Curveball - Single Mothers By Choice

Explicit content warning

11/26/21 • 53 min

Curveball – The Club you didn't want to be part of

As children, we read stories about romance and living happily ever after. We learn there’s a script to follow: find our passion, our job, meet somebody and create a family. What happens when your life doesn’t follow that script, and you are single and want to have children?
Host, Beth Armstrong guides a conversation between three bold, funny and wise women who speak together anonymously to share their stories of how and why they decided to raise children independently.
Some topics included in this discussion may be triggering or distressing. If you need support, please contact Beyond Blue on 1300 224 636 or Lifeline on 13 11 14.
Topics include:

younger/geriatric pregnancy
IVF/surrogacy/ embryo donation/co-parent websites
international/local/known sperm donors
Baby loss/miscarriage
Father’s day
Age-appropriate explanations for children
introducing donors
role models
single mother by necessity /choice
blended families
Dating
Who will care for the children if something happens to their sole parent
misconceptions
gender-specific skills as an outdated concept
Whether to seek out donor siblings - “diblings.”
Children’s characteristics similar or different to birth mother
Advice to others considering becoming a SMC (single mother by choice)

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Contact Beth at: [email protected]
Sound production: Unison Sound.
Producer: Luke Mynott, Beth Armstrong
Host: Beth Armstrong
Editor: Tom Herdman, Mija Healey.
Sound Engineer: Micayla Laurence, Cihan Siral.
Composer: Biddy Connor
Artwork: wisebrownfox
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younger/geriatric pregnancy
IVF/surrogacy/ embryo donation/co-parent websites
international/local/known sperm donors
Baby loss/miscarriage
Father’s day
Age-appropriate explanations for children
introducing donors
role models
single mother by necessity /choice
blended families
Dating
Who will care for the children if something happens to their sole parent
misconceptions
gender-specific skills as an outdated concept
Whether to seek out donor siblings - “diblings.”
Children’s characteristics similar or different to birth mother
Advice to others considering becoming a SMC (single mother by choice)

Previous Episode

Later Life Lesbians - Part 2

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Part Two (We recommend listening to Part One first)
The conversation continues. Guided by the host, Beth Armstrong, three bold, funny and wise women speak together anonymously to share their stories of coming out later in life and how it has affected their lives.
You’re married or partnered, maybe have children, a career and your identity is heterosexual, but then you’re single again and unexpectedly you fall in love with a woman. How does that work?
Some topics included in this discussion may be triggering or distressing for some listeners. If you need support, please contact Beyond Blue on 1300 224 636 or Lifeline on 13 11 14.
Topics include:

marriage equality
coming out
lesbian culture / Mardi Gras
The pink sofa / lesbian clubs
online dating / u-hauling
family reactions
discrimination / bi-phobia
generational change
children of gay parents coming out as straight or otherwise
identity within gay community/pansexual
pronouns/categories
step-family dynamics/blended families
gold star lesbians
patriarchy impact on marriage/domestics comparative to same-sex
The tragedy of Heterosexuality - book
pressures of representing a community
sharing breastfeeding
the complexity of breadwinner/mother dynamics
who gets pregnant, and bonding with both mothers
post natal depression
Finding community/ allies
religion
toaster oven concept
male/female gaze

Next Episode

Curveball - Emigration Experience Part 1

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The decision is to pack up and move away from your extended family, friends, and culture to live in a foreign land. Perhaps for work, to broaden opportunities, education, love or adventure, or simply to live a better or a different life. We imagine it might be a certain way, but it’s a leap into the unknown. What’s it like to emigrate to Australia?
Guided by the host, Beth Armstrong, the guests (from India, Singapore and Brazil) discuss in-depth why they emigrated and the experience of doing so. Speaking anonymously they share how it has altered them; it's an intriguing, winding and frank conversation.
Topics include:
Perceptions of Australia prior to emigrating
Racism
Multiculturalism
Australianisms
Raising children away from your own culture
Mother-guilt
Aussie spirit
Finding new friends
Approach to relationships

Curveball – The Club you didn't want to be part of - Curveball - Single Mothers By Choice

Transcript

00:00:00.400

Warning. This episode includes a discussion that some may find triggering or distressing. If you need support, please contact beyond Blue on 1300 Double 24636 or Lifeline on 13 Double 114 Hi, Welcome to Curveball, the club you didn't want to be part of. I'm Beth Armstrong. Sometimes in life, something comes out of left field and we're knocked sideways, be it cancer, miscarriage or divorce. How are we changed for the better or worse by these experiences and how do we m