A woman worried her "biological clock" was ticking after a break-up has had a sperm donor baby by herself.
Laurie Ledger-Hardy, 37, split from her long-term partner two years ago and decided on becoming a mum instead of finding someone new.
She decided to get pregnant via IVF on the NHS – using a sperm donor and her own egg. The treatment, including initial investigations, IVF and sperm, cost £10,000.
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After undergoing her first round of IVF in October 2022, she fell pregnant. But she had "several complications" which developed during the pregnancy.
Her friends and family were "very supportive" of the decision to go it alone – and are continuing to give her support. She gave birth to her little boy Kasper, now six months, on June 19.
He weighed 8lbs 11oz when he arrived at Southmead Hospital in Bristol. Mum Laurie is making the most of every moment with her "special baby".
She said: "I always knew I wanted to be a mum and that became my priority, not finding a partner. At 35, my biological clock was ticking and I didn’t want to find myself suddenly too old to have a baby.
"Girls don't get taught to reflect on their fertility and what might impact it, but if you're not already a mum by your thirties it isn't a bad idea to get your fertility checked out.
"You don't want to find you've run out of time and have regrets."
The new mum started her fertility treatment at the Bristol Centre for Reproductive Medicine – and a fertility "MOT" found she was unable to conceive naturally.
This was because her fallopian tubes were blocked – and needed treatment whether she was with a partner or not. She began to look at different sperm donors and "weighed up her options".
Laurie looked at traits like emotional intelligence, empathy and intellect – as well as ethnicity. The donors also had to complete questionnaires about their health and education background.
She then went through just one round of IVF – using her egg and chosen donor's sperm.
And on October 22, 2022, Laurie got pregnant with the first embryo transfer. Her other two embryos are still frozen at the fertility clinic and can be used again at any point.
She explained: "I was so lucky – I got pregnant with the first frozen embryo transfer in October 2022. I had serious complications during pregnancy but loved being pregnant – my son Kasper was born on June 19.
"I've still got two frozen embryos, so who knows what the future holds? But, for now, I'm just enjoying my maternity leave and making the most of this precious time with my lovely baby."
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