In/Fertility In The City
Solo but not alone: Navigating sperm donation on the path to motherhood - with Mel Johnson
Published: 1 December 2025 at 05:00 Europe/London
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Episode notes
In this episode of In/Fertility in the City, hosts Natalie Sutherland and Somaya Ouazzani sit down with Mel Johnson, known as The Solo Parenthood Coach and founder of The Stork and I. Mel became a solo mum at 37 after years of dating, heartbreak and fearing she’d “run out of time” to become a parent. Mel opens up about:
- The breakdown of her long-term relationship just before 30, and how that shifted her timeline for motherhood
- Reaching a point where her fear of missing out on parenthood outweighed her fear of doing it alone
- Using IVF and donor sperm, choosing a clinic-based donor, and why the donor’s letter mattered more than his stats
- Building a support “village”: moving closer to family, leaning on friends, and creating a community of solo mums
- Talking to her daughter about being donor-conceived and navigating questions around donors, half-siblings and male role models
- The reality of solo parenting and work – finances, flexible employers and why support is non-negotiable
- Ethical and legal issues around unregulated sperm donation, HFEA rules and the end of true donor anonymity
About our guest:
Mel Johnson is a solo mum to her seven-year-old daughter, conceived through IVF using donor sperm. After navigating her own journey into solo motherhood, she founded The Stork and I, a platform and community for women exploring or pursuing solo parenthood. As a qualified coach, Mel supports single women from the “Should I do this?” stage through every step of treatment, conception and beyond.
In this episode, we discuss:
- From Plan A to Plan B (or just a different Plan A)
- The end of Mel’s seven-year relationship just before her 30th birthday
- Dating through her 30s, the “milestone” pressure of 35, and the desperation that can lead to bad choices
- The moment, at 37, when her fear of missing out on parenthood became stronger than her fear of doing it solo
- Solo motherhood as a real – and rising – path to parenthood
- Why more single women are choosing to become parents without waiting for “Mr Right”
- The tension between not wanting to settle in a relationship and not wanting to miss out on children
- How broader social changes, dating culture and HFEA data reflect this trend
- Creating a village: doing it alone, but not on your own
- Moving from a trendy part of Manchester to Southport to be closer to family
- Co-parenting with a “village”: divorced parents who are now heavily involved, her brother, friends and a network of solo mums
- “Granny Day” – the weekly overnight at Mel’s mum’s house that gives her one night off every week
- Why some solo parents may actually experience more practical support than couples
- Donor conception and choosing a sperm donor
- Why Mel chose IVF with her own eggs and clinic-based donor sperm
- The donor questionnaire: physical characteristics, religion, education and the importance of donor letters
- Why the donor’s explanation of why he donated – and his willingness to be contacted in future – was crucial for Mel
- HFEA rules around family limits and how many families can use the same...
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