I'm 34 and Recently Single. Can I Still Have a Baby?

Photo by Nat Lm on Unsplash

Reader Unsure About the Future writes:

I just broke up with my live-in boyfriend of six years. This is the man I thought I was going to marry and have children with, but it got to a point where I could no longer ignore his hesitancy to commit and his refusal to set a firm timeline for our wedding. Every time I asked him about getting engaged he would say he wasn’t ready yet, or not up for having that conversation right now. This was about three months ago, and although I miss him, I know I made the right decision for myself since it became clear to me we held completely different values.

The problem is I just turned 34 and I really want children. Being a mother has always been my dream, and if it weren’t for my ex-boyfriend’s reservations, I wouldn’t have waited this long.

I’m frustrated and worried. I want children but I also want them to have a good father, but sometimes I wonder if I wouldn’t be better off just going at it alone. How much longer can I wait to find a partner? At what point should I freeze my eggs or go to a sperm bank?

I downloaded a couple of dating apps, but I feel weird using them after being in a relationship for so long. I don’t know what to do next. I’m terrified that I might not become a mother, but I don’t know what to do to make my dream come true. What should I do now?