Solo mum by choice says she'd rather her son grows up with one happy parent
A single mum used a sperm donor because she didn't want to wait for the right relationship - and said one happy parent is better than two unhappy ones.
Lydia Shaw, 29, felt ready for children by aged 24 after finding herself financially stable.
She didn't want to wait to find the right woman and started looking into having a baby by herself but put it on hold when the pandemic hit.
After the breakdown of a relationship Lydia felt even more determined to do it alone to make her dream come true.
She picked a sperm donor who had similar features to her family and had her first round of intrauterine insemination (IUI) in June 2023.
Following a chemical pregnancy - where the egg fertilises but doesn't take - she had a second round in August 2023 and was delighted when she fell pregnant.
She welcomed her son, now eight weeks old, in May 2024 weighing 8lbs 13oz and couldn't be happier.
Lydia, a marketer, living in Fife, Scotland said: "I didn't want to wait for someone who could or couldn't be right.
"It could take a decade to find someone who is a good fit for me.
"It's important he grows up with one happy partner rather than two that are unhappy."
Lydia says she "grew up quick" going straight into work at aged 18 and buying a house at aged 23.
She said: "By 21 I thought 'I think I'd be a good parent'.
"I was ready for kids.
"I'm gay and the dating pool is quite small."
Lydia started looking into the process of doing it but then the pandemic hit.
She said: "It was always something that was in the back of my mind."
After the breakdown of a relationship Lydia realised this was something she wanted to do by herself.
Her parents - Jane, 61, and Dave, 63, - supported her decision and she went for her consultation in April 2023.
Lydia had to go private, spending around £8k in total, as the NHS don't tend to fund single women or same sex couples unless a certain criteria is met, she said.
She picked out her sperm donor from a sperm bank and chose one who complied with the new UK law to release donor information to donor children at aged 18.
She said: "I wanted him to look like he belonged in my wider family.
"I wanted him to have a sense of belonging.
"I have a letter he has written to potential donor children.
"I have a sense of who he is."
Lydia went for her first round of IUI in June 2023 and tested positive at first but started bleeding later that day and had a chemical pregnancy.
She said: "That afternoon I clotted.
"I didn't let it set me back."
Lydia went for round two in August 2023 and found out she was pregnant the day after her birthday.
She said: "It was a birthday present.
"I found out the gender. I was so excited."
Lydia enjoyed pregnancy and seeing her baby grow.
She said: "It was really lovely. The detail you can see of the development was really lovely."
Lydia was taken in to Victoria Hospital, Kirkcaldy after three false labours and doctors broke her waters to start contractions.
Lydia Shaw, 29, felt ready for children by aged 24 after finding herself financially stable.
She didn't want to wait to find the right woman and started looking into having a baby by herself but put it on hold when the pandemic hit.
After the breakdown of a relationship Lydia felt even more determined to do it alone to make her dream come true.
She picked a sperm donor who had similar features to her family and had her first round of intrauterine insemination (IUI) in June 2023.
Following a chemical pregnancy - where the egg fertilises but doesn't take - she had a second round in August 2023 and was delighted when she fell pregnant.
She welcomed her son, now eight weeks old, in May 2024 weighing 8lbs 13oz and couldn't be happier.
Lydia, a marketer, living in Fife, Scotland said: "I didn't want to wait for someone who could or couldn't be right.
"It could take a decade to find someone who is a good fit for me.
"It's important he grows up with one happy partner rather than two that are unhappy."
Lydia says she "grew up quick" going straight into work at aged 18 and buying a house at aged 23.
She said: "By 21 I thought 'I think I'd be a good parent'.
"I was ready for kids.
"I'm gay and the dating pool is quite small."
Lydia started looking into the process of doing it but then the pandemic hit.
She said: "It was always something that was in the back of my mind."
After the breakdown of a relationship Lydia realised this was something she wanted to do by herself.
Her parents - Jane, 61, and Dave, 63, - supported her decision and she went for her consultation in April 2023.
Lydia had to go private, spending around £8k in total, as the NHS don't tend to fund single women or same sex couples unless a certain criteria is met, she said.
She picked out her sperm donor from a sperm bank and chose one who complied with the new UK law to release donor information to donor children at aged 18.
She said: "I wanted him to look like he belonged in my wider family.
"I wanted him to have a sense of belonging.
"I have a letter he has written to potential donor children.
"I have a sense of who he is."
Lydia went for her first round of IUI in June 2023 and tested positive at first but started bleeding later that day and had a chemical pregnancy.
She said: "That afternoon I clotted.
"I didn't let it set me back."
Lydia went for round two in August 2023 and found out she was pregnant the day after her birthday.
She said: "It was a birthday present.
"I found out the gender. I was so excited."
Lydia enjoyed pregnancy and seeing her baby grow.
She said: "It was really lovely. The detail you can see of the development was really lovely."
Lydia was taken in to Victoria Hospital, Kirkcaldy after three false labours and doctors broke her waters to start contractions.