S6: E2 Solo Parent and Doula, Amelie

Todays episode is with 38 year old solo parent Amelie Patrux Eddy.  She is based in the French countryside on the outskirts of Paris but by the time this episode has aired with have moved to the Brittany region.   Amelie grew up in France, was raised by an (almost solo) South African mom and has lived many years in Australia before landing again recently in the suburbs of Paris (in the midst of a global pandemic you might have heard of!)   This melting pot of cultures gave her a profound love and curiosity for the diversity in people’s ideas, cultures, lives and opinions that make each one of us so unique and interesting.   She is a solo mom 'mostly' by choice to Elijah (Eli) , her now 22 months old toddler. Eli was conceived in Sydney through a clinic, after a breakup with her ex-partner and born in France in her family home surrounded by her mom and sister. As a doula @feeling she has supported many solo moms, before having her son.    She recently created an online program naissanceholistique in France to help couples and solo moms prepare for birth. Being solo-mom-inclusive was absolutely a priority for her.   In June 2021, after a two-year debate in parliament, France has finally legalized fertility treatments including IVF for lesbians and single women – making the procedures free for them, just as they are for qualified heterosexual couples. Before that, French women were travelling everywhere in Europe to access fertility treatments.    She also created a small project called @nuancesdefamilles where she showcasts that there are many nuances to being a family but that LOVE is what makes a family. She created it to connect to like-minded families and offer different family models to children.   In todays episode we discuss:    - The option of living with family - The benefits of parenting solo - The importance of support network - Redefining family - Making the decision to pivot your career for a period of time - The realities of solo parenting and the importance of sleep.    You can follow Amelie on Instagram   Thank you for listening to The Stork and I Podcast! I would love for you to share this episode and let me know what you think! Please take a moment to rate and review, it really helps others find the podcast which can be a great source of support!   About Mel Johnson Hi! I'm Mel, The Solo Parenthood Coach and following my own journey to solo parenthood, I created The Stork and I to support others going through the same journey.    I'm also on a mission to change the narrative around solo parenthood   Learn more about me and the coaching I offer at The Stork and I Website   Newsletter I have created a monthly Solo Parent Stork and I Newsletter that you can sign up for here   Instagram: Join our Instagram community for more support   Thriving Solo: You can sign up to Thriving Solo, The Stork and I Membership Community for solo mums to get access to our members only Podcast as well as loads of materials and resources and a monthly remote Community Connection Call to meet other Solo Parents.