Having a Baby on Your Own: Becoming a Solo Mother by Choice at 40 ft Emma James

What happens when the relationship never comes… but the desire to become a mother won’t go away?

In this raw and powerful episode, Emma sits down with a very special guest (also named Emma) who shares the story behind her boldest decision yet: becoming a solo mum by choice (SMBC) at age 40.

After spending her 30s in the cycle of heartbreak, therapy, dating disappointments, and fertility panic, and going through a big break-up at age 39, Emma reached a breaking point. Tired of waiting and knowing she wanted to have a family of her own, she chose herself instead and started the journey to solo motherhood. She now has a beautiful one year old son and is sharing her journey and life as an SMBC on her Instagram.

This isn’t the glossy Instagram version. It’s the messy, deeply human story of letting go of the fantasy, grieving the love that never arrived, and finding power in a path she never expected to take.

Together, we talk about what it means to actually take control of your timeline and how liberating, terrifying, and beautiful it can be to rewrite your story when life doesn’t go to plan.

Inside this episode:

• The hidden grief of being a woman who “did all the right things” and still ended up alone
• The silent pressure cooker of fertility timelines and the panic that sets in after 35
• How Emma reframed solo motherhood from Plan B to powerful, aligned choice
• What dating, therapy, and burnout taught her about self-worth and agency
• The spiritual and emotional reckoning that comes before big, life-altering decisions

Whether you’re curious about solo motherhood as a potential future option, questioning your own timeline, or grieving the gap between where you are and where you thought you’d be, this one’s for you.

📲 Connect with Emma (Turning 30) on Instagram at @turning30coach

📲 Connect with Emma (SMBC) on Instagram at @emma.kate.james

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