Woman Welcomes Baby With Girlfriend, Ex-Husband Is Their Sperm Donor

A mom, who gained popularity through her social media influence, had it all: a fulfilling life with a loving spouse, two sons, and a residence in a Florida suburb. However, her life took a different turn as she now enjoys a blissful household with her girlfriend, their newborn baby, and her now ex-husband who acted as their sperm donor.

A new addition to the beautiful unconventional family.

The renowned blogger Linda Fruits and her girlfriend Maddy has recently joyfully welcomed their son, Arlo. “Maddy woke me up at 3:00 a.m. saying she thought her water broke. We quickly showered and headed to the hospital and by 6:03 p.m. we had our beautiful boy, Arlo — all 6.8 lbs. and 19 inches of him... I was just so pleased he was here and Maddy was okay,” Linda shared.

“Watching Maddy give birth (and being on the other side of the bed) was absolutely incredible,” the happy mom added. “My eyes were flooded with tears of love, joy and relief. The whole birthing process can either strengthen a bond, or break one, and I have never been more in love with her than I am this very moment.”

In addition, Linda expressed that her former spouse is “delighted” to have “another boy” in their household, and their sons Elliot and Owen eagerly anticipate meeting their new sibling.

Linda loved her husband but she needed more.

During her marriage, Linda, 33, confessed that although she appeared to have everything she desired, something was amiss. “I was still missing something,” she admitted. “I just wasn’t really aware of what it was yet.”

Linda and her husband, Chris Haerting, 37, had been married since 2016 and had been in a relationship for several years prior. They first met at the bar where Linda worked, eventually becoming best friends, tying the knot, and starting a family with their three and five-year-old children.

However, despite their connection, Linda couldn’t find the desired intimacy within their relationship. She described it as feeling obligatory. In fact, she even confided in her best friend, questioning whether an open marriage was necessary because she struggled to engage intimately with her husband.

She found out what was actually missing in her life.

As their children began attending daycare, Linda, as a young mother, finally had a chance to take a breath and truly reflect on her own feelings. It was during this time that she stumbled upon “lesbian TikTok” and found herself unexpectedly drawn to the content created by sapphic individuals.

After extensive introspection, Linda made the decision to come out to her husband. She explained, “No person should go this long without wanting to be held or kissed or touched,” Linda says. “And I wanted him to have what he deserves.”

To express her truth to her husband was a daunting task.

“I loved our family and I didn’t want anything to change,” she admitted, which is why she found herself overcome with uncontrollable sobs as she broke the news to Chris while he was stepping out of the shower. Thankfully, he received Linda’s revelation with understanding and compassion. “I grew up around gay and lesbian people. My parents had a lot of friends that had come out late in life,” Chris shared. “It all made sense.”

As they navigate the process of divorce, the couple naturally decided to conclude their romantic partnership. However, they found themselves confronted with questions: “What do we do now? Do we get divorced? Do we separate our assets? Do we split up our children? ... That’s what everybody does, right?” Chris recalls, reflecting on that significant moment.

A new arrangement took place in their household, as they both started dating new people.

Due to their strong co-parenting dynamic and close bond, they made the decision to continue living together in their shared home even after their separation in August 2021. “We work well day-to-day,” said Chris, who is the owner of two businesses. “We love waking up with our kids in the morning and taking care of them together.”

They reorganized their living arrangements within the house, occupying separate sides, and eventually started exploring new romantic connections. Chris began dating before Linda, while she took her time. When she downloaded a dating app for lesbians, her intention was not to pursue a serious relationship. She simply wanted to embrace and understand this newly discovered aspect of herself. She explained, “I was by no means looking to meet someone and fall head over heels in love with them.”

However, to her surprise, love found its way into her life. After a disappointing first date due to a lack of chemistry, she arranged to meet Maddy, a 36-year-old E.R. physician’s assistant. Linda shares, “There wasn’t a lot of pre-communication.” She admitted, “Just like, ’Hey, let’s meet up. Okay, great. See you there.’”

After Linda found her new female partner, the three together decided to expand their interconnected family.

Their axe-throwing date turned out to be a resounding success. Both women quickly developed deep feelings for each other, and within the first few weeks, Maddy expressed her love for Linda. Although there was a lot for Maddy to process when she learned about Linda’s unique living arrangement, it didn’t alter her emotions.

During their second date, Maddy made a confession of her own. She revealed her longstanding dream of becoming a mother and her pursuit of a sperm donor to fulfill that desire. In a playful manner, Linda jokingly responded, “Great, you can have one of my kids.”

However, as Linda observed Maddy’s natural affinity with her children, she began contemplating the possibility of asking Chris if he would consider being a sperm donor to help Maddy achieve her goal. Several months later, Linda finally posed the question to Chris, and he agreed. However, he made it clear that he didn’t want to be a “silent donor.” He expressed his intention to actively participate in raising the child, assuming the role of a live-in father.

After several attempts, Maddy successfully became pregnant using an at-home insemination kit, bringing excitement and anticipation to the three adults who now reside together.

They began preparing for their new life as a parental trio, affectionately referred to by Linda as ’The Fruity Bunch,’ symbolizing their growing and interconnected family.

Explaining their unique living arrangement to their 2 sons went on smoothly.

When it came to explaining their unique living arrangement to their two sons, Linda shared that her oldest child was unfazed by the fact that “mommy and daddy don’t share the same bed.”

At one point, when he questioned why Maddy was still living with them, Linda took the opportunity to highlight how fortunate they were. She explained that some children have only one parent who loves them at home. Others have two. But they are incredibly lucky to have three parents who are here to care for them.

Linda also explained to him, “It makes Mommy a better person, and it makes Papa a better person. Maddy helps us be happier.” Following this heartfelt conversation, her son never asked that question again. It was as if he truly grasped and understood the dynamics of their unique family structure.

The internet’s reaction to Maddy’s pregnancy is divided.

Later, Linda publicly announced Maddy’s pregnancy on her blog. While they received an outpouring of support, they also faced criticism from those who disapprove of their unconventional family arrangement. “It confuses a lot of people,” acknowledged Chris, while Linda added that some people think it’s narcissistic. However, they have also encountered individuals who have experienced divorces and expressed how much they appreciate and admire the positive impact their arrangement has on the children.

Despite the challenges they face and the need to adapt to unforeseen obstacles, the three parents rely on a shared Google Calendar and, above all, an abundance of love and dedication to maintain a harmonious household. Linda expressed their commitment to continuously find solutions and what works best for everyone involved, saying, “We’ll just keep figuring it out as we go, what works best for all of us.”

This extraordinary modern blended family serves as evidence that it’s not always necessary to stick to conventional methods in order to have a happy functional family.