The Single Greatest Choice: For Single Women Exploring Solo Motherhood by Choice (SMBC), Fertility, and Having a Baby on Their Own Through Donor Conception or Adoption

What do you do when the path to motherhood keeps asking you to let go of the way you thought it would happen?I sit down with life coach and single mom by choice Victoria Kennedy to talk about her five-year journey to becoming a mother... a journey filled with difficult endings, unexpected pivots, heartbreaking losses, and ultimately, a deep trust in herself and the life she wanted to create.Victoria shares how she walked away from a seven-year toxic relationship at 34 and took the time she needed to rebuild herself before dating again. Motherhood was still something she deeply wanted, and when a later relationship came with an ultimatum — choose the relationship or keep pursuing fertility treatment — Victoria had to decide what she was and wasn't willing to give up.Victoria and I discuss:Choosing your desire for motherhood when a relationship asks you to give it upNavigating six IUIs, five IVF cycles, fertility setbacks, pregnancy loss, and an ectopic pregnancyMaking the emotional pivot to donor eggs and grieving the loss of a biological connectionSetting boundaries with well-meaning family and friends during fertility treatmentLetting go of the timeline you thought your life would followHow Victoria's experience led her to life coaching and helping women recognize "micro-self-abandonment"Developing the self-trust to make hard decisions without needing everyone else to understand themYour Next Steps:Learn more about Victoria Kennedy at https://www.victoriakennedy.studio/Connect with Victoria on Instagram at @VictoriaKennedy.studioSign Up for Community Groups: Connect with women on similar paths by signing up for upcoming groups at https://www.singlegreatestchoice.com/community-groups.Connect with me on Instagram: Follow @single_greatest_choice for daily inspiration and insights.Join the SGC Village: Become part of the community and stay up-to-date by joining our newsletter. You can sign up HERE at the bottom of the page.👩‍👧‍👦 The Single Greatest Choice is the single mother by choice support you’ve been craving for every stage of your journey. You can find 1:1 Coaching for every stage of solo motherhood by choice, Community Groups for thinkers, triers, and pregnant SMBCs, The SGC Village Membership Community, Retreats for early stage SMBCs and Family Trips for moms & kids.ℹ️ Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by podcast guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of The Single Greatest Choice or its host, Katie Bryan. This podcast is intended for informational and educational purposes only and should not be considered medical, legal, mental health, or professional advice. Every fertility, donor conception, and parenting journey is unique, and listeners are encouraged to use discernment and consult appropriate professionals regarding their individual circumstances. By listening, you acknowledge responsibility for your own decisions, interpretations, and actions.

Laura Runnels knew from a young age that solo motherhood was a path she was willing to take. What she couldn’t have known was exactly how that path would unfold, from exploring known donation to ultimately using a sperm bank, conceiving at home, and later deciding whether to grow her family again.In this episode, Laura and I talk about her path to becoming a solo mom to two donor-conceived children, including some of the less conventional routes she explored along the way and the questions that came up when she began considering a second child.We also dig into the work Laura is doing now in the donor conception community. Through the Donor Conception Journal Club, she makes peer-reviewed donor conception research more accessible while encouraging readers to think critically about what the research can and cannot tell us. And as a co-founder of Parts of Me, she is working to expand the range of donor-conceived experiences represented in books, media, arts, and culture.In this episode, we discuss:Laura’s early certainty that she wanted to become a mother, even if she did it on her ownHer experience searching for a known donor, including using dating apps specifically for that purposeHer eventual decision to use a sperm bank and her experience conceiving through at-home inseminationHow she thought about finances, capacity, family size, and the possibility of having a second or third childWhy donor conception research can be difficult for the average person to access and interpret, and how the Donor Conception Journal Club is helping bridge that gapThe importance of seeing a much wider range of donor-conceived experiences represented in books, movies, and culture through Parts of MeResources Mentioned:Donor Conception Journal Club: www.dcjournalclub.comParts of Me: partsofme.orgThe Ones We Choose by Julie ClarkConnect with Laura:On Instagram: @laurarunnelsOn LinkedIn: Laura RunnelsYour Next Steps:Sign Up for one of our upcoming groups at https://www.singlegreatestchoice.com/community-groupsConnect with Katie on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/single_greatest_choiceBecome part of the SGC community and stay up to date by joining our newsletter. You can sign up HERE at the bottom of the page👩‍👧‍👦 The Single Greatest Choice is the single mother by choice support you’ve been craving for every stage of your journey. You can find 1:1 Coaching for every stage of solo motherhood by choice, Community Groups for thinkers, triers, and pregnant SMBCs, The SGC Village Membership Community, Retreats for early stage SMBCs and Family Trips for moms & kids.ℹ️ Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by podcast guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of The Single Greatest Choice or its host, Katie Bryan. This podcast is intended for informational and educational purposes only and should not be considered medical, legal, mental health, or professional advice. Every fertility, donor conception, and parenting journey is unique, and listeners are encouraged to use discernment and consult appropriate professionals regarding their individual circumstances. By listening, you acknowledge responsibility for your own decisions, interpretations, and actions.

