Nicola Sturgeon has recently made headlines after one of her media appearances sparked speculations about the state of her marriagewith former SNP chief Peter Murrell. The controversy came shortly after she quit her role as the First Minister citing ‘not enough fuel in a tank’ to lead further and her desire to spend more time with her loved ones.
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It emerged that ever since Nicola Sturgeon got more time on her hands, she was doing not only that but also indulged in her ‘newfound love of hillwalking’, one of the most popular outdoor activities in Scotland.
The high-profile politician who still serves as MSP for Glasgow South, also hinted a bookand something even more significant for her family life - a plan to become a foster parent.
Here is what we know about Nicola Sturgeon’s motherhood journey, her tragic miscarriage and the way she coped with it.
Nicola Sturgeon is considering becoming a foster parent
Opening up about her life after leadership as Scotland’s longest-serving First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon revealed she is considering becoming a foster parent.
The politician is no stranger to taking care of young vulnerable people, and this would be a natural move for her, the sources suggest.
Nicola Sturgeon said:
The fostering thought has actually come about more because I’ve done a lot of work with young people.
She admitted that she has seen ‘the transformational effect that good care can have on a young person’s life’.
Nicola Sturgeon has revealed that she is actively considering becoming a foster parent
— i newspaper (@theipaper) May 30, 2023
The former SNP leader said she would have to think “long and hard” about the decision, inspired by her experiences of meeting children who have previously been in care https://t.co/IRgbaq1BLH
The former First Minister feared that the country's care system was ‘broken’ and that ‘it is still the case that one in a hundred children in Scotland will go into care before their first birthday’ but insisted the situation had improved under her leadership.
She also made a promise to ‘be a voice for those in care or at risk of care' and to do everything 'to make sure all young people grow up surrounded by love.’
Read more:
⋙ Nicola Sturgeon: ex-First Minister reveals her new dream as she makes comeback to the stage
⋙ Nicola Sturgeon: This is really why she resigned as Scotland's First Minister
Nicola Sturgeon had a miscarriage back in 2011
Although it is easy to assume that high-flying female politicians don’t have children by choice, it is not always the case.
Nicola Sturgeon, then just 40 years old and a deputy First Minister, was planning to start a family when she suffered a miscarriage six months into her pregnancy 'at the very end of Hogmanay’ in January 2011.
She didn't opened up about it until 2016.
The politician said:
Sometimes... having a baby just doesn't happen - no matter how much we might want it to.
Nicola Sturgeon admitted that the miscarriage was 'a painful experience’ for her and her husband.
She also said that instead of dealing with her grief at home, she joined a public event, attending the 40th anniversary of the Ibrox disaster, in which 66 Rangers football supporters were crushed to death.
She said:
If you go online and Google, you can find a photograph of me at an event, actually while I’m still having a miscarriage, a public commemoration for a disaster that happened many decades ago in Scotland. Looking at me, looking at that photograph now, it’s clear I’m in a lot of pain.
Nicola Sturgeon: I attended memorial service ‘while still having a miscarriage’ https://t.co/P7DidpcKzi
— The Independent (@Independent) March 20, 2023
To help other parents going through similar heartbreaking situations, Nicola Sturgeon launched ‘the baby loss memorial book’ that allows a voluntary, free-of-charge entry of the lost baby in a book and a commemorative certificate, to give recognition and comfort to those who want to record their loss.
She also hoped that her talking about her personal experience ‘might challenge some of the assumptions and judgements that are still made about women - especially in politics - who don't have children’.
Read more:
⋙ Nicola Sturgeon: What is the ex-First Minister of Scotland doing today?
⋙ Leaked footage of Nicola Sturgeon shows her issue harsh warning as SNP is now being investigated
Sources used:
- Mail Online: 'Did the Loose Women bring out Nicola Sturgeon's softer side? First Minister, 51, opens up on motherhood and her own miscarriage - and admits she's in the 'foothills' of menopause'
- Cosmopolitan: 'Nicola Sturgeon opens up about attending memorial service while having a miscarriage'
- BBC News: 'Nicola Sturgeon miscarriage: First minister reveals baby loss'
- iTV: 'Nicola Sturgeon considering becoming foster parent in life after leadership'
