Gone are the old paradigms in which it was assumed that the only functional family model was one formed by a mother and a father. Today we all understand that families have many forms, all valid as long as there is love and affection.
That is why today we understand that being single does not have to be an impediment to having children, to forming a family. There are many women who make the decision to be single mothers, in many cases overcoming possible social, economic or professional inconveniences (fortunately, fewer and fewer).
In Spain, every year more than 1,500 single women turn to assisted reproduction to become mothers. According to data from theSociedad Española de Fertilidad (SEF), el número de tratamientos de fecundación in vitro a mujeres solteras entre los años 2016 y 2020 se dobló. La previsión es que estas cifras sigan creciendo, gracias a que la medicina reproductiva es más accesible y ofrece mayores garantías.
As with men, some of these women focus on their careers and, when they feel ready to become mothers, they may not have a partner. Others simply have not found the right person to start a family with. Some simply choose to be single out of choice. There may be many reasons. But what is truly important is that, when the time comes, the decision is made freely, out of one’s own desire and not because of social pressures. It is the woman who decides whether it is time to have a child or not.
Whether or not there is a father figure, the reality is that a unique bond is always created between a mother and a child. A bond that is usually more intense when the mother has also acted as a father. Moreover, in practical terms, nowadays it is not necessary to have a partner to face the responsibilities of parenting.
What treatment does a single woman need to get pregnant?
It will depend on certain medical aspects related to your fertility status. If your fertility is optimal, artificial insemination with donor semen can be performed. A very simple treatment that consists of depositing the sperm directly into the woman’s uterus using the appropriate instruments.
If during the consultation we find conditions such as a low ovarian reserve, poor oocyte quality or others, we can opt for IVF-ICSI, which consists of extracting the eggs and fertilising them in the laboratory with donor semen to subsequently introduce the resulting embryo into the uterus.
It is also advisable that if a woman is clear that she wants to be a mother in the future (or at least does not rule out the possibility of it) and is getting older, she considers fertility preservation; a treatment in which we vitrify her eggs to use them later, when she wants.
And the sperm donor?
It is important for you to know that in our country, the law states that gamete donation (eggs or sperm) is anonymous. This means that you cannot choose the donor. The choice is up to the medical team that applies the treatment. This team ensures that their characteristics are as similar as possible to the physical characteristics of the future mother. Height, weight, eye, skin and hair colour, hair texture (wavy, curly or straight) and blood type are taken into account.