In a world that teaches women to meticulously plan their careers while leaving motherhood to chance, Cheri Bergeron stands as a powerful voice for change. As an IVF advocate, Amazon #1 bestselling author, and founder of Cheri’s Choice, she has dedicated her life to ensuring no woman feels blindsided by her biological clock or trapped by outdated narratives about family.
Her journey to motherhood was anything but conventional. It was paved with heartbreak, resilience, and ultimately, radical self-empowerment. Today, Cheri helps women across the country reclaim their fertility journeys, guiding them from fear and uncertainty toward clarity, confidence, and action.
“True female empowerment means planning our path to motherhood the same way we plan our careers,” Cheri reflects. “With clarity, confidence, and choice.”
THE TURNING POINT: CHOOSING HERSELF
Cheri’s path to advocacy began in the depths of personal tragedy. After suffering the devastating loss of her first child at six months gestation, she found herself at a crossroads. Ready to try again, she discovered that she and her then-husband were no longer aligned in their vision for family. Their relationship had been fracturing for years, but this moment crystallized everything.
“His words and behavior in that moment told me that we didn’t share the same parenting values,” Cheri recalls. “That’s when I knew I would be going it alone as a single mother by choice.”
This decision did not come easily. For twenty years, Cheri had chased relationships, believing she needed a husband to qualify for motherhood. Each relationship would crumble when she asked herself the essential question: do I see myself having children with this person? She describes feeling trapped in a game of romantic Monopoly, constantly landing back on “Go” and starting over.
At 43, everything changed. She realized she didn’t need a man to become a mother. That single shift in perspective opened up life-changing possibilities.
DISMANTLING THE FAIRY TALE
Society’s messaging around motherhood remains deeply conflicted. From a young age, women are conditioned to avoid unplanned pregnancy, a message that lingers far longer than it should. Meanwhile, traditional notions of family persist, painting a picture of married couples as the only valid path to parenthood.
Cheri sees this narrative as fundamentally flawed. “Fairy tales aren’t one-size-fits-all,” she asserts. “You can become a mother on your own terms and create your own happily-ever-after.”
Through her work, she confronts the misconceptions surrounding single motherhood by choice head-on. Critics rooted in traditional family models have called such women “selfish” for supposedly depriving their children of fathers. Others claim children of single mothers by choice will face problems in adulthood. Research, however, has disproved these assertions.
“Children of single mothers by choice need the same things as all children,” Cheri explains. “Love, commitment, and time from their parent.”
She has listened to many adult children raised by single mothers by choice who express gratitude for their family structure and view it as completely normal. Families, she emphasizes, come in all shapes and sizes, and none is inherently better than another.
THE TRUTH ABOUT FERTILITY
As an IVF advocate, Cheri speaks candidly about the realities of fertility that too often remain unspoken. The biological clock, she insists, is very real. While modern medicine can assist with infertility issues, our biology remains finite. Ovarian reserve and egg quality decline with age, yet society perpetuates the myth that women have plenty of time.
“Many women, including myself, feel blindsided,” Cheri shares. “If you want to preserve your options for biological children, the best thing you can do is freeze your eggs before age 35. The earlier, the better.”
She is equally honest about IVF itself. It offers hope, not promises. The process is filled with ups and downs and requires tremendous courage. Yet Cheri speaks of it with profound gratitude.
“I wouldn’t have my two beautiful children without the help of IVF,” she says. “So I am incredibly grateful.”
This honesty extends to the financial barriers that make fertility treatments inaccessible for many. With egg freezing costing around $15,000 per retrieval and IVF reaching $30,000 per cycle, these pathways remain financially unattainable for countless women. Only about 15% of employers offer insurance coverage for infertility treatments.
“People shouldn’t have to choose between buying a house or having children,” Cheri states firmly.
FROM POWERLESSNESS TO EMPOWERMENT
The women Cheri works with often arrive feeling desperate and out of control. Their futures seem dependent on the chance meeting of “Prince Charming.” Watching them realize they aren’t powerless, she says, is truly magical.
“The breakthrough moment is when they go from feeling trapped to feeling free and realize there are paths to motherhood they hadn’t considered.”
