Advertisement

Family Matters: Why a 27-year-old Canadian woman chose to be single and pregnant

Click to play video: 'Why a 27-year-old Canadian woman chose to be single and pregnant'
Why a 27-year-old Canadian woman chose to be single and pregnant
Alyssa Garrison is doing pregnancy a little differently. – Nov 5, 2018
   
   .

Instead of waiting for the perfect partner, 27-year-old Alyssa Garrison, known as randomactsofpastel, began shopping for the perfect sperm donor.

Story continues below advertisement

“I’ve wanted to be a mom for a long, long time and it kind of became this all-consuming thought that I couldn’t put out of my head,” Garrison told Global News.

The Toronto woman gave herself a deadline. Shortly after she turned 27, she stopped taking birth control and spoke to her doctor about becoming pregnant.

“It kind of clicked one day, I think I wanted this baby more than I wanted the relationship.”

Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day.

Get daily National news

Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day.
By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.

“So why am I trying to make all these random guys fit into this life that I want instead of just having the life and finding someone that fits it later?”

READ MORE: New Canadian pregnancy guideline shows exercise cuts odds of major complications by 40%

She ended up using sperm from someone she knows. The donor signed a contract, giving up all parental rights, and agreed on total anonymity.

Garrison self-inseminated at home and is now six months’ pregnant and due in February.

“I’m feeling ready and excited. I keep waiting for the fear to creep in but so far not much.”

Story continues below advertisement

Taking control of pregnancy

Garrison hopes to give birth at home with her midwife, but she wants her family from Vancouver to also be there.

“It was a big fear of mine that I would be alone for the birth,” she said.

She decided to hire a doula to provide support during the delivery in case her family is unable to make it in time. Garrison hired Rhiannon Langford, founder of Birth Boss Maternity Care, in Toronto.

READ MORE: When should parents be worried about head bumps and bruises in kids?

“Alyssa is definitely a unique client, but in doula work, I’m starting to see that every family is super unique,” Langford said. “When someone is by themself, I offer a hands-on approach. In a birth, I’m the person holding their hands and offering those comfort measures.”

Langford said she believes hiring a doula is becoming trendier in big Canadian cities.

“I think in 2018, we’re seeing female empowerment taking this national stage and being a really big part of the global conversation,” Langford said.


Want more ways to keep up to date? Check out the “Family Matters” podcast! If you haven’t subscribed yet — what are you waiting for?

Story continues below advertisement

Subscribing’s easy! Here’s how…

Family Matters: Why a 27-year-old Canadian woman chose to be single and pregnant - image
  • Open the Apple Podcasts app, search for Family Matters and select it from the list of results.
  • Once on the Family Matters page, click the “Subscribe” button to have new episodes sent to your mobile device for free.
  • Click the name of an episode from the list below to listen.
Family Matters: Why a 27-year-old Canadian woman chose to be single and pregnant - image
  • Open the Google Podcasts app, search for Family Matters and select it from the list of results.
  • Once on the Family Matters page, click the “Subscribe” button to have new episodes sent to your mobile device for free.
  • Click the name of an episode from the list below to listen.

Sponsored content

AdChoices