This is a longer episode, compelled to share it all as my two guests are both women, still trying to have their families who have created two very different books to share.
Meet Anna German, her book is called 'So when are you going to have kids.
I can hear you sigh, yes that question that the world feels entitled to ask you because you're not yet a parent.
Anna shared her journey, how she and her hubby started trying at 30 - assumed it would work, told everyone, planned holidays around it, then after a year went to the doctor to get a few things checked out and were referred to some tests. Initially, Anna said 'we thought great - we’re having tests... obviously once they’ve figured out the problem, they’ll be able to fix it…'
When Anna explained the speed at which they were told they needed to have IVF it reminded me of when my husband and I were given the news. It was delivered so thoughtlessly, we actually complained.
Anna said the letter that was written to the GP said ‘after extensive discussion with us they’d recommend IVF’ and how she and her husband had just laughed out loud.
Her book is a wonderful piece of illustration which you can view here
https://issuu.com/fraudeutsch/docs/so_when_-_issuu_booklet3
Anna talks about how she left her job due to going through treatment however chose to complete an MA in Illustration and this book was the outcome of her work. I love what she's done and encourage you to share it. Her experiences will resonate with you, I'm sure.
My next guest is Natascha Dea who has created a very different but equally stunning book photographic called Waiting. Natascha shares her journey as a 40 something through realizing she wasn’t going to be able to use her eggs and dealings with the loss of that and working towards using a donor
Natascha met her 'love' at 37 and when they found their route to parenthood wasn't happening as she'd hoped and they went to speak to medical professionals, Natascha found she was being referred to with that endearing term 'geriatric' by her doctor.
Natascha and I talked for an hour and this interview is much longer than I would normally do, and I wanted to share it as I found her journey and how it affected her creatively so fascinating. She has pulled together this book, after being encouraged to by her fertility doctor who is the fifth person she's seen and the first to notice the cysts that were missed by the previous consultants. Also, the first to help Natascha through her miscarriages and help her with her mindset on this journey.
