The Full Stop

This is the episode for anyone who has ever frozen when someone asked an inappropriate question. For anyone who has said yes to something that cost them far more than it should have. For anyone who is tired of absorbing other people's thoughtlessness and is ready to do something about it.

Sandy Langhart-Michelet has spent over a decade building one of ...

This is one of those episodes that takes a little courage both to make, and perhaps to listen to. But we think you'll come away from it feeling more informed, less alone, and ready to take at least one step you've been putting off.

Death and end of life planning are topics most of us avoid. Add childlessness int...

What happens when a writer decides to break the silence around childlessness, but not with a neat resolution, but through the voices of two women whose stories span 4,000 years?

In this episode, Berenice and Michael are joined by Byddi Lee. She is the author of Barren (shortlisted for the 2025 Carousel Aware Prize for Independent Authors), The Rejuvenation Trilogy, and March to No...

In this episode of The Full Stop, we are joined by Civilla Morgan, one of the earliest and most influential voices in the childless not by choice podcasting space. After ten years and 180 episodes, she shares her decision to step away from her podcast, a choice shaped by grief, timing, work, and deep self-reflection.

Together, we explore the emotional weight of long-term podcastin...

In this reflective end-of-year episode, we - Berenice, Sarah, and Michael - look back on the past year, the growth of the Full Stop, and the conversations that have shaped the Full Stop Community and wider childlessness community. We also turn gently towards the holidays, and Christmas, a season that can bring joy, grief, pressure, and loneliness in equal measure.

We explore how Christmas changes over time, particularly through gri...

Australian activist Michael Barnett joins us to talk about identity, queer visibility, childlessness not by choice, and what it means to advocate fiercely for others while holding private grief. A moving conversation about purpose, belonging, and the quiet ways we create legacy.

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Visit our website to join our supportive and friendly Full Stop Community for childless not by choice people, download the transcript of thi...

In this heartfelt episode of The Full Stop, counsellor and author Meriel Whale joins the team to discuss how childlessness reshapes love, identity, and connection within relationships.

Together with Berenice, Sarah, and Michael, she explores what happens when partners experience grief at different paces, how intimacy and communication evolve after loss, and why understanding each other’s emotional landscape matters more than ...

Reframing ‘Otherness’: A Conversation with Lana Manikowski

In our latest episode, we talk with author and coach Lana Manikowski about the experience of being “othered” as a woman without children. Lana describes how years of infertility led her to a new purpose: helping others define their lives beyond parenthood.

She speaks openly about shame, resilience, and the importance of investing in yoursel...

In this conversation, we’re joined by Anne Barratt from Empowering Health who discusses her holistic approach to health, focusing on kinesiology and its role in understanding individual experiences of menopause and childlessness. Anne encourages listeners to embrace their femininity and creativity, highlighting that ageing is not an end but a new beginning.

After two decades in corporate marketing&md...

In Episode 76, Berenice, Michael, and Sarah have the conversation they’ve avoided for six years: what happens after failed IVF. With raw honesty and compassion, we explore the emotional aftermath of a process that’s gruelling, often isolating, and rarely discussed when it doesn't lead to parenthood.

We reflect on grief, lost identities, anger at misleading success rates, the mental and financial toll, and the uncomforta...

We welcome Professor Gayle Letherby, a pioneering sociologist whose deeply personal and academic work has transformed how we think about childlessness, grief, identity, and storytelling. Gayle reflects on her journey, beginning with a miscarriage in the 1980s that altered her life trajectory and became the foundation of a groundbreaking academic career. Her research into involuntary childlessness, pregnanc...

Welcome to this episode of the Full Stop podcast, where we’re joined by our guests John and Ben to explore the joys and complexities of being a childless aunt, uncle, or godparent. Together, we reflect on how these roles offer meaningful ways to nurture, support, and build a legacy when one is childless not by choice. Listen for advice on boundaries, freedom, and the unique impact of chosen relations...

In this episode of the Full Stop podcast, hosts Berenice, Michael, and Sarah are joined by returning guest Robert Nurden to discuss the complex and often underexplored topic of how childlessness impacts friendships. We get curious about personal experiences, societal reactions, and the emotional complexities surrounding friendship dynamics in the context of childlessness.

We welcome Anne Altamore, founder and owner of Life After IVF Counselling, Psychotherapy and Coaching. Anne shares her insights on the importance of visibility, the emotional toll of exclusion, and how social media can be used to broaden conversations about childlessness.

We tackle International Women’s Day, discussing the need for allyship, the gendered expectations placed ...

In this deeply moving episode, Sarah and Michael open up an honest and heartfelt conversation about miscarriage, pregnancy loss, and the isolation that follows. Joined by special guests Lori and Sandra McNicol, we share personal journeys of loss, infertility, and coming to terms with a life without children.

From the emotional highs of pregnancy to the devastating impact of loss, they explore the grief, silence,...

Welcome to the 70th episode of the Full Stop Podcast! We’re joined by returning guests Bindi Shah and Lisa Kissane, alongside co-hosts Berenice and Michael Hughes, for an inspiring conversation about setting intentions, goals, and how we navigate life as childless individuals.

• Gentle Intentions vs. Rigid Goals: Lisa and Bindi contrast the pressures of ...