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Veteran Sierra Leonean broadcaster and former CNN International anchor Isha Sesay has shared the deeply personal reasons behind her decision to become a single mother through IVF, saying she refused to let the passing years take away her opportunity to have a child.
For Sesay, motherhood had always been part of the future she imagined for herself. However, as her journalism career grew, especially during her years at CNN, work gradually took over and the dream of starting a family was pushed further into the background.
Looking back, she admitted that she never intentionally abandoned the idea of becoming a mother, but the demands of her profession meant other priorities came first.
"I had wanted to have a baby. It was always on the list of things that I was going to do. And then I got to CNN. And it just became about the work," she said.
As time passed, Sesay found herself facing an important decision. Rather than continue waiting for the right relationship, she decided to take control of her own path to motherhood through in vitro fertilisation (IVF).
Speaking during an interview with Larry Madowo on African Voices, Sesay explained that her choice was often misunderstood by people who believed it reflected her views about men. She said that was never the case.
"Some people take it as though I did it as an affront or a rejection of men. It's not a rejection of anyone. It is an embrace of my own autonomy," she said.
She explained that the decision was about taking responsibility for her own future and making sure she did not lose the chance to become a parent because she was waiting for circumstances she could not control.
Another major turning point in her life came after her mother suffered a catastrophic stroke. Caring for her mother, who remained in a semi-conscious state for nearly nine years before her death in June 2025, changed the way she viewed family, time and the importance of making difficult decisions while opportunities still existed.
Sesay also revealed that those years caring for her mother influenced her decision to leave CNN after spending 13 years with the international news network.
Her journey to motherhood proved far more challenging than she had imagined. Before welcoming her daughter in 2024, she underwent multiple rounds of IVF treatment, fibroid surgery, hormone therapy and several unsuccessful embryo transfers.
Despite the setbacks, she remained determined to keep trying because she knew the alternative would have been much harder to live with.
"Not having a child would be the greatest regret of my life. And with my biological clock ticking down, if I was waiting for the right man to come along before I did it, well, I might find myself out of time," she said.
Today, Sesay says choosing motherhood on her own is a decision she has no regrets about. Her story has drawn attention to the personal choices many women face as they balance careers, relationships and the realities of fertility, while also highlighting the emotional and physical challenges that often come with IVF treatment.
#IshaSesay
#IVFJourney
#Motherhood
#WomensHealth
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