A woman who dreamed of being a single parent has become a mum.
Shari Hill, 31, from Boston, said she always knew she wanted to be a single mum and as she approached her 30th birthday, she decided to take the leap.
In November, after four rounds of intrauterine insemination (IUI), Shari welcomed her daughter, Ruthie.
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"I always knew that I wanted to become a mum one day, but I also always knew that I wanted to do it alone and be a single mum by choice," Shari said.
"I've always been very independent and like to do things my own way. As my thirtieth birthday approached, I decided to get the ball rolling.
"I was in a great relationship before I started my journey to becoming a single mum, but I wasn't in love and I would have just been getting married to have a baby, and that's not the right reason."
Shari decided to end the relationship and instead begin her parenting journey.
"I started doing lots of research and made appointments with fertility specialists," she continued.
"I went down the route of medicated IUI and chose my donor. I decided to choose a known donor, which means that when my baby is 18 they can reach out to the donor if they choose to, and he is required to respond at least once.
"It took four attempts for me to get pregnant, but luckily for me, my insurance covered the entire thing apart from the donor which cost around $5K [£4,050]."
Shortly after her 30th birthday, Shari discovered she was finally pregnant. She said it was the best present she could have wished for.
"It was one of the best moments of my life, aside from when I was finally able to hold her in my arms," she added.
"I was slightly scared, of course, but becoming a parent is always a scary thing to some degree.
"However, I always knew that I would figure it out and it's been the best decision I have ever made.
"My parents came up from South Carolina a couple of weeks before I was due to give birth to help with the final touches on the nursery.
"My mum and dad drove me to the hospital, and my two best friends were there when Ruthie was born. One of my closest and longest friends even cut the cord."
Shari said that while she's not closed off to a future relationship, it would have to be right for her and Ruthie.
"People say that don't know how I can do this alone, but I have always had the mindset of knowing that it would just be me. That's how I wanted it to be," she continued.
"I'm not saying I am closed off to love in the future, but it would have to work for Ruthie and me.
"I've been single more of my life than in a relationship, and I am so content single.
"I couldn't imagine doing this any other way."
Lucy Devine