MEP Maria Walsh on becoming a single mother by choice

Fine Gael MEP Maria Walsh always wanted to become a mother and spent years hoping she’d meet the right person to start a family with. By 2024 however, Walsh was done waiting and she decided to embark upon solo parenthood, as a single, gay woman. In early 2025, she began her fertility journey and finally became pregnant through IVF earlier this year. Today, Walsh is 24 weeks pregnant and happier than ever, although admittedly a bit nervous and excited for what’s to come.In today’s episode, the expectant mother joins Róisín Ingle to talk about her decision to go it alone and the questions she had to ask herself along the way. Walsh discusses why she chose to keep the start of her journey private and the emotional challenges that came with that decision. She also explains how she plans to balance motherhood with her role as a member of the European Parliament and she reveals the gender of her baby, who is due this October.This podcast was updated on July 3rd. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.