Choosing Yourself: The Truth About Single Parenthood by Choice

She came to the conclusion that she was probably going to get children or a marriage, but not both. So she chose children. Dr. Meggie Smith is a reproductive endocrinologist at Nashville Fertility Center and a single mom by choice, currently pregnant with her second daughter, both conceived from eggs she froze at 31. In this episode, she sits down with Laura and Ashlee to pull back the curtain on what it actually looks like to make that choice, plan for it strategically, build a support system from scratch, and navigate the very fertility system she works in every single day. Topics covered in this episode: Why Dr. Smith chose single parenthood over waiting for the "right" relationship Freezing eggs at 31 and using them at 37: what that planning process actually looked like Choosing a sperm donor and the 85% rule she shares with her own patients Genetic anonymity, donor-conceived children, and why that landscape has changed forever Building a support bench as a single parent working full time The broken healthcare system, straight from a physician living it Why your insurance coverage might actually cost you more than paying cash How the lack of reimbursement incentive makes it harder to be a thorough doctor Dr. Smith brings something rare to this conversation: she has sat in the REI chair as both clinician and patient. Her perspective is unfiltered, deeply practical, and genuinely validating for anyone navigating fertility on their own terms. This episode is for you if you've ever wondered whether single parenthood by choice is really possible, felt overwhelmed by insurance and financial decisions, or just needed to hear someone say out loud that the system is a racket and they're doing their best anyway. Connect with Dr. Meggie Smith and Nashville Fertility Center: Instagram: ⁠  / ⁠   Website: ⁠https://www.nashvillefertility.com/ab...