Men can get broody too.
And when fatherhood doesn’t happen, the grief can be devastating, silent, and unseen.
Dr. Robin A. Hadley, one of the world’s leading voices on involuntary male childlessness, breaks the silence in his warm and deeply moving way.
His powerful book
How Is a Man Supposed to Be a Man? Male Childlessness – A Life Disrupted (Berghahn, 2021)
is a book I devoured in one sitting! It articulates a grief that so many men carry quietly, often without language, permission, or space.
I knew instantly I had to talk with him, and I knew he had to be on this podcast...
This conversation is honest, and compassionate.There's smiles, laughter, wisdom and tears.
Rob shares his personal journey, the findings from his groundbreaking research, and the emotional realities men face when biology, circumstance, or fate disrupts their path to fatherhood.
We explore masculinity, jealousy, silence, shame, tenderness, and why vulnerability in men is not weakness, but survival.
This episode is for men who feel unseen.
And for partners, clinicians, friends, and families who care..
Check out his website for more: https://www.robinhadley.co.uk/ .
• Why involuntary childlessness is a hidden grief for so many men
• The quiet pressure men feel to “be strong” and stay silent
• Jealousy, isolation, and the emotional landmines of social life
• How masculinity and fertility have become tightly intertwined
• The absence of men’s stories in fertility narratives and healthcare
• Why emotional wellbeing is still overlooked in male fertility support
• How planning, meaning, and kindness can help men live fully alongside grief
• Practical strategies for navigating holidays, family gatherings, and painful milestones
• Grief does not require permission to be real
• Men need language and space for fertility-related loss
• Vulnerability strengthens individuals and societies
• Kindness, especially self-kindness, is not optional
• Open conversations change culture
00:00 Introduction to involuntary childlessness
01:48 Rob’s personal journey
08:38 The emotional toll of male childlessness
13:25 Grief, jealousy, and comparison
19:34 Societal expectations of fatherhood
25:18 Why vulnerability in men matters
30:35 Gaps in healthcare and cultural awareness
34:08 Meaning, connection, and identity beyond fatherhood
39:09 Navigating holidays and social pressure
41:05 A powerful call to action
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