Donor conception refers to the use of a sperm donor to conceive a baby. The issues women face as they consider donor conception are varied and include:
Choice Moms states it well on their website:
“For some women who grew up with a distant or absent father, they don't want to have their child experience the same lack. For others who have had a loving, supportive father, they don't want their child to miss out on having the same. And still others wonder whether surrounding their child with women and women who care will help balance any sense of loss. The question largely becomes one of trying to decide whether one's own desire to become a parent is fair to a child who might then grow up without a second parent.”
There are a number of resources on this topic; here are some highly useful websites and articles that may help you on your journey:
ChoiceMoms.org – resource website for single motherhood by choice
Voices of Donor Conception – excellent series of books from Donor Conceived kids, teens and adults
Child Success Depends on Family Stability – article discussing a study that finds children who are born and grow up in stable, single-parent homes generally do as well as those in married households in terms of academic abilities and behavior problems.
Why Single Moms Make Great Parents and Myths About Choice Moms – Articles by ChoiceMoms.org founder Mikki Morrisette