A SINGLE woman has revealed how she spent thousands on having a baby on her own instead of waiting for Mr Right.
Charlotte Dunn, 38, spent £20,000 to fulfill her dream of becoming a mum, even if it meant doing it alone.
She used inheritance money and savings to fund four rounds of IUI – which involved artificially inseminating herself with sperm – and two attempts of IVF.
The second attempt was a success and she fell pregnant in November 2023 with her daughter Thea, now five months old.
Charlotte always knew she wanted to be a mum, but struggled to find someone to settle down with, now the new mum is one of the many women undergoing fertility treatment alone in the UK.
According to data released by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority yesterday (26), the number of single UK women having fertility treatment has more than trebled in the past decade.
Charlotte, a media coordinator at Sky, from Camberley, Surrey, said: “She’s just been amazing.
“She’s the most well-behaved baby.
“It was my savings and my inheritance from my grandparents. It paid for me to make my dream come true.
“Even in a relationship, you can never be 100% sure that you’re having a baby at the right time.
“If you want it enough and you’ve got the means it’s definitely something to do.
“It’s comforting to know lots of people are doing it. As time goes on there is less stigma attached to doing it alone.”
Charlotte knew she wanted a child aged 13, when she fell in love with looking after her baby cousin.
But by 36 she was still single and struggled to find someone she wanted to start a family with.
After sitting down with her own mum, Sue, a retired teaching assistant, she was encouraged go down a solo route.
Charlotte said: “I always had that maternal instinct and knew I wanted to be a mum.
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“I had her full blessing and was ready to do it.”
Charlotte contacted CREATE fertility clinic in May 2022, who recommend sperm banks for Charlotte to choose from.
She underwent a series of tests and an ultrasound scan revealed she had several cysts on her right ovary – including one growth that was 8cm in diameter.
Charlotte underwent an operation to remove them in September 2022, but doctors had to leave a few for risk of damaging her ovary.
Afterwards, she began IUI which involved artificially inseminating herself with the sperm.
But after four failed attempts, doctors noticed the remaining cysts had grown and she need more surgery.
She said: “After that operation, I was left with 10 percent of my right ovary.
“It was so upsetting – I never thought I had an issues.
“It was going to make it hard to conceive naturally.
“But it just meant I would need IVF instead and I didn’t lose hope of becoming a mum.”
Charlotte had seven eggs retrieved, and doctors fertilised them using the remaining sperm donor sample.
Three of the eggs were viable embryos, meaning they could implanted in her womb.
The first embryo was unsuccessful, but the second one worked and Charlotte found out she was pregnant in November 2023.
She said: “I was over the moon and the first person I told was my mum.
“I never had a negativity about doing it alone – everyone was so happy for me.
“My mum came to every appointment with me.
“She was right by my side throughout and my rock.”
Charlotte planned to have an elective c-section at 35 weeks and four days but went into natural labour in July 2024.
She rushed to Frimley Park Hospital and had an emergency c-section after 48 hours when the baby’s heart rate dropped.
With grandma Sue in the room, Charlotte welcomed her daughter Thea at 3.51pm weighing 5lb 8oz.
Charlotte said: “The last five months have flown by.
“She’s a very smiley little girl.”
A report by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority have said 4,800 single women used sperm donors and IVF in 2022 – up by 1,400 in 2012.
The HFEA said women are on average 36-years-old when they use clinics.
Charlotte feels comforted that Thea won’t be the only child with just one parent.
She said: “When she goes to school and isn’t able to talk about a dad she isn’t going to alone in that.”
Charlotte shares her journey on Instagram @solo_bump and hopes her story can inspire others.
She said: “There are routes to make a family possible instead of rushing into a relationship that’s wrong just for the sake of having a child.”
