David and Me: My path to solo motherhood. Esther Robinson

last injection I had was the shot to trigger ovulation. Appointments at that clinic are timed carefully so that egg and sperm have the greatest chance of meeting at the optimum moment. The appointment for treatment was lighthearted; I was relieved there was laughter. The nurses and embryologist involved were supportive and interested. It was good to talk about choosing to be a solo mum and to have such a positive response from the team helping to make that happen. All of that had been missing at the previous clinic, which had made treatments feel like impersonal business transactions.

      Despite the auspicious timing of this treatment, the positivity around treatment day and the additional progesterone support I took as a result of suspicions that I may not be producing enough myself, I began a heavy bleed ten days later.

      There’s a mystery about pregnancy and the birth of new life that we simply need to respect. I have spoken to women who have been told there is absolutely no reason why they cannot conceive and yet they remain childless, and others who were told at some stage that there was no way they could ever have a baby and yet they conceived and carried to term. It seems that to be realistic is to proceed with humility and an acceptance that, ultimately, what will be will be.