A Conference for Childless and Childfree Women? What Is THAT Like?
"I didn't know what to expect, but I had to be here." That was the most repeated description of our first-ever conference for women without children by choice or by chance in 2015, The NotMom Summit. More than anything else, comments like that are how we KNOW that there is value in an event that draws together women without children from around the world. Madison Avenue has yet to get a clue about the strength of our community, but we know, don't we? We've found that many peo
The NotMom Summit Interview: Jody Day
Childless and childfree women come in lots of shapes and sizes. We are all colors, all cultures, and all ages. As much as we have in common, we are also very different, and we define ourselves without the label of "Mom". And if you’re not a Mom, who are you? This series by TheNotMom writer and childfree blogger Laura M. LaVoie features interviews with the women presenting at The NotMom Summit on October 6 and 7, 2017 in Cleveland, OH. Meet Jody Day, our luncheon keynote speak
Voluntary Sterilization: When Women Ask For It, Why Won't Doctors Listen?
The NotMom is really popular in Canada, and that's a good thing, because it means that NotMoms in countries other than the United States identify with the reactions and emotions of women without children far from where they live. Headlines in August 2017 about a Canadian study of women under 30 seeking
sterilization connected with many By Choice NotMoms around the world. Let's begin this report with the news that guidelines are very clear for Canadian professionals. Dustin C
Childless Women Know All About Unanswered Prayers
Only a year or so after I began my journey with The NotMom brand and the women attracted to it, a very good friend who is also over 50 told me she didn't know "how I could do it." She, like me, once desperately wanted to be a Mom. Needless to say, motherhood didn't happen for either of us. We are at an age where we know for sure, it never will. I remember telling my friend that I had found acceptance with my Life choices as well as the things that Life chose for me. I no long
Why Isn’t Octavia Butler a Household Name?
“All that you touch, you change; all that you change, changes you.” --Octavia E. Butler, Parable of the Sower I have always loved science fiction and speculative fiction. When I was still in elementary school, I complained that the Sweet Valley High books I had read were not challenging enough. My mom took me to the library and handed me George Orwell’s 1984. My life was never the same. Throughout my reading life, I have consumed books by Heinlein, Asimov, Bradbury, and Vonne
Another Childless Woman to Remember: Edith Windsor
I was really sad when I heard that Edith Windsor died at age 88 in September 2017. I recognized her name immediately. She's the woman behind the landmark case that led the U.S. Supreme Court to grant same-sex married couples federal recognition and access to 1,138 federal benefits that were previously denied. Social Security. Health and veterans' benefits. Welfare assistance to poor and elderly. Immigration and bankruptcy protections. So many things that straight couples take
It's the Same Question for Non-Parents and Parents: Can’t We All Get Along?
For the past 11 years, I have made an annual pilgrimage to the heart of Atlanta, Georgia over Labor Day weekend. Plans are already confirmed for my 12th trip in 2018. What exactly is this magical event? I’m talking about Dragon Con! This year, the city of Atlanta saw more than 80,000 people converge over several city blocks covering five hotels and all the buildings between. Dragon Con is a large, fan-run pop-culture convention that has something for everyone. Sure, you can s
Another Childless Woman Redefining Feminine Legacy: Caroline Ferriday
When I told a friend that I was reading Lilac Girls by Martha Hall Kelly, she let out a sigh and said, "That is one hard book." Actually, I listened to the arduous story of 72 Polish Catholic women imprisoned in Adolf Hitler's only all-female concentration camp as an audiobook. It's the only way my busy schedule can accommodate my love of good books, and this is a very good book. With all the cable specials, and movies, and books, and on and on, you would think that we know e
The NotMom Summit Interview: Kate Kaufmann
Childless and childfree women come in lots of shapes and sizes. We are all colors, all cultures, and all ages. As much as we have in common, we are also very different, and we define ourselves without the label of "Mom". And if you’re not a Mom, who are you? This series by TheNotMom writer and childfree blogger Laura M. LaVoie features interviews with the women presenting at The NotMom Summit on October 6 and 7, 2017. Meet Kate Kaufmann at the discussion about Mommyjacking Se
