TV presenter and report Nadine Reid has spoken about why she is pursuing her dream of becoming a mother on her own through fertility treatment.
Nadine's hoping to travel to Liverpool for her first IUI (intrauterine insemination) procedure next month, having now chosen three sperm donors.
The 44-year-old has decided to give it three tries - saying "whatever happens is just meant to be".
Nadine spoke to Lunchtime Live about why she has decided to go down this route.
She told Andrea: “At the moment… I am a single woman who would like to have a child. I am in the geriatric category - over 35. I’m probably a super-geriatric because I’m 44 last week.
“It’s been some journey to get to a place where, fingers crossed, I will have IUI - artificial insemination.
“If you’re a certain age and think 'I’d like to become a parent but sadly haven’t met Mr Right'… we’re bound by these clocks we can’t control. A few of my friends have frozen their eggs and things like that.
“I’ve been told ‘there’s zero chance you’ll have a kid… you’ve passed that time’".
She has heard from lots of medical professionals who've ruled out the prospect of a pregnancy, but has also heard the stories of many women and couples in their 40s who've had children.
Nadine's friends have been very supportive of the process, although some are nervous and don’t want her to be disappointed.
She also understands where many of those with fears or concerns are coming from, noting: “I think maybe they’ve known someone who has very, very sadly miscarried or something like that, and they don’t want that for me or for the child.
"It’s a delicate topic.”
For Nadine, however, she believes she's strong enough to manage whatever comes her way.
She said: "I’m not going to think of the worst - I’m going to think of the best.
“I’m still a reality person as well. Whatever happens, is just meant to be.”
The process
There are hurdles to pursuing this kind of treatment, with a sperm donation costing "around a grand a pop" on top of clinic fees.
Donations are also only available from countries such as Denmark or the US - although Nadine expressed relief it won't be an Irish donor, as Ireland's "such a small place".
There's also the question of what donor to actually pick.
Nadine observed: "You can pick what star sign they are, their height, their hair colour, their ethnicity, their religion… it’s madness.
“For me, being of black African descent… if I have a donor who is also of African descent, sickle cell anaemia [is a concern] - if somebody has that trait, you could potentially have a child that’s very sick.
“I’m a tiny person - 5’2”, and I’m the tallest woman in my family. So I’ve gone for a donor that’s a bit taller than me.”
You can listen back to the full interview below:
