Cheryl’s secret sadness as she tries to give Bear a sibling

She’s made no secret of her desire to have a second child and if Cheryl had her way, she would already be expecting a sibling for her two-year-old son Bear.

But as the singer is currently single – and her ex and baby daddy Liam Payne is loved-up with model Maya Henry – there are obviously a few problems with going down the traditional route.

However, Cheryl, 36, has never been one to bow to convention, and has previously said she would consider a sperm donor if she couldn’t find someone to have a baby with – and heat has been told she’s decided it’s now or never.

“Becoming a mum is the best thing that has ever happened to Cheryl and she absolutely loves every minute of it,” says our insider. “She is desperate for another baby and doesn’t want a huge gap between Bear and her next one.

"He’ll be three in March and she feels she really needs to start thinking about getting pregnant soon. In an ideal world, she would be in a relationship, but she’s not going to let that stop her. She’s happy to look at different options to make her dream come true.”

Speaking about having another baby, Cheryl – who is one of five and very close to her family – has said, “I would like to, honestly. Not just for Bear having a sibling – I grew up with a lot of siblings, so I can’t imagine having an only child.”

She also revealed that being single wouldn’t put her off. “You don’t necessarily need to be in a relationship,” she said in another interview. “I’ve got a friend who has had two children using donors. Not everything has to be conventional.”

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The insider adds that, although she and Liam have split up, that hasn’t stopped them discussing having more children – even if it’s unlikely.

“Despite Liam being in a relationship, there’s no question he still spends a huge amount of his time interacting with Cheryl because of their co-parenting and they’re constantly on each other’s minds,” our insider continues.

“Liam can’t seem to stop talking about their relationship in public, and mutual friends have long suspected that there is unfinished business between the them.

"But one thing they keep coming back to when they do have heart-to-hearts is the idea of giving Bear a brother or sister to grow up with, as it was always their dream to have at least two children.

"They’re not getting back together – but Cheryl and Liam have had an open and honest conversation about how they might make it work, having another child without being together. Ideally, she would like her children to have the same father, but she does accept it’s a very complicated situation. She’s very torn.”

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Liam has been dating Maya for a few months and has openly gushed about her, calling her “my best friend as well as my partner”. However, he has also spoken about the close bond he has with Cheryl and Bear and how much time they spend together.

In a recent TV documentary, the former One Direction singer revealed, “We genuinely get on. We’ve got a life that we can draw from each that helps in our situation. It’s good. I love it – going over to their place and hanging out and doing whatever and watching TV. It’s good.”

He also described Cheryl as “the most important person” in his life and seemed regretful when he spoke about the reason they split in July 2018. And, when asked if they could get back together, he joked, “If she plays her cards right.”

And Cheryl knows she has to make a decision quickly, as becoming a mum again in 2020 is her priority, especially as the only work commitment she has at the moment is the new series of The Greatest Dancer, which airs at the start of the year.

Our insider says that she’s weighed up all the pros and cons – she’s been Bear’s main carer all of his life and knows she could do it on her own again if she had to.

“Cheryl has been open about surrogacy and exploring alternative options – and the way she feels about it is, if she’s not going to have another child in another traditional relationship, then it could make sense to have a baby with Liam,” we’re told.

“But that’s not the only option. In one sense, she knows how it will work with Liam – and they do make cute babies together – but she also knows it could complicate things, especially as he’s now with Maya. And while it works well with Bear at the moment, another baby together could ruin things.

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"But, whatever happens, Cheryl is preparing to do the majority of the parenting and is happy being a single mum. Going down the sperm donor route could be easier and nobody else is involved.

"Her friends think even considering having another baby with Liam is a crazy idea, but Cheryl has said nothing surprises her any more and that you never know what is around the corner in life.

"She’s not letting people’s opinions force her into making decisions based on what’s wrong or right in their minds. She wants to make sure she’s making the best decision for her and Bear, and just feels like another baby is the right thing to do.”

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