Her workshops guide women through a comprehensive process of self-discovery. Participants explore their motivations, priorities, fears, values, and beliefs about becoming a mother. They reflect on messages received from previous relationships or family history that may be driving fears or limiting beliefs.
From there, Cheri discusses the various paths to motherhood through the lens of those values. Fertility options, treatments, costs, and timelines are laid out so each woman can align possibilities with her personal priorities. Donor selection, foster parenting, and adoption are all explored as valid pathways. For those considering single motherhood by choice, she walks through legal, financial, emotional, and logistical factors.
“Women walk away with a level of clarity they didn’t have before,” Cheri notes, “along with a roadmap of how they want to move forward.”
OVERCOMING EMOTIONAL BARRIERS
The decision to become a mother without a partner carries significant emotional weight. Cheri identifies several barriers women must navigate. First comes grief for the traditional fairy tale. Many women hoped to meet the right person, create a beautiful partnership, and then have children. When life doesn’t unfold that way, the realization is painful.
Fear of the unknown presents another challenge. Can I handle this on my own? Cheri’s advice is to connect with others who have chosen this path through organizations like Single Mothers By Choice. Understanding that you aren’t truly alone makes all the difference.
Finally, women wrestle with how others will respond to their choice. Friends, family, and society at large may have opinions. Cheri’s response is straightforward: “It’s your life and you deserve to be happy. The people who truly love you will support you in fulfilling your dream of motherhood.”
She also dispels the myth that choosing single motherhood means being single forever. Many women go on to find their desired partner after having children. Moving forward as a single mother by choice simply means refusing to allow the absence of a partner to prevent you from fulfilling your dream.
BUILDING CHERI’S CHOICE
The nonprofit Cheri’s Choice emerged from a deeply personal mission. Women aren’t taught about their fertility timelines in school. Without family discussions on the topic, many walk around with false information. Research shows that seven out of ten women don’t discuss fertility with their doctors. When they finally do, it’s often in their mid-30s when options have already become limited.
“I started Cheri’s Choice because I don’t want any woman to be blindsided by false beliefs the way I was,” Cheri explains. “That’s why we provide education, counseling, and support to help women plan for motherhood.”
Her Amazon #1 bestselling book carries a message that resonates deeply with readers who feel behind on their motherhood dreams: “If the glass slipper doesn’t fit, screw the fairy tale!”
THE SURPRISING SIMPLICITY OF SOLO MOTHERHOOD
When asked what surprised her most about motherhood on her own terms, Cheri’s answer is unexpected. Her life became simpler.
“I had spent eight years trying to create a family with someone who didn’t seem to share my passion and commitment to become a parent,” she recalls. “When I let that go, the road became much easier.”
Forcing the wrong fairy tale had never worked. Releasing it brought happiness and ease, even without a partner. And she wasn’t truly alone. Her mother, other family members, and true friends have walked beside her throughout the journey.
“I am truly grateful for the village of people surrounding me and my children,” she says.
A CALL FOR SYSTEMIC CHANGE
Cheri advocates passionately for cultural, medical, and workplace changes to support women’s reproductive autonomy. She calls for greater acceptance of diverse family models, insisting that everyone deserves the opportunity to become a parent regardless of marital status, gender, or sexual orientation.
She pushes for egg freezing and fertility treatments to become more accessible and affordable. She advocates for employers to expand insurance coverage for infertility. And she dreams of universities teaching fertility education as a core part of their curriculum, ensuring young women have vital information when all options remain available.
A MESSAGE OF HOPE
For the woman reading this who feels time is running out, who feels alone or uncertain, Cheri offers words of comfort and encouragement.
“I want to give you a big virtual hug and tell you that you CAN achieve your dream of motherhood. With courage, determination, and a village that loves you, anything is possible. You just have to figure out which path is right for you.”
Through her advocacy, writing, workshops, and nonprofit work, Cheri Bergeron continues transforming lives. She proves daily that motherhood doesn’t require waiting for a fairy tale. Sometimes, the most empowering story is the one you write yourself.
