What happens when you only get one viable embryo and it’s your only shot at becoming a mom? For Kellyn, her single embryo became the greatest gift of her life.

Today’s guest is Kellyn Nagel, a fellow single mother by choice and dedicated attorney who represents children in foster care. Kellyn shares her emotional and financial journey through fertility as a single woman: from egg freezing after a low AMH diagnosis to IVF with frozen eggs, and ultimately to the birth of her daughter, Kellyn’s story is one of trust, resilience, and quiet courage.

We talk about the heartbreak and hope of navigating IVF as a single woman, how Kellyn leaned into her gut instincts at every step, and the profound ways motherhood has shifted both her career and her understanding of the family court system. We also touch on the power of donor sibling connections, postpartum realities, and what it means to keep the door open for a second child as a single mom by choice, even when the path is anything but straightforward.

In this episode on IVF as a single woman, we discuss:

• How Kellyn’s journey began with egg freezing and a low AMH diagnosis;
• Her decision to move from two failed IUIs to IVF using her frozen eggs;
• The emotional weight of having just one viable embryo, and the joy when it worked;
• What it’s like to give birth and navigate postpartum as a solo mom;
• The challenges of working in child welfare while becoming a parent herself;
• How she connected with donor siblings and built early relationships for her daughter;
• Her reflections on sleep deprivation, daycare, and going back to work as a new SMBC;
• And more.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Book: This Might Be Too Personal: And Other Intimate Stories - Alyssa Shelasky
• Listen to Season 6, Episode 8: “Accidental” SMBC Through Foster to Open Adoption With Elizabeth Friedland

👩‍👧‍👦The Single Greatest Choice is the single mother by choice resource you’ve been craving for every stage of your SMBC journey. You can find 1:1 Coaching for every stage of solo motherhood by choice, Community Groups for thinkers, triers, and pregnant SMBCs, The SGC The SGC Village Membership Community, Retreats for early stage SMBCs and Family Trips for moms & kids.

Reach out to Katie over at katie@singlegreatestchoice.com

Solo parenting one child is a big job. Add a second baby to the mix, and do it all without a co-parent, and everything shifts.

In this episode, I’m joined by Randi Maves, a solo mom by choice to two boys, four years apart. Randi wouldn’t trade this life for anything, but she’s honest about how intense it can be juggling two different stages of parenting on her own.

From navigating daycare drop-offs and picky eaters to handling preschooler meltdowns while sleep-training a newborn, Randi gets honest about what the daily juggle really looks like. She talks about the tools and support systems that are saving her sanity right now, including her decision to hire an au pair, and the emotional process of adjusting to life as a solo mom of two.

We’re also diving into Randi’s fertility journey with IVF at 40+, including the heartbreak of getting no viable embryos, the decision to transfer her one mosaic embryo, and the deep trust it took to move forward.

If you’re thinking about having a second child as an SMBC, already in the thick of solo motherhood, or just wondering what this path can look like, Randi’s story is a beautiful mix of honesty, resilience, and real-life logistics.

In this episode on solo parenting two kids after 40, we talk about:

• How her mom’s diagnosis sparked her decision to become a mom
• What it was like to move across the country with a baby in tow
• What shifted her perspective on having a second child solo
• The highs and lows of IVF as a single woman in her 40s
• What it’s really like to solo parent two kids in different phases of life
• Her approach to building a support team, including daycare and live-in help
• The emotional weight of parenting without a partner, and why acknowledgment matters
• Her mindset around letting “future Randi” handle “future problems”

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• HBO Documentary First Comes Love (2013)
• Facebook group ‘My Perfect Mosaic Embryo’

🏝️ Interested in the Aug 27-31 Family Trip to Riviera Maya, Mexico? Join one of these info sessions to get all the details!

👩‍👧‍👦The Single Greatest Choice is the single mother by choice resource you’ve been craving for every stage of your SMBC journey. You can find 1:1 Coaching for every stage of solo motherhood by choice, Community Groups for thinkers, triers, and pregnant SMBCs, The SGC The SGC Village Membership Community, Retreats for early stage SMBCs and Family Trips for moms & kids.

Reach out to Katie over at katie@singlegreatestchoice.com

The desire to share life with a partner doesn’t just disappear when we choose to start our families on our own. And it doesn’t have to. Today’s new episode is a beautiful reminder that both things can be true: you can want motherhood and partnership, and you don’t have to give up one to have the other.

At 35, Erin Russell was faced with the hard realization that her family line would end with her if she didn’t pursue parenthood soon, so she started seriously considering solo motherhood. But right as she was preparing to begin fertility treatments, life threw her a curveball — she met someone.

Erin was clear about what she wanted and gave the relationship space to grow. But when it became obvious they weren’t aligned on having kids, she made the powerful decision to walk away. She ordered donor sperm the very next day.

Becoming a mom didn’t erase Erin's hope of sharing life with a partner. Just two months after her son was born, she started dating again — not out of pressure or urgency, but as a way to reconnect with herself, enjoy adult time, and stay open to love.

Now that her son is two and she’s happily in a relationship that feels like the right fit, Erin reflects on what it’s been like to still want partnership as a solo mom by choice, and how she's navigating love, parenting, and a changing sense of identity all at once.

In this episode, we talk about:

• How Erin knew it was time to pursue solo motherhood
• The challenges of navigating IUI, IVF, and insurance hurdles
• Why "just surviving" the newborn stage isn’t enough, and how building a support system made all the difference
• The guilt and reality of sending your baby to daycare as a solo mom
• Dating as a solo mom: why Erin started early, how she set her own pace, and what she looked for in a partner
• How she’s weaving her new relationship into her solo mom life
• And why the grief of doing it alone doesn’t just disappear once your baby arrives

Whether you're considering solo motherhood, already parenting, or wondering if dating might fit into your life someday, Erin’s story is full of honesty, hope, and real-world encouragement for wherever you are on the path.

Want to connect with Erin Russell?

• Follow Erin on Instagram
• Check out Erin's writing
• Read Erin's article on SMBCs (featuring me as an interviewee!)

🏝️ Interested in the Aug 27-31 Family Trip to Riviera Maya, Mexico? Join one of these info sessions to get all the details!

👩‍👧‍👦The Single Greatest Choice is the single mother by choice resource you’ve been craving for every stage of your SMBC journey. You can find 1:1 Coaching for every stage of solo motherhood by choice, Community Groups for thinkers, triers, and pregnant SMBCs, The SGC The SGC Village Membership Community, Retreats for early stage SMBCs and Family Trips for moms & kids.

Reach out to Katie...