Show Notes
For driven professionals in corporate and public life, fertility challenges and early pregnancy loss are frequently treated as private battles. Grieving under the pressure of high-performance careers often leaves parents feeling forced to carry on without pausing to process their trauma. When Maddy and Julian Simmonds chose to break their silence after enduring nine rounds of IVF and three consecutive miscarriages, they didn't just share a story—they opened the doors of Federal Parliament.
In this episode, Maddy and Julian join us to discuss the exhaustive spectrum of reproductive grief they experienced firsthand while balancing intense, public-facing roles. We explore how Julian utilised his platform as a Federal MP to champion Pink Elephants' "Leave for Loss" campaign, ultimately helping secure a historic amendment to the Fair Work Act that changed Australian workplace protections forever.
Key Takeaways From This Episode:
* Grieving in High-Performance Roles: Maddy opens up about the reality of pushing through nine rounds of IVF and three miscarriages without taking the time off to properly process the grief. * The "Leave for Loss" Campaign: A look behind the scenes of how Julian navigated intense political roadblocks and secured critical small business polling to prove corporate Australia was ready for structural empathy. * Changing the Fair Work Act: How Maddy and Julian's combined bravery helped Pink Elephants secure the historic 2021 amendment, guaranteeing two days of paid bereavement leave for all Australians experiencing early loss. * Dmantling the 12-Week Silence: The couple's vision for a compassionate society where talking about early pregnancy loss is entirely normalised, and where workplaces automatically wrap grieving parents in support.
Read more on the Leave for loss campaign here
Help us Celebrate 10 Years & Donate: Help us show up for the next decade. Your donation ensures we can continue providing a circle of support for families impacted by early pregnancy loss. Donate her [https://www.pinkelephants.org.au/pregnancy-loss-circle---regular-giving]e.
EARLY PREGNANCY LOSS SUPPORT If you or someone you know has experienced miscarriage or early pregnancy loss, please know you are not alone. Connect with our services:
* Live Chat with Peer Support [https://www.pinkelephants.org.au/page/75/peer-support-live-chat] * Online Communities [https://www.pinkelephants.org.au/page/74/peer-support-online-communities] * Pregnancy Loss helpline delivered by PANDA [https://www.pinkelephants.org.au/helpline] * Circle of support [https://www.pinkelephants.org.au/the-circle] * Follow @pinkelephantssupport [https://www.instagram.com/pinkelephantssupport] on instagram. * For crisis support, please call Lifeline - 13 11 14.
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