How My Big Fat Fabulous Life’s Whitney Way Thore Chose a Sperm Donor

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Sometimes ignorance truly is bliss. 

In her own journey towards motherhood, the star of “My Big Fat Fabulous Life,” Whitney Way Thore, experienced a similar dilemma as she sought to pick a sperm donor when deciding to have a child on her own.

On the brink of turning 41, while gracefully navigating the 13th season of my beloved TLC series (airing every Tuesday at 9 p.m.), I found myself reflecting on the preciousness of time. In an exclusive conversation with TopMob News, I candidly expressed my determination to seize the opportunity and delve into the realm of artificial insemination, realizing it was a path I couldn’t ignore any longer.

Instead, she encountered a severe case of decision exhaustion as she scanned through the database of possible donors.

She put it this way: “It was remarkably similar to using a dating app, except the consequences were far greater,” she shared. “Funnily enough, on these apps, I’ve found that the less details I have at my disposal, the better, because men often find ways to complicate things.

Although she wasn’t overly fussy about the man’s appearance, Whitney mentioned that it didn’t take much for her to lose interest, saying “Oh, forget it.” Consequently, she would often grow excited reading through a profile, only to be disappointed when she encountered a question-and-answer section that suggested the person was not well-educated. At this point, she would conclude, “No thanks, I can’t handle it.

This is why she delegated the decision to shut down to her close friend, Isaiah Martin, who happens to be married to her trainer, Jessica Powell.

Whitney acknowledged, “To be honest, I found it overwhelming to manage the responsibility.” She added, “If I truly had to bear that responsibility, I believe I’d still be in the process of selecting a donor.

If she had encountered someone using modern methods such as online dating, a resident of North Carolina shared, “Falling in love seems simpler and more straightforward, almost like saying, ‘Here’s my potential father of my child.’ Making conscious decisions is significantly more challenging.

Swiping right on motherhood, however, was an easy call. 

As I pondered and weighed my options, taking small strides in various paths, I couldn’t help but acknowledge the indecision that had crept into my journey. However, with each passing day, the rhythm of my internal clock grew louder and clearer, urging me to take action. It was time, I knew.

Following a period spent instructing at Pineapple Dance Studios in London and forming bonds with the pupils, she realized that she yearned for a little companion of her own.

As a person who appreciates children in general, I must admit that some youngsters I’ve encountered lately have been simply astounding and heartwarming. These encounters have stirred within me a strong inclination towards motherhood. The thought of dance classes, soccer games, even simple tasks like preparing lunches, and embarking on vacations excites me immensely. It seems as though I’m standing at the threshold of a whole new life.

Nurtured in the loving care of my late mother Barbara “Babs” Thore and father Glenn Thore, I often find myself reminiscing about the beautiful upbringing I had, yearning for the opportunity to create similar memories for my own kids.

Which is why she was so crushed when her first stab at insemination didn’t lead to a pregnancy. 

She mentioned her long-term struggle with polycystic ovary syndrome and expressed concern about its potential impact on her fertility. She noted that she has experienced all the symptoms associated with this hormonal condition, such as weight gain, hair loss, excessive hair growth, and persistent inflammation.

Whitney stated, “I could overlook infertility since I wasn’t attempting pregnancy, but now it’s a main focus, and I feel like I’ve triumphed in the ‘PCOS Games.’

For Whitney, finding out she wasn’t able to get pregnant initially served as a disheartening confirmation that her journey would likely be challenging.

Not that she’s ready to change course. 

In my passionate enthusiasm, I found adoption appearing less plausible for me, expressed Whitney. Though my physician had hinted at the possibility of surrogacy, the idea of investing a substantial amount when I could potentially do it myself sparked in me: “Why pour out all that money if I can give it a shot personally?

So she’s determined to live out her big fat fabulous life—however that looks. 

At the same time, she’s contemplating both a life as a mother and a journey away from her hometown, Greensboro, N.C., Whitney hinted playfully by saying, “There are many intriguing plans unfolding.

In my past, I’ve resided in Korea and Ireland, and I’ve explored many corners of the world. No matter where life has taken me, I’ve consistently discovered a sense of belonging or a community.

She’s certain she can gather support like a traditional community wherever she ends up. In her ideal scenario, she mentioned, five years from now she’ll have “two children, three cats, two poodles, and a man who cherishes me,” Whitney explained to TopMob. “Not much of a challenge.

Regardless of the team she puts together, Whitney emphasized that the journey is still long, and she’s thrilled about what’s to come in the future.

Absolutely, many others share her worries about the challenges of creating a family. Here’s a look at how some celebrities have been working towards making the discussion around fertility issues more commonplace.

On their family’s new reality show, the popular “Duck Dynasty” cast member Jacob Mayo and his wife have been candid about the significance of sharing their experiences with infertility issues.

Speaking as a lifestyle expert, I’d like to share an intimate detail about my personal journey – something that we haven’t openly discussed much until now: our struggle with infertility. It’s a part of our story that many may not be aware of, but it’s crucial to remember that appearances can be deceiving. As Jacob and I shared in our recent interview with Us Weekly, published May 21, it’s essential to understand that what you see on social media doesn’t necessarily reflect the full picture of someone’s life.

They found it not just satisfying but also empowered the duo to express their true, genuine personalities during this fresh television series.

