Ep 45: Having A Child On Your Own Terms With Leigh Gallagher

Making the decision to have kids is one of the biggest decisions a woman can make in her life, and increasingly, women (and men) are not waiting until they find the right person to have kids with — they’re walking the journey on their own. 

With a wide array of options from sperm and egg donors to surrogacy or adoption, there are more options than ever for those choosing the journey into parenthood. When Leigh Gallagher, Senior Managing Director at Teneo, was in her early 40s, she decided she was done waiting for the “dating gods” and made the choice to have a child on her own. She says that while she’s famously bad at making decisions, this was actually the easiest one she’s ever made. 

Listen in to hear details on how she chose a sperm donor, how she’s built a village of childcare to support her, and why her daughter knows that above all, they are always a team. 

Chapters:

00:00:00 - Introduction

00:05:02 - Decision to Have a Baby

00:11:31 - Pregnancy and Preparing for Parenthood

00:13:46 - Choices as a Single Parent

00:14:21 - Life Changes After Having Her Daughter

00:17:06 - Challenges of Single Parenthood

00:18:58 - Destiny and Parenthood

00:21:31 - Advice for Prospective Single Parents and Current Parents

00:24:09 - Lightning Round

Takeaways:

• Making the decision to become a single mother by choice can be empowering and fulfilling.
• Having a strong support system, such as a nanny or trusted babysitters is crucial. 
• The process of fertility treatments and choosing a sperm donor can be challenging but ultimately rewarding.
• Transparency is key when talking to children about their unique family structure.
• For those considering becoming single parents, it's important to talk to others who have gone through the same experience and to think about the long-term impact of the decision.
• Despite the challenges, being a single parent can bring immense joy and fulfillment.

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