26. Katy Seppi on Being Childfree Not by Choice

In this episode, The Childless Collective online community host, Katy Seppi, shares her journey of infertility and becoming childfree not by choice.  You'll hear her and Keltie discuss: 

• Katy's personal experience with infertility, IVF, and endometriosis — and the challenges of accessing proper medical care.
• How and when Katy decided to stop fertility treatments and pursue a hysterectomy. 
• How the lack of support and understanding from the healthcare system can exacerbate the emotional and physical challenges faced by individuals struggling with infertility and reproductive health issues.
• The difficult decisions that come with choosing to stop trying for a child.

• The harmful messaging around never giving up on having a child and the complexities of fertility treatments, surrogacy, and adoption.
• The nuances and complexities of the terms 'childless' and 'childfree' and the societal pressures associated with these choices ...in what is a heartfelt, raw, and important conversation. 

As mentioned in the show: Check out Katy's community for childless women and non-binary people, The Childless Collective, here: childlesscollective.com Find Katy on TikTok here: tiktok.com/@childlesscollective And on Instagram here: instagram.com/childlesscollective About Katy: Here's what Katy shares about her story: "My four-year infertility journey ended with a hysterectomy in 2017. At the time, I didn’t have a single person I could talk to who was also involuntarily childless. I decided to use my background in community organizing to create gathering places for childless people to connect, access support, and talk about the common themes that weave through our experiences. I host the Childless Collective online community, which is a year-round hub of connection and support for childless women and nonbinary people. I've also hosted the Childless Collective Summit for the past four years, bringing together 100 speakers and over 8,000 attendees together. I have a Master’s of Social Work degree from UGA, with an emphasis in community empowerment and program development. My current home is Savannah, Georgia, where I spend my free time on my bike, exploring swamps, reading, hanging out with my favorite people, finding the best tiki drinks, and anything else that strikes my fancy." —  Check out our free resources here, or at kidsorchildfree.com/free-resources And don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and review The Kids or Childfree Podcast if you love what you’re hearing! You can leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts, or a rating on Spotify. Find us online at www.kidsorchildfree.com. Instagram: www.instagram.com/kidsorchildfree TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@kidsorchildfree