What empty nest?

The first time I experienced empty nest syndrome it came as a huge shock to my system. I wasn’t prepared for the sense of loss I would feel when my eldest daughter, Mia, left home to go to university.

From tests that predict your fertility window to coaches promising to mentor you through the mother of all decisions, the market for hand-holding women through the parenthood question is no longer in its infancy. Faced with a life-changing call, WH asks if the business of offspring evaluation is long overdue – or capitalising on women’s body clocks?

It’s the start of what will be a golden age for inheritance in this country as wealth is transferred from postwar boomers to their offspring. But, if you’re not one of the recipients, a nagging feeling of envy can take hold…

Buying a house is often seen as a life milestone, but what if it never happens? Claire Weekes shares why she’s letting go of the pressure

At 38, Victoria Mapplebeck found herself single, pregnant and broke. Unable to combine motherhood with her job as a freelance film director, she walked away from her career and turned the camera on herself. Her documentary, Motherboard , is an unvarnished portrait of single motherhood. Here, she tells her story

Whether by choice or not, singledom in midlife is on the rise. We explore the many pleasures – and occasional pitfalls – of going solo