Nashville Fertility

Becoming a Mom Using IVF with Donor Sperm

A Nashville Fertility Center patient discusses her decision to undergo IVF with donor sperm to become a mom on her own terms.

Achieving motherhood through IVF with donor sperm at Nashville Fertility Center

Achieving motherhood through IVF with donor sperm at Nashville Fertility CenterAt 41, Jonlyn Nation had a thriving career in medical sales and was enjoying her life as a single professional woman in Nashville. But one thing was missing: she was ready to be a mother.

She researched many options, but with the help of her nurse practitioner, Jonlyn ultimately decided that IVF with donor sperm was the best choice for her. Her OBGYN recommended she visit Christine Whitworth MD at Nashville Fertility Center.

“I am a realist; I looked at all the statistics and knew I needed to do it”

Achieving motherhood through IVF with donor sperm at Nashville Fertility CenterFriends and family encouraged Jonlyn. She laughed and said, “My friends told me, ‘Look, my husband doesn’t get up in the middle of the night anyway. You can do this.’”

She decided to take the process of IVF with donor sperm one step at a time. Trusting the staff at Nashville Fertility Center, relying on her community’s support and remaining true to her convictions helped Jonlyn remain clearheaded during treatment. “I wasn’t really stressed about it,” she remembered. “And luckily for me, I didn’t have a whole lot of ups and downs on the hormones. I just kept thinking, this is what I have to do.”

With the help of the staff at Nashville Fertility Center, Jonlyn looked into two large cryobanks to find donor sperm. She poured over the profiles of donors, searching for someone who looked like her family and had a healthy background. She ended up with a match from a cryobank in California that she felt comfortable with.

Successful IVF with donor sperm

Achieving motherhood through IVF with donor sperm at Nashville Fertility CenterWhen a nurse at Nashville Fertility Center called Jonlyn with the good news, “I was just as surprised as anyone that I was pregnant,” Jonlyn said. “I was 42, and had an easy, smooth pregnancy. I felt like I was really lucky.” Isaac Hurst Nation was born in January 2011.

Isaac is old enough to talk about his story with his mom. They read books together about donor families, and Jonlyn entered him into the National Donor Sibling Registry at a young age. Doing so enabled her to find other women who used the same donor, and now the group of five moms shares a private Facebook page, where they post pictures and updates about their children. As IVF with donor sperm becomes more common, finding a way to connect with other moms has been helpful for Jonlyn. “We have a lot of the same struggles, and we’re able to talk about them with each other,” she confided.

Achieving motherhood through IVF with donor sperm at Nashville Fertility CenterIsaac is a happy young boy. He keeps his mom busy, and she continues to receive the same support from her friends and family that helped her become pregnant in the first place. “I have a much better life than I would have otherwise,” she says of the decision she made eight years ago.

Jonlyn’s advice to other women considering IVF with donor sperm? It’s the same as what her friends first told her: “You can do this!”

Contact us at Nashville Fertility Center with questions about IVF with donor sperm.

(615) 321-4740