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Abstract
Changing social mores and new assisted reproductive technologies have provided single heterosexual women with a
chance to fulfil motherhood despite lacking a partner. Single women who have chosen an alternative path to
motherhood such as donor conception are now frequently referred to in the literature as 'single mothers by
choice'(SMC). Although single mothers by choice appear to be increasing in number and have been subjected to
public scrutiny in Australia, the context in which they have decided to pursue motherhood remains relatively
misunderstood. Their right to access Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) has been much discussed in the
media in Australia yet their voices were absent from these discussions.
This study explores the narratives of twenty-four Australian women who identify as SMCs and who have used donor
sperm to create their family. Using an experience-centred narrative lens this qualitative research explores the
decision making of the sample in regard to single motherhood, and how they make sense of, and shape the
construction of their family type.
The major themes that emerged from the narratives of this sample were as follows: the dream of motherhood; the
persistence and resistance with which women pursued their dream; the ethical decision making prior to conception
and while parenting in the context of donor conception; and their strategies around openness and privacy in relation
to their social networks. Overarching themes from the sample included management of stigma to protect a damaged
identity, the personal nature of the journey with its difficulties, challenges and resolution, and the development and
evolution of narratives regarding the family type.