Pregnancy doesn’t always go the way you imagined it would. For my dear friend and fellow SMBC, Mel Anderson, what began with excitement quickly turned into one of the hardest seasons of her life. Instead of hiking and practicing yoga through her pregnancy as she had envisioned, Mel faced hyperemesis: severe nausea and vomiting that left her unable to care for herself, barely able to eat or drink, and often confined to the bathroom floor.

⚠️Before we dive in, a gentle heads up: this episode includes a detailed discussion of hyperemesis and the mental health struggles that can come with a difficult pregnancy. If you’re feeling particularly anxious about pregnancy, this might not be the right episode for you. And if you’re currently in the middle of a hard pregnancy yourself, please know there is relief and joy on the other side (which you’ll hear about in the next episode, in which we’ll continue with Mel’s story).

In this deeply vulnerable conversation, Mel shares what it was really like to go through pregnancy without a partner while navigating a condition that tested her body, her mental health, and her spirit. From the heartbreak of canceled embryo transfers to the unexpected challenges of her pregnancy, her story is raw, honest, and important.

If you’re considering solo motherhood, pregnant yourself, or simply want to know you’re not alone in facing a difficult path, this conversation will remind you that strength can grow even in the hardest places.

In this episode on Mel’s story about her pregnancy without a partner, we discuss:

• Mel’s path to becoming a single mother by choice after ambivalence about having children in her younger years;
• How Mel’s relationship history played into the decision;
• Being diagnosed with hyperemesis and how it shaped her pregnancy;
• Mental health struggles and learning to advocate for herself in the medical system;
• The critical role of support during a high-risk pregnancy as a solo mom;
• Why sharing the hard stories matters just as much as sharing the joyful ones;
• And more.

👩‍👧‍👦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.

🏘️Join our community, The SGC Village

Reach out to Katie over at katie@singlegreatestchoice.com

Motherhood—especially solo motherhood—rarely unfolds exactly the way we imagined. Fertility treatments don’t always go as planned, babies don’t follow sleep schedules, and even our best-laid visions of how life “should” look often get disrupted.

In this episode, I’m sharing one of our private Village Podcast episodes on the theme of Managing Expectations and Embracing Flexibility. Inside The Village, each month we take on a broad coaching topic that applies across every stage of the solo motherhood journey, from considering this path to parenting young children. Along with a monthly coaching episode like this one, members also receive a companion workbook and access to an entire library of past themes.

In today’s conversation, you’ll hear about:

• Releasing unrealistic expectations of perfection, both in parenting and in life
• Building resilience when things don’t go according to plan (another failed transfer, a toddler meltdown, or changes in your own path to motherhood)
• Practical ways to adjust plans with more ease and less pressure
• Learning to “ride the wave” of unpredictability, even when it feels uncomfortable

Whether you’re just beginning to imagine solo motherhood or you’re deep in the day-to-day of raising your child, this episode will help you soften rigid expectations, prioritize what matters most, and find more peace in the process.

And if you love this episode and want more like it, I’d love to welcome you inside The Village—a community designed to support women at every stage of the journey with resources, coaching, and connection.

👩‍👧‍👦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.

🏘️Join our community, The SGC Village

Reach out to Katie over at katie@singlegreatestchoice.com

Even with careful planning, none of us can predict how our path to motherhood will unfold.

When we last spoke with Tara Resnick, she was preparing for another egg retrieval and left us with quite the cliffhanger. Today, she’s back to share the next chapter of her journey toward solo motherhood.

In this conversation, Tara speaks with honesty and vulnerability about the setbacks she’s faced—multiple egg retrievals, the financial strain of treatment, and the deep emotional toll of pursuing IVF as a single woman at 42. She also opens up about the regrets she carries: wishing she had pursued IVF or at least frozen eggs earlier, and staying in relationships longer than she now wishes she had.

What makes Tara’s story so powerful is not a picture-perfect narrative, but her willingness to share the messy middle—the heartbreak, the resilience it takes to keep going, and the importance of self-compassion when the outcome is still unknown.

Tara’s reminder for all of us: resilience isn’t about toxic positivity. It’s about choosing yourself, holding onto hope, and finding peace even in the hardest seasons.

“Choose yourself, always.” – Tara Resnick

If you’ve ever wondered what it’s really like to walk through IVF on your own—the ups, the setbacks, the financial and emotional weight—I hope this conversation will make you feel less alone.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Tara’s second and third egg retrievals, including the unexpected decision to pursue a Duo Stim cycle
• The financial and emotional impact of IVF as a single woman
• The vulnerability of navigating fertility treatments without a partner
• Receiving difficult PGT results and the decision to transfer an untested embryo
• How to balance hope and grief without falling into toxic positivity
• Why Tara believes trying was still the right choice for her, no matter the outcome
• And more

Connect with Tara:

• Instagram | @TaraLaurennn
• Simple Coaching for Health & Weight Loss
• Evolve with Tara: Solution Focused Coaching

👩‍👧‍👦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.

🏘️Join our community, The SGC Village

Reach out to Katie over at katie@singlegreatestchoice.com