According to a miraculous yet shocking report, 24-year-old Bailey Ennis gave birth to a perfectly healthy baby boy in September 2021 with the help of a sperm donor. But what's shocking about it is that she did it by purchasing an artificial insemination kit costing only £25, which is equivalent to just over 2K in India.
The young woman from England seems to have been "desperate to be a mum" and "didn’t have a desire to be in a relationship". Following the artificial insemination, she became pregnant in October 2021 and welcomed her son, named Lorenzo, on 2nd July 2022.
Bailey is currently a single parent and says that she "couldn’t be happier".
“Having a baby by myself is the best thing I have ever done. Being a mum is wonderful and I am so happy I decided to go it alone.
“I’ve wanted to be a mum since I was a teenager and as a lesbian, I always knew it would need to be via artificial insemination. I didn’t have a desire to be in a relationship. I just wanted to have a baby.
Lorenzo is amazing and looks just like me," she expresses.
The 24-year-old shares that she wasn't looking for any particular features, while searching for a donor. " I just wanted someone trustworthy and as healthy as possible,” she said.
“I found someone who had a healthy medical record and had been a donor for two others before for two LGBTQ couples.
“I found my donor and we WhatsApped and met up for a coffee before both agreeing he would be my donor. He has agreed to be my donor for as many children as I would like.
"I wanted to have blood-related siblings,” she adds.
The cost of a single artificial insemination cycle or (IUI) intrauterine insemination with a partner's sperm is high. While legal, it can burn a hole in a person's pocket. Although private transactions are discouraged due to safety measures, Bailey seems to have taken the risk and is now a single mum.
What is artificial insemination?
Artificial insemination is a fertility treatment method, wherein the doctor inserts sperm directly into the woman's cervix, fallopian tubes, or uterus.
It can be approached in two ways, which are intrauterine insemination (IUI) and intracervical insemination (ICI).
IUI involves inserting the sperm past the cervix and directly into the uterus, while ICI is a type of artificial insemination, in which the doctor inserts the sperm into the cervix.
Doctors use a special instrument called a speculum to make the uterus more accessible.
When does this procedure usually help?
Artificial insemination can help in treating both male and female infertility.
According to the WebMD, in cases where male fertility is involved, artificial insemination is used when there's a very low sperm count or when sperm aren't strong enough to swim through the cervix and up into the fallopian tubes.
On the other hand, women may also face fertility issues. If women have a condition called an "unreceptive cervical mucus," doctors may recommend this method, which helps the sperm skip the cervical mucus entirely.
Side effects to expect
After undergoing the procedure, women may experience some cramping or light bleeding. While the risk of infection is lower when the procedure is conducted in a sterile environment, some women may develop pelvic infection or inflammation.
