‘i’m 49, single and pregnant – and i’ve never felt more ready’

Whether by choice or not, singledom in midlife is on the rise. We explore the many pleasures – and occasional pitfalls – of going solo

From tests that predict your fertility window to coaches promising to mentor you through the mother of all decisions, the market for hand-holding women through the parenthood question is no longer in its infancy. Faced with a life-changing call, WH asks if the business of offspring evaluation is long overdue – or capitalising on women’s body clocks?

At 38, Victoria Mapplebeck found herself single, pregnant and broke. Unable to combine motherhood with her job as a freelance film director, she walked away from her career and turned the camera on herself. Her documentary, Motherboard , is an unvarnished portrait of single motherhood. Here, she tells her story

Lucy Johnstone is determined to not lose herself or her relationship when it comes to motherhood

Lisa Williams, 39, suffered three miscarriages and was running out of hope. But then she asked the universe for help…

Kateri thought motherhood had no more surprises. But she was in for a shock…