An Australian woman has opened up about the cruel comments she received for trying to start a family without a partner.
In 2012 Kirilly began fertility treatment with a donor, hoping to fulfil her lifelong dream of having children.
However, the treatment was unsuccessful and over the next two years, she endured seven failed attempts to fall pregnant.
Kirilly told new.com.au many people passed judgment on her decision to try to have kids without a partner.
"One of the most common things people who didn't know my situation would say was, 'oh, well why couldn't you meet someone?'," she recalled.
"I did have a friend who I needed to step away from for a while …although she was very caring, her opinion was very strong."
Kirilly said the people who had those opinions and comments had a one-track idea of what a family is, which she said is actually "not normal for a lot of people".
"There's still a stereotype where you get married, have kids and the house with the white picket fence," she told news.com.au.
But Kirilly's determination never stopped pushing her to try, and the encouragement from her mother and some close friends meant she had the support to keep going.
"It was a very stressful time at some points, but I didn't ever say 'I'm not doing it anymore," she told news.com.au.
"They understood why I was doing it and didn't judge me for it," Kirilly said.
After the seven unsuccessful attempts to fall pregnant, Kirilly made the decision to try another clinic for an eighth attempt. She was told this attempt must be her last.
However, it worked and Kirrily conceived twin girls, Aleeia and Myah, who were born in 2015.
Now aged 6, news.com.au reports the twins are best friends and live a happy life.
