Eiden, Corazon’s beautiful baby boy. Photo / Tony Nyberg
Corazon’s journey began five years ago, when she was nearing her mid-30s and starting to wonder about her biological clock. While she’d been in relationships in the past and spent time on the dating scene, Mr Right never came along.
But instead of leaving her future to fate, Corazon visited a fertility specialist to discuss her options. She decided to freeze her eggs and her name was added to the public waiting list for donor sperm. If she didn’t find a partner in the meantime, she decided she would go it alone.
While raising a baby without a partner might sound daunting, Corazon felt confident in her decision, buoyed by the unwavering support of her mum Leony – who would eventually move from Christchurch to Auckland to be closer to her daughter – and her experience as a former neonatal intensive care nurse.
When it came time to select her donor, Corazon, who is a proud Filipino-Kiwi, was thrilled to discover there was a donor with Filipino heritage.
“That made sense because I figured if my baby wasn’t going to grow up with a dad, I wanted them to feel connected to the family they do have and to be able to see themselves in us.”
When Corazon’s first embryo transfer was unsuccessful, her disappointment proved just how badly she wanted to become a mum.
Corazon felt confident in her decision to be a solo mum. Photo / Tony Nyberg
“I realised that the idea of it not working was more scary than the idea of it working.”
Thankfully, a second embryo transfer was successful. She can still remember the moment the fertility clinic phoned to give her the news she’d been hoping for – she was finally pregnant.
“It was the worst possible moment,” laughs Corazon. “I was in court covering the report into the sinking of the navy vessel Manawanui. It was a really hefty story and I hardly had time to process the fact I was pregnant. I just said, ‘Okay, thanks,’ and went back to writing my script for the six o’clock news!”
But over the following days, weeks and months, excitement grew for the mum-to-be. Feeling great, she continued going to the gym and attending her beloved ballet classes, where everyone around her embraced her decision to become a mum on her own.
Being open about Eiden’s conception has always felt like the right approach.
“Maybe telling our story helps further normalise the conversation,” she muses.
Corazon wasn’t expecting to meet her baby until the end of the year, so when her waters broke at just over 31 weeks, she was understandably apprehensive. But as she made her way to hospital, she tried not to panic.
Corazon welcomed baby Eiden into the world on November 13. Photo / Tony Nyberg
She recalls, “My NICU brain kicked in and I thought, ‘This could be a lot worse.’ So even though it wasn’t ideal, I did my best to stay calm.”
Doctors administered steroids to help her baby’s lungs mature, while Corazon was closely monitored for signs of infection. After 10 days in hospital, she was allowed to return home.
She put the finishing touches on the nursery and prepared for the baby’s arrival because doctors had warned her it was just a matter of time. And they were right – Corazon’s labour began in the middle of the night a few weeks later, at almost 36 weeks.
With her work colleagues all offering to help if she needed it, Corazon phoned a co-worker who lived around the corner to drive her and her mum to hospital. By the time they got there, the contractions were coming thick and fast, and the pain was intensifying.
While some women have elaborate birth plans, Corazon’s hopes for labour were simple: “I just wanted my baby out and in one piece. That was it.”
At 1.13pm on November 13, Corazon welcomed baby Eiden into the world with her mum – and, unexpectedly, her colleague – by her side. Corazon later discovered there was a reason her co-worker had remained firmly in place throughout the birth.
Corazon with mum Leony and baby Eiden. Photo / Little Wild Ones
“Mum admitted she’d asked her to stay because she didn’t feel confident being the only support person – and I’m so glad she did. It was lovely having that extra support.”
As soon as Corazon laid eyes on her baby boy, she was completely smitten.
She shares, “It was kind of surreal – this little baby’s just come out of me and I’m looking at him, like, ‘Are you actually mine?’ I remember seeing his face and thinking, ‘That’s the most beautiful face I’ve ever seen.’”
Despite some initial feeding difficulties and jaundice that kept the pair in hospital for more than a week, Corazon treasures those early days with her tiny boy. In the evenings, once her visitors had gone home and it was just the two of them, she would sit and stare at him, trying to take in every second.
And now, eight months on, Corazon’s simply loving life as a mum. With grandma Leony at home too and a village of fellow mums around her, she’s found solo parenting easier than she’d anticipated – and she’s making the most of her maternity leave before she returns to TVNZ next year.
Even on those sleepless nights, Corazon reminds herself just how fleeting these days are.
She smiles, “He’s never going to be this small again, so I’ve just got to soak in every single moment.”