A lady has opened up about becoming a mother of 5 with the assistance of a sperm donor she found on Facebook.
Ever since she was a little girl, Brooke Withington desired to be a mother of many children who would fill her home with joy, laughter and love.
Now, at 28, she resides her dream life with the massive family she all the time dreamed of.
While Brooke couldn’t be happier with where she is today, her path to getting there wasn’t so simple as she once imagined.
Her children Edward, eight, Gilbert, six, Odette, 4 months, and Mabel, 4 months, were a glad surprise and were conceived in relationships that had just ended.
But her one-year-old daughter Nora was born because of a sperm donor her mother found on Facebook.
A resident of Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia is now sharing her story to assist other single moms who resolve to expand their family feel less alone on their parenting journey.
She has also opened up about the cruel comments she sometimes receives for wanting a big family.
“I knew from the time I used to be eight that I wanted a big family.” – Brooke news.com.au said.
“I all the time wanted at the very least five children. After all, I assumed I’d get married before I began having kids.
“It didn’t work out that way, but I feel like every thing turned out exactly because it was purported to occur.
![Brooke Withington](https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/NYPICHPDPICT000009810954.jpg?w=1024)
“After I had my third child, Odette, I didn’t want thus far anymore.
“I used to be so glad and content on my very own, but I still wanted more children.
“That is when I made a decision I’d go the sperm donor route as a substitute.”
Turning to Facebook
Brooke considered going to a sperm bank but had reservations about the method.
She said she didn’t just like the sterility of the environment and would favor to satisfy the person in person.
Then she decided to search for an Australian sperm donor on social media.
“I heard about a Facebook group called Sperm Donation Australia after I had my first child,” she explained.
“But then I didn’t think about it in any respect. After I gave birth to Odette, I remembered the knowledge I heard so a few years ago.
“It sounded perfect for my situation. I liked you could discover about the donor, meet him and discover what his personality is.
“The entire experience is much more endearing than a donation clinic.”
![Brooke Withington](https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/NYPICHPDPICT000009810959.jpg?w=766)
Brooke posted a post explaining her situation and she or he was contacted by several potential donors.
After deciding who she wanted to decide on, the couple decided to satisfy in person, and she or he was capable of ask him many questions.
She also obtained necessary information about his family history and medical examinations to make sure that that each she and her baby can be secure and healthy.
“We met before and I told the donor I didn’t want any joint parenting arrangements,” she explained.
“I asked for recent sexual health checkups and was also capable of see the genetic tests he had done.
“It was also very necessary to me that my donor had a limit on the families he had donated to.
“This donor had a Facebook messaging group with other families he had helped, so we will follow the youngsters and have meetings every now and then.”
The donation process
She booked a hotel room and let the donor are available first so he could leave a donation.
Brooke then followed her and used a syringe for artificial insemination.
“After I posted about my situation, several donors sent me a private message,” Brooke said.
“I asked a lot of questions and explained what I felt most comfortable with, especially with the chosen method.
![Brooke Withington](https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/NYPICHPDPICT000009810957.jpg?w=1022)
“I opted for artificial insemination because I used to be too nervous about doing natural insemination with a donor. This happens when you might have sexual activity with them.
“I made sure I selected a donor that was easy for me to confer with. It made the entire experience a lot easier and that way there have been no awkwardnesses.
“I used to be lying down for about quarter-hour after semen insemination.
“One in every of the things I believe is significant is getting the semen into the syringe incredibly slow, and in addition putting it in slowly to make sure that no sperm is broken in the method.”
An insult in three words
Brooke was over the moon when she came upon she was pregnant and gave birth to her gorgeous daughter Nora in May 2021.
Mom says that while this decision will not be for everybody, it worked perfectly in her situation.
Brooke added that while she sometimes gets negative reactions online for selecting to be a single mother, she would not need to do it every other way.
“I’ve received a lot of rude comments on social media about the choice to have five children on my very own,” she said.
![Brooke Withington](https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/NYPICHPDPICT000009810960.jpg?w=772)
She said a lot of individuals use three words – “taxpayer dollars” – to troll her.
“But I even have a great job, so I feel like I’m contributing to the community by earning my very own money and in addition showing my kids that work may be very necessary.
“The most important comments I hear in stores are ‘you might have your hands full’ or ‘you need to be very busy’.
“It was one of the crucial amazing and rewarding experiences.
“Every part is price it once you hold your baby in your arms for the primary time. I’m so grateful daily.”
Medical and legal issues
While Brooke’s experience has been positive, experts warn that it will not be the case for each woman who goes this route.
Fertility specialist and associate professor Dr. Alex Polyakov from the University of Melbourne highlighted the possible risks which will arise from using donor sperm obtained online fairly than from a clinic.
“There are long-term and short-term risks to women and their future children that we want to contemplate,” Dr. Polyakov said.
“Men who donate outside of the correct channels are often not screened properly.
“They have not done thorough assessments or been tested for various genetic conditions and various kinds of infectious diseases.
“There’s a risk of all forms of unfavorable things happening throughout the method.”
Dr. Polyakov also warned of the potential legal consequences that might follow.
“I even have seen repeatedly that the donor wants parental rights and custody,” he said.
“It could possibly be a legal minefield when these items usually are not properly documented.
“There may be also the problem of not knowing to whom these people have previously donated.
“We keep records on the clinic or sperm bank and there are strict limits to the variety of families a man can donate sperm to.”