What does donor conception actually feel like from the child’s perspective as they grow into adulthood?I sit down with Kat Boldt, LPC, to discuss the lifelong journey of donor conception through the unique dual lens of a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor and an adult donor-conceived person raised by a Single Mother by Choice.Kat shares her personal experience of growing up knowing her story, how finding 30 genetic half-siblings in adulthood altered her perspective, and what it’s like to process complex identity emotions across a lifespan.In this episode, we discuss:What connecting with genetic half-siblings (or sibling pods) looks like, from varied emotional reactions to forming deep lifelong bonds.Moving beyond simplified children's books to normalize all feelings around donor conception—not just "mom wanted me so much".Why telling children early and often builds positive identity and avoids the potential trauma of finding out later in adulthood.How open donor choices impact mental health outcomes, and why true anonymity is no longer guaranteed in the era of direct-to-consumer DNA testing.Letting your child lead language changes over time, finding positive role models, and utilizing therapist resources like the US Donor Conceived Council.Resources and Additional Information Discussed:US Donor Conceived Counsel (USDCC)USDCC Ask A TherapistLearn more about Kat's work at https://northcoastic.comFind Kat on Instagram at @katboldtcounselingMore About Our Guest:Kat Boldt, LPC, was raised by a single mother by choice and has always known she was donor conceived. As a licensed counselor in Ohio, she specializes in providing affirming care to adult clients exploring sexuality, gender identity, and reproductive technologies, including donor conception. Learn more about Kat at https://northcoastic.comYour Next Steps:Sign Up for one of our upcoming groups at https://www.singlegreatestchoice.com/community-groups Connect with Katie on Instagram at @Single_Greatest_ChoiceBecome part of the SGC community and stay up to date by joining our newsletter. You can sign up HERE at the bottom of the page👩‍👧‍👦 The Single Greatest Choice is the single mother by choice support you’ve been craving for every stage of your journey. You can find 1:1 Coaching for every stage of solo motherhood by choice, Community Groups for thinkers, triers, and pregnant SMBCs, The SGC Village Membership Community, Retreats for early stage SMBCs and Family Trips for moms & kids.ℹ️ Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by podcast guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of The Single Greatest Choice or its host, Katie Bryan. This podcast is intended for informational and educational purposes only and should not be considered medical, legal, mental health, or professional advice. Every fertility, donor conception, and parenting journey is unique, and listeners are encouraged to use discernment and consult appropriate professionals regarding their individual circumstances. By listening, you acknowledge responsibility for your own decisions, interpretations, and actions.

