Lyanne's story: from world trip to wish for a child

I was always the eternal traveller. I enjoyed my freedom and was perfectly happy on my own. For a long time I thought having children wouldn’t fit into my life. I didn’t feel “broody” at all and I was perfectly happy with my life as it was.

Until I went on a round-the-world trip last year. During that trip, far away from the daily grind, something special happened: I suddenly felt a strong wish to have a child. The feeling took me completely by surprise, but it wouldn’t let go of me. The nice thing was that my parents and my younger sister were travelling with me. We had two months to talk it over together and let the idea sink in.

My message to other women in the same situation:

You’re not alone. Reach out to the people around you, talk about it, let them support you. Letting go of the perfect picture can actually open the door to something truly special!

From intake to pregnancy at express speed

Because I was 36, I didn’t want to wait too long. Back in the Netherlands, I decided to go for it. Within an hour of contacting my GP, I had my referral letter. I chose Nij Clinics Wolvega and from the very first phone call it felt right. I had my first appointment at the end of July ’24, and by the end of September I was already able to start IUI treatment. And to my great joy, it worked straight away: I was pregnant!

Everything happened so fast that sometimes my head couldn’t even keep up – until Luka arrived. He brings so much love and happiness into my life that I’m still grateful every day that I took this step.

Choosing a donor

In the meantime, I chose my sperm donor together with my best friend. We really made it a special moment, and in the end I chose a donor whose personal letter touched me. I made a memory box for Luka with all the information about his donor. That way, if he has questions later on, he can always find out where he comes from.

Letting go of the perfect picture

The hardest thing for me was letting go of the ideal image of father-mother-child. You are choosing to bring a child into the world without a father, and I found that a big and daunting decision. But that is exactly what brought something beautiful too: I discovered how much support I have around me. My parents look after him one day a week, and my uncle and aunt have become bonus grandparents. My younger sister has also blossomed into Luka’s favourite aunt. They all play a big part in his life, and that makes me incredibly grateful. I really feel supported and I realise: I’m not doing this alone.