I forfeited my inheritance when I had a baby at the age of 38. I was tired of waiting for Mr. Right

A SINGLE woman has revealed how she spent thousands of pounds 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 mother, even if it meant doing it alone.

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She used inheritance money and savings to finance four rounds of IUI – during which she artificially inseminated herself with sperm – and two IVF attempts.

The second attempt was a success and in November 2023 she became pregnant with her daughter Thea, now five months old.

Charlotte always knew she wanted to be a mother, but struggled to find someone to settle down with. Now the new mum is one of many women undergoing fertility treatment in Britain alone.

According to data released yesterday by the Human Fertilization and Embryology Authority (26), the number of single British women undergoing fertility treatment has more than tripled in the past decade.

Charlotte, a media coordinator at Sky, from Camberley, Surrey, said: “She was just amazing.

“She’s the best baby.

“It was my savings and my inheritance from my grandparents. It paid me to make my dream come true.

“Even in a relationship, you can never be 100% sure that you will have a baby at the right time.

‘If you want it bad enough and have the means, it’s definitely something to do.

“It’s comforting to know that a lot of people are doing it. As time goes by, there’s less stigma attached to doing it alone.”

Charlotte knew she wanted a thirteen-year-old child when she fell in love with caring for her nephew.

But at 36, she was still single and struggling to find someone to start a family with.

After speaking to her own mother, Sue, a retired teaching assistant, she was encouraged to go solo.

Charlotte said: “I’ve always had that maternal instinct and knew I wanted to be a mother.

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“I had her full blessing and was ready.”

Charlotte contacted fertility clinic CREATE in May 2022, who recommended sperm banks for Charlotte to choose from.

She underwent a series of tests and an ultrasound scan revealed that she had several cysts on her right ovary, including one growth measuring 8cm in diameter.

Charlotte underwent surgery to remove them in September 2022, but doctors had to leave some behind because they risked damaging her ovaries.

She then started IUI, where she artificially inseminated herself with the sperm.

But after four failed attempts, doctors noticed that the remaining cysts had grown and she needed more surgeries.

She said: “After that operation I was left with 10 per cent of my right ovary.

“It was so disturbing, I never thought I had any problems.

“It would make it difficult to conceive naturally.

“But it just meant I needed IVF instead and I didn’t lose hope of becoming a mother.”

Charlotte had seven eggs retrieved and doctors fertilized them with the remaining sperm donor sample.

Three of the eggs were viable embryos, meaning they could be implanted in her uterus.

The first embryo failed, but the second worked and Charlotte discovered 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 negative feeling about doing it alone; everyone was so happy for me.

“My mother came with me to every appointment.

“She was by my side the whole time and my rock.”

Charlotte planned to have an elective caesarean section at 35 weeks and four days, but switched to a natural birth in July 2024.

She rushed to Frimley Park Hospital and had an emergency caesarean section after 48 hours when the baby’s heart rate dropped.

With grandma Sue in the room, Charlotte welcomed her daughter Thea, weighing 2.5kg, at 3.51pm.

Charlotte said: “The last five months have flown by.

“She’s a very happy girl.”

A report from the Human Fertilization and Embryology Authority found that 4,800 single women used sperm donors and IVF in 2022 – up from 1,400 in 2012.

The HFEA said women are on average 36 years old when they use clinics.

Charlotte feels comforted that Thea will not be the only child with only one parent.

She said: “If she goes to school and can’t talk about her father, she won’t be alone in that.”

Charlotte shares her journey on Instagram @solo_bump and hopes her story can inspire others.

She said: “There are routes to making a family possible rather than rushing into a relationship that is wrong just for the sake of having a child.”