A woman has opened up about her unconventional road to motherhood after she artificially inseminated herself for just £25 at home.
Bailey Ennis, 24, from South London, wanted to become a mum despite being single, so she decided to find an online donor to make her dream a reality.
After the experienced donor sent his sperm, all she needed was a £25 artificial insemination kit and it wasn't long before she fell pregnant.
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She gave birth to her son, Lorenzo, on 2 July, and has since claimed that she 'couldn't be happier' with her decision to do it alone.
The stay-at-home mum said: “Having a baby by myself is the best thing I have ever done. Being a mum is wonderful and I am so happy I decided to go it alone.
“I’ve wanted to be a mum since I was a teenager and as a lesbian, I always knew it would need to be via artificial insemination.
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“I didn’t have a desire to be in a relationship. I just wanted to have a baby. Lorenzo is amazing and looks just like me.”
Explaining why she decided to becoming a solo parent, she said: “I came to the realisation that I didn’t want to be in a relationship to have a baby.
“I knew I could just do it by myself.”
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After logging onto a sperm donor website, it wasn't long before Bailey found the perfect match.
“I wasn’t looking for particular features, but I just wanted someone trustworthy and as healthy as possible,” she said.
“I found someone who had a healthy medical record and had been a donor for two others before for two LGBTQ couples.
“I found my donor and we WhatsApped and met up for a coffee before both agreeing he would be my donor."
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Bailey knew it was meant to be when he agreed to be her donor for as many children as she would like in the future - a necessity for Bailey, who hopes that all her children can be blood-related siblings.
The next step was to buy the artificial insemination kit online and wait for her cycle to line up.
Bailey invited her donor over to her home and he helped her to use the kit.
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“It was really easy and not awkward at all,” she said. "It has sterile cups, syringes, ovulation tests and that's it."
When Bailey found out she was pregnant on 31 October 2021, she was 'so insanely happy', and went on to have the perfect pregnancy.
On 2 July, 2022, she welcomed baby Lorenzo, who was born weighing 5lbs 2oz.
"He came very quickly", she recalled. "I did all alone and didn't have a birthing partner. I thought he was gorgeous as soon as I saw him.”
When he grows up, Bailey plans to tell Lorenzo about the donor and will let him - and any future siblings - meet him if he likes.
“I give the donor updates so he can hear about Lorenzo", she revealed.
“Lorenzo will know about the donor and will be able to meet him at any point of his life. He is definitely going to have siblings when I’m ready. I’m so comfortable and happy being a single mum.”