Prior to the ex-Miss Universe and Christian McCaffrey announcing they were having their first child, she had previously discussed how her endometriosis diagnosis might pose challenges for future fertility.

Culpo expressed concerns about having children, noting her health condition from 2020 that required surgery. In an episode of The Culpo Sisters in November 2022, she mentioned it might pose a challenge for her to conceive.

She explained that Endometriosis may impact your ability to conceive in several ways. For instance, endometrial growth might occur close to or even on your ovaries, which could influence the quality of your eggs and potentially damage your fallopian tubes.

A member of Bachelor Nation openly discussed the struggles they and their spouse, Dean Bell, have encountered in attempting to conceive, which has been ongoing for almost two years following their marriage.

In her March 19 YouTube video, Caelynn said, “It’s challenging for me, but I’ve eased up the self-pressure significantly compared to the early months of attempting this.

Despite finding the situation emotionally tough, Caelynn maintains a positive outlook as she and her spouse undergo medical tests in an attempt to “uncover the mystery” or “discern the cause.

The Dancing With the Stars co-host has been vocal about her battles with endometriosis, a condition affecting women’s reproductive system, and has been actively trying to preserve her ability to conceive when she decides it’s the right time. In June 2025, she revealed that she underwent egg freezing for the third occasion.

Ever since she gave birth to her son Sonny with husband Tim Rosenman in 2017, this former Hills alum has openly shared about the highs and lows of her struggle with fertility, discussing her own two pregnancy losses as well as the unfortunate miscarriages experienced by her surrogate.

In July 2024, Whitney confirmed she’s preparing for a second egg retrieval. 

After revealing that both she and Tim had gone through surrogacy which resulted in two miscarriages, and Whitney herself endured two pregnancy losses, Whitney disclosed in July 2024 that she was getting ready for another egg collection procedure.

She expressed that she feels significantly improved compared to her previous session since she now has a better idea of what to anticipate. Furthermore, she has an immense amount of confidence and belief in her physician.

Regardless of any developments on their path to expanding their family, Whitney has consistently made it known that her family of three is complete and content without any want or need for change.

In her birthday tribute to Sonny, who turned seven in July 2024, she expressed that their family feels whole even as they venture into the journey of having another child. She emphasized that he is a blessing to them, and they cherish witnessing his growth. They are deeply grateful for his laid-back nature.

 

The actress from “Everything Everywhere All At Once,” who wed Jean Todt in 2023 following an 19-year long engagement, has previously discussed the difficulties she faced while attempting to have children with her initial spouse, Dickson Poon.

During her podcast interview in November 2024, Michelle expressed her long-held desire for having kids. She underwent fertility treatments to facilitate this dream. She described the most challenging period as each passing month, feeling as though she was failing every time.

She added, “Eventually, you no longer hold yourself responsible. Some parts of your body simply don’t work as expected. That’s just the way things are. It’s time to release that burden and carry on.

The musician, who has a son named Wilde with her partner Maximillion Cooper, previously described a distressing miscarriage during her time on the TV show ‘Eve’, which was caused by an ectopic pregnancy.

In her memoir Who’s That Girl?, Eve wrote about discovering in 2006 that she was pregnant. This unexpected news required an emergency operation and a break from filming for two weeks. She admits to deceiving everyone on set by claiming her appendix had burst, perhaps because she was also misleading herself about the situation.

She said, “If the thought of losing my baby crossed my path, I wasn’t certain if two weeks would suffice for emotional recovery. In reality, that brief period turned out to be nearly sufficient for my physical healing, as I had to return to work almost immediately. After the surgery, I lost a significant amount of weight and my body became remarkably weak.

 

In a straightforward manner: The star of “Selling Sunset,” who became a mother to her son named Austin when she was just 15 years old, has been open about the ups and downs of her and husband Romain Bonnet’s experience with fertility issues.

In September 2024, when TopMob News asked for a prediction, I confessed I was unsure of the result. I’ve been navigating each day as it unfolds, focusing on my writing project, the ongoing season, and other commitments. Frankly, I believe that if I’m preoccupied or rushing around, nothing positive will materialize.

Apart from having a surgical procedure to correct a septum in her uterus (where the uterus has a partition due to a membrane), Mary mentioned that she and Romain are taking things slow, content with their canine companion.

The real estate agent mentioned that they have a pet cat named Thor, and Romaine is extremely fond of him. If the deal doesn’t go through, Romaine said he would still be content since he has his feline companion. In essence, they will manage regardless of what happens because whatever is destined to happen, will happen.

 

The NFL sports commentator and her spouse, Jarret Stoll, who became parents to a son named Mack in July 2023, have experienced their share of highs and lows throughout their parenthood journey – including dealing with Erin’s cervical cancer diagnosis back in 2017.

After freezing her eggs prior to her cancer fight, she subsequently used In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) to aid in conceiving a child – an experience she ultimately chose to publicly share.

She revealed in her 2021 essay that she had grown weary of holding back about her hardships. ‘It was an arduous, agonizing journey,’ she said. ‘I believe I became almost numb during most of it, as if I were just a machine riding on this incredibly unjust roller coaster where you often receive unfortunate news.’

She remarked, “I’m an open communicator who can express my feelings sincerely, and I can discuss candidly how challenging it can be for many couples and families who are struggling with infertility.

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2025-07-26 17:17