A Chat With a Friend on All Things ‘Single Mother by Choice’
Today I’m sitting down with my friend Katie Seller — entrepreneur, badass jewelry designer, and single-mother-by-choice trailblazer. We get into everything: the decision to pursue motherhood solo, the expectations we internalize from society, the emotional rollercoaster of fertility treatments, and the very real logistics of donor selection, IUI, IVF, and doing it all without a partner.
Katie shares the moment she stopped giving a f*ck about timelines, how a breakdown on the Golden Gate Bridge became a turning point, and what it actually looks like to navigate pregnancy, birth, and parenting as a solo mom. We also talk about my own current TTC journey (yep… including last week’s surprise plot twist), the lack of education around fertility, and the power of choosing motherhood on your own terms.
We wrap by circling into her business, her activism, her mutual aid project, and what support and community actually look like when you’re walking this path without a traditional partner structure. This one is vulnerable, empowering, and full of honest truth about what it takes to answer the desire to be a mom — no matter what that looks like.
🔗 Connect with Katie & Babe Co
* Shop Babe Co:
wearebabe.com [https://wearebabe.com/]
* Babe Co on Instagram:
@wearebabeco [https://www.instagram.com/wearebabeco/]
🤝 Collective Aid OC (Katie’s Mutual Aid Project)
* Instagram (info, locations, how to help):
@collectiveaidoc [https://www.instagram.com/collectiveaidoc/]
* > In the bio you’ll find: donation links (Venmo), Amazon wishlist, volunteer info, and how to host a fridge/pantry.
🧬 Fertility Resources Mentioned
* California Cryobank [https://www.cryobank.com/] – Sperm bank with extensive donor profiles, genetic screening, and options for at-home insemination and clinical use.
* Kindbody [https://kindbody.com/] – Modern fertility clinic network offering IUI, IVF, egg freezing, and full-spectrum conception care (including a Denver clinic + multiple locations nationwide).
✨ Key Takeaways
* The moment Katie realized she was done waiting for the “right person” to become a mom — and how societal timelines can derail us.
* Why single motherhood by choice is often not even presented as an option, and why visibility matters.
* The emotional and logistical realities of IUI vs. IVF, donor selection, genetic testing, and the sheer lack of education around women’s reproductive health.
* How isolating fertility treatment can be — and why community is vital, whether through donor sibling groups or supportive friends/family.
* The mental load of doing everything solo: pregnancy, birth, healing, working, and raising a newborn without a partner to tap out to.
* Differentiating a “donor” from a “dad,” and how Katie talks to her son about their family structure.
* The unexpected benefits (and challenges) of parenting solo — including independence, intuition, and building your own rhythms.
* Katie’s take on dating after 40 as a SMBC, and why she still deeply believes in love.
* Her current work: protest jewelry, bold branding, and creating a mutual aid network feeding local communities in need.
* What support truly looks like for women choosing this path — and why you don’t have to wait for a partner to become a mom.
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