A Woman’s Guide to Conceiving Alone

Becoming a parent need not necessarily be something that you do with another person, many women use human egg freezing to give themselves more time to find the perfect partner, but in fact, an increasing number of single women are electing to become single mothers. Here we provide a single woman’s guide to having a baby so that you can enter into the wonderful world of motherhood and enjoy all that becoming a parent has to offer.

Sperm donors

It may be the case that you have already enlisted the help of a male friend, found a sperm donor online, or have used a specialist agency in your search for a donor. One of the most important things when considering using a sperm donor is to consider the long term and long reaching implications for yourself and for your child. You should ensure that you go through specialist counselling as you make the decision so that you are equipped with the necessary support and thought processes to support you with your thinking through conception, pregnancy and beyond. There are specialist counsellors out there who can offer you a safe and non-judgemental space in which you can explore your thoughts and feelings.

Be prepared

Of course, there are all the trials and tribulations associated with pregnancy and parenthood for you to prepare for, but also be prepared for questions and judgement. Many people – perhaps even some of those closest to you – may not understand or support your decision. Although this may be difficult, being prepared for such responses will ensure that you are galvanised against them. Remain focused on your reasons for taking the route that you are, and make sure that you discuss your feelings in your counselling sessions. You may also think about joining an online community of women from whom you can seek advice and support.

Pregnancy

Assisted conception

Once you have made the decision to become a parent, and you have secured a sperm donor, it is time to think about the form of assisted conception that is right for you. There are several options for you to consider. IVF, which is perhaps the one option that you will be most familiar with, involves mixing the donor sperm with your egg outside of your body. After fertilisation the resulting embryo will be implanted and you will know within two weeks whether a successful pregnancy has resulted. Another option open to you is ICSI. As with IVF, the fertilisation happens outside of the body, but rather than the sperm and egg being mixed, the sperm is injected directly into the egg. Finally, and perhaps most common in this situation, is IUI. In this process the sperm is injected via the vaginal opening in order to allow fertilisation to occur.

Whichever route you take to becoming a single parent, it is important to consider that fact that the treatment may not work on the first attempt – even if you have no underlying fertility issues. A good state of mind and a healthy dose and patience are vital as you work through the process to becoming a parent.

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