GOING SOLO

No partner? No problem. Today, more and more single women are turning to IUI, IVF or adoption to chase their dreams of motherhood.

- By Nicci Botha

For those who still haven't found The One, while their biological clock ticks louder than the croc in Peter Pan, there are options.

According to fertility expert Dr Antonio Rodrigues, single women aged 35–50 are increasingly turning to donor sperm and having babies solo, through intrauterine insemination (IUI) and in vitro fertilisation (IVF).

Others choose adoption. A social work study shows that most adopters today are single or unmarried, and although the data did not specify the gender breakdown, it’s likely that most are women.

While none of the options come cheap, the reward is beyond measure – just ask these five women. The route each took is different, but they all prove one thing: Motherhood comes in many forms. After all, it takes a village...

BEVERLEY HOUSTON (46) owns a successful communications company. She conceived her daughter, Ivy (almost 5), via sperm donation.

From the moment she was born, Ivy has consumed my whole heart. She brings an indescribable level of happiness and contentment into my life, and having her has, without a doubt, been the best decision I've ever made.

‘At 39, I realised that, besides abundant love, stability, security and consistency are all a child needs, and that I could provide those so much better on my own. A few months before my 40th birthday, I had my hormone levels checked at the fertility clinic, and during that appointment the doctor asked me whether I'd considered the solo parent route.

‘Once you open yourself up to the idea, it’s a bit like swiping on Tinder – except you have access to a lot more information, and the comfort of knowing the donors have been thoroughly vetted first.