Seeking Motherhood whilst Working as a Newborn Photographer

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In this episode I am talking with Nikki Watkins, a wedding, lifestyle, and family photographer from Bedfordshire. Nikki joins me for an open and honest discussion about her infertility journey as she seeks motherhood alongside being a photographer. Nikki not only shares her experiences, but also her coping strategies.

INFERTILITY

Nikki married in 2017 and, naturally, her and her partner wanted to start a family. After 18 months of trying to conceive, they went to the doctor for testing and discovered that there was infertility on her partner’s side.

IVF JOURNEY

After trying to conceive naturally, Nikki and her husband have decided to go through IVF treatment. So far, they have had 2 rounds of treatment. They were able to get one round of treatment paid for, but it is a lottery depending on where you live. If you are looking to seek IVF treatment, there are lots of options out there for funding and different routes to take.

BE MINDFUL

Nikki also wants to draw attention to the expectations put upon couples after they get married to have children. It’s almost always the first thing they get asked about and it’s often not taken into consideration that people could be having difficulty conceiving. Nikki urges you to be mindful of what people may be going through.

ACCEPTANCE

Initially, Nikki was angry and also experienced guilt at her own anger. She was still doing newborn and maternity shoots and burying her feelings. She cut down on her bookings to cope. Acceptance was the key to overcoming her feelings and emerging on the other side. She reminds herself that it will happen, it just may take some time.