At 35, Nathalie Langlois from France made a brave decision: she would pursue motherhood as a single woman. Two IUI treatments in Belgium ended in disappointment. Then COVID-19 shut fertility clinics across Europe, putting her dreams on hold. When clinics reopened, she discovered her ovarian reserve was low—she would need both donor eggs and donor sperm to conceive.
“The news shook me up a bit,” Nathalie admitted. But once she processed the reality, she found peace with it. “I told myself that it was not essential” to use her own eggs—what mattered was becoming a mother.
At 39, Nathalie was selected for UR Vistahermosa’s 2023 Fertility Journeys Project. What followed was a rollercoaster of emotions, a complicated birth, and finally, on February 24th, 2024, the arrival of beautiful baby Charlie, weighing 4.475kg (9lb 8oz)—the child she had fought so hard to bring into the world.
Years of disappointment and a diagnosis that changed everything
Nathalie’s journey to motherhood began when she was 35. As a single woman, she explored her options and underwent two intrauterine insemination (IUI) treatments at a fertility clinic in Belgium. Both failed.
Then the COVID-19 pandemic arrived, and fertility clinics temporarily closed their doors. Nathalie’s plans were forced into an indefinite pause at a time when her biological clock was already a concern.
When clinics reopened, Nathalie traveled to Portugal for treatment. It was there she received news that fundamentally changed her path: her ovarian reserve was low. To have any real chance of conceiving, she would need to use both donor eggs and donor sperm.
The news was shocking at first. But Nathalie, with characteristic resilience, came to terms with it relatively quickly. What mattered most was not the genetics—it was the opportunity to become a mother.
Selected by UR Vistahermosa
At 39, Nathalie took another major step toward her dream when she discovered she had been selected for treatment at UR Vistahermosa in Alicante as part of the 2023 Fertility Journeys Project.
She had already had a virtual consultation with the clinic, and her first impression was positive. “The first contact with UR Vistahermosa went well, they explained the protocol to me,” she said.
Nathalie was eager to begin. “I would like to go to Spain as soon as possible because I can’t wait to embark on this new adventure,” she shared.
For a single woman who had already faced multiple disappointments and setbacks, this selection represented not just free treatment but validation that her dream of motherhood was within reach.
IVF with double donation: the path forward
Given Nathalie’s low ovarian reserve and her status as a single woman, UR Vistahermosa recommended double donation—using both donor eggs and donor sperm. This approach would give her the best possible chance of success.
Under Spanish law, both egg and sperm donation are anonymous, and donors are carefully screened for physical, psychological, and genetic health. The clinic would match Nathalie with donors who shared her physical characteristics while ensuring the highest medical standards.
For Nathalie, who had already come to peace with the need for donor eggs during her treatment in Portugal, this path felt right. The focus was no longer on genetics—it was on finally becoming the mother she had longed to be.
UR Vistahermosa supports every step of the way
Throughout her treatment and pregnancy, Nathalie felt genuinely supported by UR Vistahermosa. Even after returning to France, the clinic remained available whenever she needed them.
“UR Vistahermosa are always ready to listen, even though I haven’t really needed them lately,” she said during her second trimester. The knowledge that expert support was only a phone call away gave her confidence as she navigated pregnancy as a single woman.
The clinic’s kindness and responsiveness stood out to Nathalie. “If I have any questions, they always answer me very kindly and quickly,” she noted.
The treatment journey: from medication to transfer
In April 2023, Nathalie began her IVF medication protocol while still in France. She started taking the contraceptive pill on April 17th, followed by a Decapeptyl injection on day 16. When her new cycle began on May 12th, she started Provams and Lavenox.
On May 23rd, Nathalie underwent an ultrasound scan in France and was told she was ready for transfer. She traveled to UR Vistahermosa in Alicante for the embryo transfer on May 31st.
“The trip to Spain went very well. The clinic gave me a very warm welcome and was very clear about the rest of the protocol,” she said.
Emotionally, the days leading up to transfer were challenging. “Before the transfer, I was a bit tired physically. But the worst part was emotionally speaking, it was a bit of a rollercoaster ride, a mixture of fear, envy, and so on. But once the transfer took place, my emotions calmed down. I feel calmer now,” Nathalie shared.
Then came the hardest part: the 15-day wait before taking a pregnancy test.
The positive test and a pregnancy full of hope
When Nathalie discovered she was pregnant following double donation IVF in Spain, the news was almost surreal.
“It’s hard to tell you how I felt when I found out I was pregnant. It was really hard to realise. I think that today, I still don’t realise it and then I try not to get too carried away because ‘you never know,'” she told Fertility Road in July 2023, when she was nine weeks pregnant.
Apart from feeling very tired and dizzy, she was experiencing no other symptoms. An ultrasound in France reassured her and confirmed there was only one baby—”one of my fears,” she admitted.
By October 2023, well into her second trimester, Nathalie was feeling better. “Pregnancy has gone relatively well, apart from some tiredness and headaches. I’m starting to feel less tired and my tummy is getting rounder,” she said.
“I’m feeling good mentally and emotionally. Of course I have a few concerns about the birth, baby’s health and the postpartum period … but above all I’m looking forward to meeting my baby.”
Charlie’s arrival: joy mixed with complications
On February 24th, 2024, Nathalie gave birth to baby Charlie, weighing 4.475kg (9lb 8oz). The birth was complicated—Nathalie suffered a hemorrhage and an infection that left her weak and requiring an extended hospital stay while her hemoglobin levels recovered.
Despite the difficult birth and some ongoing tests on Charlie’s ear, Nathalie was overjoyed. “I feel quite happy, despite his few concerns. I had to get used to the early nights, but you just adapt. I am having a great time with Charlie. At the moment, he’s pretty calm,” she said.
After years of pursuing motherhood as a single woman—through failed IUI treatments, a pandemic shutdown, the discovery of low ovarian reserve, and finally successful double donation IVF in Spain—Nathalie was finally holding her baby.
Gratitude and reflection
Looking back on her ferttility journey, Nathalie’s gratitude to UR Vistahermosa was profound. “I would like to thank the clinic for the opportunity it gave me. The experience with the clinic was totally perfect and allowed me to realise my dream of becoming a mother,” she said.
From her first contact with the clinic through pregnancy support and finally to Charlie’s birth, UR Vistahermosa had been there for her—a single woman pursuing motherhood in a foreign country, trusting in the kindness of strangers and the expertise of a Spanish fertility clinic.
Her story is one of resilience, adaptability, and unwavering determination. When her own eggs weren’t an option, she embraced donor eggs. When she needed donor sperm as well, she accepted it. When the birth was complicated, she recovered and adapted.
Now, with baby Charlie in her arms, all the challenges, disappointments, and fears had led to this: the realization of her dream to become a mother.
A message for single women pursuing motherhood
Nathalie’s journey offers powerful encouragement for single women considering fertility treatment. Her path wasn’t easy, but through it all, she never gave up on her dream.
Her willingness to embrace double donation after initially pursuing IUI with donor sperm shows the importance of staying open to different paths when the original plan doesn’t work. And her positive experience with UR Vistahermosa demonstrates that excellent care and support are available for single women pursuing motherhood abroad.
Most importantly, her story proves that family comes in many forms—and that a mother’s love for her child doesn’t depend on genetics. It depends on determination, hope, and the courage to keep going even when the road gets difficult.
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Updated: 23.02.2026
