Don’t Call Me Ma’am – Childless By Choice – Episode 12
This week on Don’t Call Me Ma’am, Jodi Miller reconnects with longtime friend, actress, writer, and producer Austin Highsmith Garces, for a deep dive into what it means to be childless by choice.
Austin opens up about her lifelong desire to be a mother, her challenging health diagnosis of Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, and the difficult yet empowering decision she and her husband, Teddy, made to not have children. Together, Jodi and Austin unpack the emotional complexities of choosing—or being led to—paths that deviate from societal expectations.
They explore the grief of letting go of a dream, the joy in finding love that’s enough, and the power in redefining what motherhood can look like—from mentoring young creatives to showing up fully for nieces, nephews, and loved ones. Jodi also reflects on her own journey to motherhood, and what it means to find fulfillment later in life.