To have a baby because I want someone to love me

[gertc]

And for me to love in return.

The truth is my life is very cold, empty and lonely. After I come home from work, that is pretty much it. Weekends and holidays are difficult. Christmas impossible.

I feel I have no sense of purpose or belonging anywhere.

I want a baby; I want a family.

Is that so wrong?

My god the selfishness.
More dispassionately: this might not be wholly fair on the child.

I can't remember where I heard it recently but I remember thinking it was profoundly true: parents love their children more than children love their parents.

Not in every case, obviously. Bad parents and abusive parents and so on.

But in general children are more important to their parents than parents are to their children. Which is probably worth thinking about for anyone wanting a child, but especially for someone in the OP's situation.

I do not think you're being unreasonable!

At 37, now would be your best chance of conceiving before your 40s.
As much as raising kids must be exhausting, demanding and stressful you are likely to love your child and he/she is likely to love you back.
Being lonely is not an illness and who is to say that you won't make friends through baby classes and with other mums at the school gate.

Make your own decision OP but I don't think you're being unreasonable!

Ethylred most people's reasons for having children are selfish, because I want to being the main reason for around 99% of people. Who has a baby so that they can altruistically bring life to a person?

Please read @FrenchJunebugs posts, she offers some sage advice - I agree with her you seem very dismissive of suggestions from certain posters. I don’t mean to sound harsh, but you’re coming across as very self involved OP, fair enough you want a baby but you do seem to have some emotional issues, a baby can’t help you with those, a baby is also not a companion they are completely reliant on you for everything, it’s bloody hard especially in the early months and can feel lonely at times(even when you are in a relationship and have friends), it does affect you, it’s not all sunshine and roses you need to accept that and listen instead of brushing posters off!