When We Speak Out We Are Not Alone – Interview with Charlie Watson

Today Zoe speaks to Charlie Watson, a successful blogger who has only recently shared her fertility prognosis with the world. An episode which talks about Charlie’s journey of discovery with her condition but also her and her partners next big step to create their own unique family; surrogacy.   KEY TAKEAWAYS Charlie was born with the condition MRKH, which means that although she has functioning ovaries her uterus and cervix did not develop properly which means she cannot carry her own children. Charlie is a very successful blogger, her blog and Instagram started off being about running but have now transitioned into being about all of life. Surrogacy is still quite complex in the UK so Charlie and her Partner Tom have decided to do it in the US which has much better legal protection for them as the genetic parents. Charlie and her partner wanted to be really open an honest about their surrogacy journey as it isn’t spoken about enough. Most people only know about surrogacy from celebrities! Now was the perfect time for Charlie to open up about her issues as she feels most of her friends support would have not been quite the same 10, 8 or even 5 years ago as they are all in a different life stage now. She also feels like the more awareness around mental health and the fertility communities on places like Facebook and Instagram have somewhat paved the way for people like herself to talk openly. The rules and regulations around workplaces and IVF need to change, it’s astounding how unsupportive some workplaces can be. Women are given time off around maternity appointments but often not to undertake IVF.   BEST MOMENTS   “It’s really reframed me accepting…I’m so lucky”   “This is ridiculous…the NHS doesn’t help at all and the law protects the birth mother and not the genetic parents”   “It’s been invaluable speaking to women about their experiences”     VALUABLE RESOURCES https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/cook-eat-run/id1500910254 https://www.amazon.com/Cook-Eat-Run-Performance-Ultimate/dp/1787134296   https://www.beautifulyoumrkh.org https://surrogacyuk.org   www.petalscharity.org www.tommys.org www.arc-uk.org www.sands.org.uk     ABOUT THE GUEST Charlie Watson   IG: @therunnerbeans https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/cook-eat-run/id1500910254 https://www.amazon.com/Cook-Eat-Run-Performance-Ultimate/dp/1787134296   https://www.beautifulyoumrkh.org https://surrogacyuk.org       ABOUT THE HOST Zoe Cresswell Devoted mother of two (and a big hairy dog), UK trained midwife, doula and personal trainer, specialising in pre and postnatal fitness. Zoe was born in the UK and before moving to Dubai in 2013 and worked as a midwife in central London, both in a birth centre and a very busy NHS hospital. Although late to the scene, Zoe is an aspiring athlete having won numerous triathlons and representing Great Britain where she placed within the top 10 on the world stage. With her husband James, the couple will soon be launching their cloth nappy company, Bop & Bee, where they hope to inspire families to swap a few disposable nappies a day for the more planet friendly option of cloth. Zoe’s goal is to share her knowledge and experience, tell real life stories, manage expectations and open up those often difficult conversations. Zoe’s own motherhood journey has been full of twists and turns as she put everything on hold and went through numerous miscarriages and rounds of IVF.   CONTACT DETAILS Instagram : @zoecresswell_me Facebook: Zoe Cresswell LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/zoe-cresswell