Eboni K. Williams is pregnant with her first child at age 40. In an interview with People.com, Williams explained why she’s proud to be a “single mom by choice.”
She also detailed her in-vitro fertilization (IVF) process — including freezing her eggs at age 34 — the cutoff date to fertilize female eggs.
Her daughter is due by August 16.
After ending an engagement years ago, Williams decided she had no plans to wait around for another relationship to come along.
“‘I am doing this thing solo,'” the former Real Housewives of New York City cast member told Dr. Daniel Stein of the West Side Clinic. “‘This is about me, not he.'”
Williams said she “paid premium” for baby pictures of her sperm donor, because “I have money.”
She said a vial of “love potion” (sperm) costs $1,200. Her doctor recommended buying 2-3 vials.
The IVF procedure starts at $28,000 for each attempt, and is not covered by insurance. Sometimes multiple attempts are made before a fertilized egg is successfully implanted in the womb.
According to People.com, Williams is part of a generation of women redefining what it means to be a “single mother.”
“I have wanted to pursue the single motherhood by choice journey for the past two years, and I’m so blessed to be here now,” she told People.com, “but I’m also not deft to how extraordinarily stigmatized it still is.”
She continued: “It is not the shame-ridden narrative that it used to be; that’s steeped in poverty, that’s steeped in scarcity, that’s steeped in rejection — that’s steeped in all of these heartbreaking, sad trauma points.
“That is not this story. These innocent, little babies are so desperately and lovingly wanted that they have mothers who invested exorbitant resources (by way of money, by way of time, by way of what we put our bodies through, etc.) to bring them to this Earth, and to shower them with all the things that all sweet babies deserve. That’s love.”
The lawyer, news anchor, and author is the first Black cast member on “The Real Housewives of New York City.” She is also host of “The Equal Justice with Judge Eboni K. Williams” syndicated court show.
