There are more and more single moms. Women who decide to go through medically assisted procreation and who have a child, alone. An increase of more than 30% between 2016 and 2019 when 773 women use it. For what ?
Herve, in the Liège region. Isabelle is a school principal. Having children has always been a clear project in his head. A project that took a while to materialize. “Around my 37-38 years, I started to think that it was perhaps time to take things in hand if I want to have a child. Obviously, the man with whom I will have the urge to do it doesn’t happen. That’s where it comes from.”
Be a little more on the symbolic side of things
Sometimes the medical journey is complicated. For Isabelle, a single insemination was enough with a straw of sperm that the hospital brought from Denmark. Donors are too rare in Belgium. Her son, Basil, came into the world a year and a half ago. He will know his story with words that will evolve. Isabella explains: “We advise to really talk regarding things. Rather than explaining the sperm straws, etc. to explain that there were doctors, that there was a big fridge with small seeds. To be a little more on the symbolic side of the thing.”
In Belgium, the number of artificial inseminations increases every year. In 35% of cases, it is a single mother. Their profile evolves over time, as explained by Annick Delvigne, head of the assisted procreation service at Mont Légia: “Twenty years ago, it was more women over 35 who had experienced several failures in their romantic relationship. They arrived pushed by their biological clock. We are now seeing a new category of single people emerge. These are women much younger. They decided to have a baby, on their own.”
“I am well surrounded”
Laura is a teacher. She is 39 years old. She hasn’t found the perfect father either. Today, she is confronted with the statistics. For each insemination, the success rate is between 15 and 20%. “I’ve already done 4 that were failures. Now I’m going to in-vitro fertilization so I can have another chance at being a mom.”
To reach this stage, it is necessary to pass interviews with psychologists, doctors. Show that the child will arrive under appropriate conditions. For single mothers, an available entourage is important. Laura explains:I am well surrounded. The masculine image will be present in my life. Other than a dad, but with friends, godparents, uncles.”
Basile, too, is also provided with uncle, godmother and grandparent. And why not one day, an adoption dad. “I wish Basile and me to have a man in our lives, but it won’t be just anyone. Surely, I will be a little more demanding, because in addition to someone good for me, he it will have to be someone good for Basil.”