Fed up of waiting for Mr Right to come along to be able to start a family, more and more women - and men - are turning to non-conventional methods to have children. Thousands of Brits have turned to matchmaking sites that allow them to find a partner who they can share the responsibility of having a baby with, without the usual requirement of romance. Dubbed 'platonic parenting ', it sees those who are ready for a family make long-term commitments without a sexual or emotional connection, and it's slowly on the rise, particularly after lockdown put a halt to meeting people the conventional way.
Nick Farrow, 55, from Brighton, has a nine-year-old daughter Milly with his co-parent Rae, 51, who he met on Modamily, a matchmaking site for people looking to start a family. Below he shares his incredibly story of how he had a baby with a complete stranger. Ever since I was 35, when a friend's five-year-old daughter threw her arms around me and screamed, "I love you, uncle Nick!" I knew I had to be a parent.
But when I was 42, my partner, who I'd hoped to start a family with, broke up with me. I persevered on dating apps without success for a year but then I heard about platonic co-parenting, where two adults agree to have a child together without becoming romantically involved. While googling the subject I discovered Modamily and signed up straight away.
I first met a lesbian couple who I developed a great affection for but we decided our partnership wouldn’t be compatible. Then I.