Parenting as Two Mums and with a Disability with Jessica and Claudia

In this episode, Hannah is joined by Jessica and Claudia Kellgren-Fozard! Jessica is a YouTuber and content creator who shares her experiences as a chronically ill and disabled lesbian, often making videos with her wife, Claudia. Jessica discusses drawing on her knowledge of sign language as a deaf person to teach their baby, and how becoming a parent has helped Jessica with her disabilities through building physical strength. Jessica and Claudia chat about why Claudia had an elective caesarean to make it easier for Jessica to be able to be present at the birth and how the temporary disability of recovering from her caesarean gave Claudia a new perspective on the restrictions and frustrations Jessica experiences with her disabilities. They talk about how gender parenting roles don’t come into play as a lesbian couple, why not to say “whose baby is it really?” to lesbian parents, and how ostracising it can be for Jessica when “mum” gatherings focus on breast feeding. Finally, Jessica and Claudia chat to Hannah about whether they felt the health care environments they visited during the pregnancy were inclusive to them as lesbians.

✨MORE ABOUT JESSICA KELLGREN-FOZARD✨
Jessica Kellgren-Fozard is a British Youtuber and Content Creator who shares her experiences as a chronically ill and disabled lesbian in a fun, uplifting and educational way. Since starting to make videos in 2016, Jessica's channel has grown to 902k subscribers and the success of her platform has led to her being named the top Online Influencer at the British LGBT Awards 2021. Jessica is an advocate for both the Disability and LGBTQ+ communities, often making videos with her wife Claudia, or about her daily experiences as a deaf person living with genetic disorders Hereditary Neuropathy with Liability to Pressure Palsies (HNPP) and Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome. Her amazing efforts in representing both communities have earned her places on the Shaw Trust Disability Power List and Lesbian Visibility Week’s Visible 100 List.

- Jessica’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/JessicaOutOfTheCloset/
- Jessica and Claudia’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jessieandclaud/
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/JessicaKellgrenFozard
- Claudia’ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cloudfoz/

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