Stephanie Armstrong, 25, and civil partner Randa, 31, conceived after they picked a “suitable” student from a specialist website and he visited their flat.
Randa had her 12-week scan confirming a healthy baby this month while Stephanie is already 29 weeks pregnant with a boy.
Randa said of the donor, who does not drink or smoke: “He is a shy guy but we could tell he just wanted to help people and he was willing to help both of us. We had a cuppa and he did his thing.”
The couple inseminated each other with a DIY kit. Stephanie said: “We wanted the children to be blood-related. I’m having a boy so we’re hoping Randa will have a girl.
“A lot of people have said it’s kind of like having twins.”
The couple, who met on the net in 2009, both wanted children and turned to the web after being warned they faced a three-year wait for IVF on the NHS.
Randa, originally from Libya, said: “We decided to try together as we wanted to share the experience.
“We also didn’t know that it was going to work for both of us.
“We asked our GP about IVF. If we went through the NHS we had to pick one of us to do it. The waiting list is up to three years.
“We then heard of another couple who found a donor online through a site which lists the donor’s height, education, health and hobbies.”
The couple used the Known Donor Registry to search for potential fathers before deciding on a 24-year-old man from Edinburgh, just 35 miles away from their flat in Galashiels.
Randa said: “We picked a science student who didn’t smoke or drink.
“We thought he’d be fit enough to make it happen.
“We found that he had a brain and was fit enough and also had the same colour hair as Stephanie.
“He was also willing to help, so he ticked every box.
“We did have a look at other profiles but not all had the right things we were looking for.”
Stephanie said of the donor, who received no payment: “He said that he was young and not in a relationship so he would help us.”
Randa admitted the first meeting with the Scots-born student was “awkward” but added: “We needed a baby.”
They timed his visits to coincide with their monthly cycles.
She added: “We let him know when we were ovulating and he would drive down for as close as he could to that time.
“We sat for a little while and then he did his business and left.” The man, who had donated sperm before, visited for the first time last October before he was invited back the next month.
Read more on ThesunUk
No comments:
Post a Comment