'I had a baby by myself after spending my inheritance money from my dad on a sperm donor'

A woman welcomed her first child after spending inheritance money from her dad on a sperm donor.

Jayme Browning, 35, spent nearly £7k on her fertility journey after her dad Russell Browning, 66, died in January 2020. He left her a sizeable inheritance which she used to buy a house and start a family - despite not having a partner.

Around a year after her dad's death, Jayme had fertility tests and settled on naturally conceiving using a sperm donor. The money covered three vials of sperm, medication, and appointments from the Centre for Reproduction & Gynaecology Wales (CRGW) fertility clinic, Plymouth.

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After undergoing IUI – artificial insemination – Jayme was delighted to fall pregnant on the third try, in December 2021. Jayme had a tough pregnancy after developing gestational diabetes, and had to take insulin.

But it was “worth it” when her little girl, one-year-old Edie, arrived by C-section at Derriford Hospital, Plymouth, on 19 July 2022, 12pm, weighing 6lbs 13oz. Jayme, a housing officer, from Tavistock, Devon said: “Losing my dad was the moment I really took becoming a mum seriously.

“Life is short and I’m so sad he never got meet his granddaughter. I’m very lucky I had the inheritance money, and I wanted to put it towards something sensible for my future.

“I joked with friends that if I hit 35 and was still single, I’d get a turkey baster and do it myself. But I hit 34 and thought the time was right. I knew I wanted a child, and I was able to afford the treatment – so I went for it.”

Jayme’s dad