What if "ready" doesn't feel the way you think it will?I sit down with licensed therapist and solo mom Carrie Meckler to explore one of the biggest myths women carry into the solo motherhood journey... that you have to be completely certain before you begin.Carrie shares her deeply personal journey from ending a relationship at 34 to beginning fertility treatment at 35, navigating multiple IUIs, IVF, donor selection, unexpected setbacks, and ultimately becoming the mom of her two year old son.This episode is about more than the logistics of fertility though. Carrie and I talk through the emotional side of deciding to become a solo mom... the grief, uncertainty, shame, hope, and courage that can all exist at the same time.Carrie shares what she's learned as both a therapist and a solo mother supporting other women who are considering this path, offering practical advice for taking the first step without needing to have every answer. Throughout our conversation, one message keeps resurfacing: you don't have to be 100% certain before you begin.In this episode, we discuss:Why waiting for complete certainty may be keeping you stuckMaking the decision to pursue solo motherhood after the end of a relationshipNavigating IUIs, IVF, donor selection, and the emotional highs and lows of fertility treatmentWhy community and therapy can make such a difference throughout the journeyPractical advice for breaking the Solo Mom decision process into manageable stepsLearning to hold both excitement and grief at the same time as you move toward motherhoodWhether you're actively considering solo motherhood, in the middle of fertility treatment, or simply wondering if this path could be right for you, this conversation is filled with compassion, honesty, and reassurance that you're not alone.Your Next Steps:Learn more about Carrie at http://www.copingcounselingnc.comSign Up for one of our upcoming groups at https://www.singlegreatestchoice.com/community-groupsConnect with Katie on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/single_greatest_choiceBecome part of the SGC community and stay up to date by joining our newsletter. You can sign up HERE at the bottom of the page👩‍👧‍👦 The Single Greatest Choice is the single mother by choice support you’ve been craving for every stage of your journey. You can find 1:1 Coaching for every stage of solo motherhood by choice, Community Groups for thinkers, triers, and pregnant SMBCs, The SGC Village Membership Community, Retreats for early stage SMBCs and Family Trips for moms & kids.ℹ️ Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by podcast guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of The Single Greatest Choice or its host, Katie Bryan. This podcast is intended for informational and educational purposes only and should not be considered medical, legal, mental health, or professional advice. Every fertility, donor conception, and parenting journey is unique, and listeners are encouraged to use discernment and consult appropriate professionals regarding their individual circumstances. By listening, you acknowledge responsibility for your own decisions, interpretations, and actions.

I sit down with Jeni to unpack a raw, deeply resonant, and incredibly insightful fertility journey. Jeni shares her evolution from viewing egg freezing as a simple piece of "mental insurance" at age 35 to navigating a grueling five-year path spanning five different fertility clinics. She describes the mental and physical toll of constant cycle adjustments, the burden of clinic communication woes, and the unique challenges of deciding when to finally stop using your own genetic material.We dive deep into how a direct conversation with her mother served as a turning point, prompting her to shift paths and explore embryo donation. Jeni shares her practical experiences onboarding with major matching organizations like Embryo Connections and Empower with Moxie, explaining how she navigated potential match criteria and discovered what genuinely mattered to her.Throughout it all, Jeni models a beautiful mindset shift: learning to release a tight grip on expectations, setting clear intuitive boundaries of "this and no further," and choosing to hold her solo parenting journey as lightly as possible.In this episode, we discuss:The emotional reality of egg freezing at 35 and how expectations can shift over time.Advocating for yourself across 5 different clinics and recognizing when a provider is not the right fit.Processing the decision to stop using your own eggs.The step-by-step onboarding process, cost realities, and managing weekly databases through agencies like Embryo Connections and Empower with Moxie.Shifting perspective from sperm donor filters to full embryo genetics, adjusting to physical match considerations, and managing communication alignment with donor families.Moving past the urge to strangle every choice.Connect with Katie:Website:singlegreatestchoice.comInstagram:@single_greatest_choice👩‍👧‍👦 The Single Greatest Choice is the single mother by choice support you’ve been craving for every stage of your journey. You can find 1:1 Coaching for every stage of solo motherhood by choice, Community Groups for thinkers, triers, and pregnant SMBCs, The SGC Village Membership Community, Retreats for early stage SMBCs and Family Trips for moms & kids.💌 Become part of the SGC community and stay up to date by joining our newsletter. You can sign up >>here<< at the bottom of the page.✍️ Reach out to Katie over at [email protected].ℹ️ Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by podcast guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of The Single Greatest Choice or its host, Katie Bryan. This podcast is intended for informational and educational purposes only and should not be considered medical, legal, mental health, or professional advice. Every fertility, donor conception, and parenting journey is unique, and listeners are encouraged to use discernment and consult appropriate professionals regarding their individual circumstances. By listening, you acknowledge responsibility for your own decisions, interpretations, and actions.