'What am I waiting for?' Aussie mum shares why she had kids as a single woman

EXCLUSIVE: “Solo parenting is hard, but it's everything I fought for."

Lauren Robinson

@L_Robinson96

4 min read

March 20, 2025 - 3:37PM

Parenting

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Bath time means different things for parents around the world.

It means the end of another day, sparks imagination and often results in a soaked bathroom floor from those rogue splashes.

For Siobhan, though, it bath time represents something much more.

“I got my dream,” she told Kidspot.

“When I sit and reflect, I'm like, ‘yes, I f**king I did it.’ We're kicking goals, and I’m really proud of myself for that.”

Her two boys, Maddox (three) and Arrow (18-months-old) are evidence of the life she manifested for herself.

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"I had a realisation: what am I waiting for?"

The Sydney primary school teacher always knew she wanted to be a mum. With her life falling into place, it was the one thing still missing.

“I had my own house, stable career, and COVID hit. COVID made everything slow down, and I had a realisation: what am I waiting for?” she said.

Siobhan tried dating apps, but soon realised she was swiping for the wrong reasons.

“I was on those dating websites because I wanted to be a mum,” she admitted.

We all know the birds and the bees story - and it was then that she decided to write her own version of it.

She threw herself into research, spoke to women who had already walked this path, and ultimately made the bold decision to become a single mother by choice.

“I saw these other empowering women that were striving. They were surviving, raising children on their own,” she explained.

So, she went for it.

At 27, she started with Intrauterine Insemination (IUI), also known as artificial insemination.

But it didn’t work.

“That was absolutely devastating. I just took it for granted that it was going to be easy. I just assumed my age was on my side,” she said.

Determined, she moved on to IVF, and this time, she had a much better outcome.

“I was really lucky. I got 16 eggs. A crazy, crazy number. But obviously, when you get that many eggs there's no guarantee that they're all going to turn into embryos,” she said.

Her eggs resulted in 12 embryos — a number that gave her real hope.

“I was lucky enough to have my first embryo transfer become a successful pregnancy, which is Maddox,” she revealed.

Image: Supplied

“I wanted to have two using the same donor"

But Siobhan's dream wasn’t quite complete. Growing up, sibling relationships played an important role in her own childhood.

She wanted the same for her son.

“I wanted Maddox to have a full sibling so they could connect,” she said.

She implanted another embryo from the same batch as Maddox.

After two failed attempts, an embryo finally took hold, giving Maddox the ultimate best friend for life.

Both brothers were conceived at the same time — just born at different points in time.

“I always think that's the coolest thing ever,” she explained.

“I wanted to have two using the same donor. Because even if I met someone or, you know, life circumstances changed, I didn't want Maddox to be alone in this journey."

Siobhan has built an incredible support network, but solo parenting has still come with challenges.

She suffered hyperemesis gravidarum (HG) during her first pregnancy and had to recover from a C-section alone after Maddox was born.

“I really struggled with not being able to pick up my own baby,” she reflects.

Image: Supplied

“You’re not limited"

But one thing she’s learned? She’s never truly alone.

“Know that there is a massive community out there of solo mums,” she said.

The mum has found strength in the No Need for Prince CharmingInstagram community, which recently opened up the doors to international travel for her and her boys.

“I’ve met women all over Australia. We went to Bali,” she revealed.

“You’re not limited. There are opportunities to still explore the world.”

While many parents — even those in traditional partnerships — shudder at the thought of travelling with little ones, Siobhan embraces it.

“It’s nice to know that the boys will be friends with children from their own backgrounds,” she shared.

Her biggest advice to want-to-be parents: “just do it!”

But she also has one important reminder: asking for help is okay.

“We feel like that because we chose this that we can't ask for help. But we need to remember that people that have a partner, they ask for help too,” she said.

Now, when bath time rolls around, it’s more than just part of the nightly routine.

It’s a symbol of everything she fought for.