CosyChats Story
Some conversations are forgotten almost as soon as they end.
Others stay with us for years.
This is the story of one seemingly ordinary conversation, how it changed the way I thought about conversations between parents and parents-to-be, and why it eventually became the inspiration for CosyChats.
🌿 Waiting Together, Feeling Alone
The conversation happened during our IVF journey.
During that time, we spent countless hours in waiting rooms.
The clinic itself was housed in an old Victorian building, which I remember less by how it looked than by the sounds that filled it.
A buzzer at the entrance.
Heavy wooden doors opening and closing.
Names being called.
Quiet conversations.
People arriving.
People leaving.
The rhythm never seemed to stop.
Everyone was living their own story.
Hope.
Fear.
Uncertainty.
Some stories were heavier than others.
Despite being surrounded by people, it was remarkably easy to feel completely alone.
⚡ One Ordinary Conversation
One day, while I was waiting for an appointment, someone sat down beside me.
After a few moments they asked,
“Is this your first time?”
I nodded.
“Yes.”
They smiled.
“We’re on our second round.”
After a pause they added,
“I still don’t know what’s worse… the false hope, the waiting or the injections.”
I smiled.
I knew exactly what they meant.
In that moment, weeks of thoughts, tears and emotions suddenly didn’t need explaining.
Those few words carried far more than they seemed to.
Without either of us saying it, there was an immediate understanding.
It felt as though we already knew enough about each other for the conversation to become something more than small talk.
For the first time in a long while, I felt I could have a real conversation rather than the polite conversations that usually happened in waiting rooms.
🌿 What Makes a Real Conversation
Afterwards, I found myself thinking about that conversation a lot.
I’d sat in that waiting room many times before.
I’d spoken to other people.
But I’d never had a conversation like that.
Looking back, I realised it wasn’t simply because we were both going through IVF.
Everyone in that waiting room shared that experience.
The difference was something else.
For a few minutes, two people were willing to move beyond polite conversation.
Looking back, I realised that willingness mattered just as much as the shared experience.
It wasn’t just knowing someone understood. It was knowing they wanted to have that conversation too.
Neither of us was trying to fix the other.
Neither of us felt obliged to talk.
The conversation happened because we were both willing to let it happen.
There was no pressure.
No expectation.
No judgement.
Just two people choosing to share a little of what life really felt like in that moment.
Looking back, I realised how rare that combination can be.
It’s not enough to meet someone who understands.
You also need to know they’re willing to have that conversation.
Only then do you stop wondering whether you’re saying too much, asking the wrong question or sharing something the other person doesn’t really want to hear.
When those two things come together, something changes.
You stop worrying about whether the conversation should happen…
…and simply have it.
That conversation didn’t change our IVF journey.
But it changed how I carried it.
💭 The Question That Stayed With Me
Long after our IVF journey had ended, one question kept coming back to me.
Why had that conversation happened purely by chance?
The waiting room had been full of people.
Every one of them had their own story.
Many of them may have understood exactly how we were feeling. Some may even have been hoping for a conversation like ours.
But there was no way of knowing who might have been open to having that conversation.
It made me wonder…
Why should finding someone who both understands your experiences and wants to have that conversation depend on luck?
🌱 The Idea Behind CosyChats
That question eventually became CosyChats.
Not because conversations solve every problem.
They don’t.
Not because another parent has all the answers.
They won’t.
But because sometimes another parent’s experiences can help us see our own a little differently.
Shared experiences create a natural starting point.
Knowing the other person has chosen to share those experiences creates the confidence to begin the conversation.
Every parent on CosyChats has made a conscious decision to share part of their story. They choose what they’re happy to talk about, when they’re available and what experiences they’d like to share.
Nothing is unexpected.
Nothing feels intrusive.
The conversation begins because two people have already chosen that they’d like it to happen.
Where it goes is entirely up to them.
💬 Where Does Your Conversation Start?
Every parent on CosyChats has chosen what parts of their journey they’re happy to share.
That means you’re not wondering whether someone wants to have the conversation—you already know they’re open to sharing those experiences.
Getting started is simple.
Use Intelligent Search to describe an experience, topic or stage of family life you’d like to explore, or browse parent profiles at your own pace.
Read a few stories.
Take your time.
See who makes you think,
“I’d like to have a conversation with them.”
When you’re ready, booking your conversation only takes a few moments.
🌿 Our Family Today
Our own journey eventually led us to adoption and to our three very different, very wonderful children.
We’re a family of five based in Essex.
Like every family, we’re still learning as our children grow, discovering new experiences and navigating challenges we never expected.
One conversation inspired CosyChats, but today our story is much bigger than that.
Like every parent, we’re still writing it.
🌿 Protecting Our Children’s Story
Our own story didn’t end with IVF. It continued through adoption and into the everyday realities of raising our three children.
There is so much more of our journey that we could share.
But one of the commitments we’ve made as adoptive parents is to protect our children’s privacy.
Their stories belong to them.
As they grow older, they should have the freedom to decide what they want to share about their own lives, in their own time and in their own way.
For that reason, while we’re always happy to share our own experiences as parents, you’ll notice that we deliberately keep the focus away from the personal details of our children.
We hope you’ll understand that this isn’t about secrecy.
It’s about giving them the privacy, dignity and space that every child deserves.
❤️ Thank You
Thank you for taking the time to read our story.
If there’s one thing I hope people take away from it, it’s this:
One conversation didn’t change our circumstances.
It changed how I carried them.
That experience taught me something I’ll never forget.
Sometimes what we’re really looking for isn’t someone with all the answers.
It’s another person who understands enough of our journey to have an honest conversation about it.
That’s the belief CosyChats was built on.
Find. Talk. Share Experiences.