Single at 38, Nikki Zachariou had almost given up hope of becoming a mum.
But now she has a son called Kobi — and wants to encourage other women who are considering the option to do the same.
Nikki spent £8,000 on fertility treatments - and now 41, has spoken out about her experience.
Nikki from Jersey, Channel Islands, was so determined to enter motherhood that she decided to go against social norms and have a baby by herself.
The pole dancing instructor welcomed her adorable baby Kobi, now one, after undergoing two rounds of intrauterine insemination (IUI) - a fertility treatment that involves directly inserting sperm into a woman's womb.
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Initially, she had planned to freeze her eggs - but after a chat with her doctor, changed her mind.
Nikki said: "At some point in my 30s, I started to feel like I wanted a baby – I would get these pangs of jealousy when I saw pregnancy announcements or celebrities on Instagram with their cute kids.
"Given that I wasn’t in a proper relationship, I felt like it wasn’t going to happen for me.
"I've had relationships in which I stuck around for a long time hoping for a different outcome.
"I soon realised that if I wanted a different outcome and to have a baby, I would have to walk away and move on with my life.
"At 35, I still felt as though I had loads of time but when I got to 36, I started to feel a lot more pressure and that maybe there wasn't as much time as I thought.
"Although I didn't feel the social pressure to become a mother, I had these strong maternal feelings without a baby to direct it towards."
After her first round of IUI was unsuccessful, Nikki felt disheartened and was worried about the financial strains that would come with a second try.
Nikki said: "I only considered meeting someone new before I embarked on any sort of treatment or doctors appointments.
"But I knew what I wanted and this was to invest time and money into finding a donor and finally becoming a mum.
"After walking away from a relationship at 38, I went to the doctor about freezing eggs as I saw this as an insurance policy.
"After been talked through the complications and success rates of freezing eggs, the doctor said there was no reason why I shouldn’t start family on my own.
"I went on a few sperm bank websites and found 'California Cryobank' – this gave me a lot of information about the donor was like as a person and I even saw childhood photos of him.
"My first round didn’t work and I was really disappointed as well as financially wiped out.
"For the second IUI, I was worried about finances , further disappointment and the effect of the stress on my fertility so I decided to take a break to look after myself a bit better and have some fun to de-stress.
"I got back in shape and built finances back up as this sort of treatment is very financially draining as well as emotionally and mental - I spent £4,000 on sperm alone and around £8,000 in total.
"My second go was a success! - My parents and friends were a bit shocked and confused at first, but overall so supportive which as been amazing.
"I am now a proud mother to Kobi and I encourage other women who are considering this option to do the same.
"There will always be reason to not to do something - becoming a mother fills you with all sorts of worries but you're stronger than you think and you and your baby will become a fantastic team together."
