urge anyone struggling with
these issues to grab a copy.
*Independent*
Everyone needs a loyal friend and a plan B. However hard we try,
life doesn’t always work out as we hope and expect. Jody recovered
from the identity-threatening blows of Fate; the inexplicable,
unfair journey that is unchosen childlessness. She makes sense of
our painful wounds, fears, grief and even shame of reproductive
death. She gently helps us find meaning to transform these into
useful anger or refound creativity. This is a remarkable and
empowering book.
*Dr Susan Bewley, Professor of Women’s Health, Kings College
London*
Jody Day’s Gateway Women – a support network for childless women –
was a joyous discovery. Jody (whose marriage failed after repeated
attempts to get pregnant) is passionate about helping other
childless-by-circumstance women grieve their losses and restructure
their lives. Her book helped ease the burden of what I previously
considered to be a major personal failing on my part: the failure
to breed. After the grief, I started to feel anger at the prejudice
experienced by childless women. This also helped dissolve my
shame.
*Daily Telegraph*
I wish this book had existed in the early 2000s when my wife and I
were trying to become mothers. I wish it had existed in 2004 when
it was time to stop trying for our mental, physical and emotional
health, time to stop trying for our lives. I am so glad it exists
now.
*Stella Duffy OBE, author, theatre maker and Founder and
Co-Director of Fun Palaces*
Living the Life Unexpected is a gem of a book that offers something
for everyone regardless of where they call home. Her work is a gift
for those seeking revealing insights, useful exercises and food for
thought. I’ve no doubt Living the Life Unexpected will become a
trusted companion you can revisit and learn from in the years to
come.
*Pamela Mahoney Tsigdinos, author, Silent
Sorority*
Warm, witty, and wise, Living the Life Unexpected is essential
reading for any woman whose life has taken her down paths that she
did not anticipate. Blending personal stories with an impressive
understanding of the historical and social contexts of
childlessness, as well as creative activities to help readers
embark on different life journeys, this book is an unexpected
pleasure. It never forgets heartbreak, but also frequently makes
you laugh. Jody Day is both counsellor and friend – someone who
will help readers to live with, perhaps even to love, their
scars.’
*Professor Tracey Loughran, Chair in Modern History, University of
Essex, Editor (with Gayle Davis) of The Palgrave Handbook of
Infertility in History*
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