Egg Freezing: Everything You Need to Know

When I hit 35, I felt like I got a punch in the gut. The feeling of apathy toward having children switched to a feeling of “what if?”, and potentially losing the opportunity to have kids felt like a decision I didn’t want to have made for me by biology. I’m a firm believer that not everyone should have kids or even want to have kids, but for me, I wanted the option.

So, egg freezing it was.

My experience isn’t everyone’s experience, but I want to share a little more about my journey on here in hopes of reaching just one person who needs someone to talk to about this decision in their own life.

I chose Kindbody for my egg freezing because I knew of a few people who had done it there, and it was a positive experience for them, so in I went. The scariest part for me personally was the initial consult and testing. They do an ultrasound and take a blood test to determine follicles and AMH levels…basically an assessment to see where you’re starting from.

I was scared because I had never done a fertility test before. I was terrified of knowing what my reality would be. But, after the tests, Kindbody determined I was a good candidate for egg freezing, and we scheduled my medication cycle.

So, meds….they are EXPENSIVE. They’re like thousands of dollars on top of the actual procedure, and I was shocked to see that number at the pharmacy checkout even though I had been warned about the costs. Let’s just say when you swipe your card on four figures, and it’s not even half of your medication…phew, it’s a trip even if you are prepared.

But alas, I was in, so I started treatments right away.

The first night of shots in my belly was a tough one, not because it was painful, but I think the gravity of what you’re committing to is a lot. Also, I was shocked that someone had cleared me to do this to myself…like I have no medical training, but here I am shooting myself up…nbd.

The first few days were a couple of shots at night, and then a morning shot was added a few days in which isn’t the most pleasant thing to wake up to but, to be honest, you sort of just get used to it. I took it very easy throughout the week and a half of shots, and I would advise the same to you if you can. It’s a taxing process, and I felt exhausted most days. The last night of shots was the trigger shot which Craig gave to me right in the butt. I thought he was going to pass out, but we both made it through. HA!

Then on egg retrieval day, we went early to the doctor, and I was put under anesthesia which felt INCREDIBLE. I then went on to make some very charming IG videos of me coming to after the retrieval where I was somewhere on MARS romancing the anesthesiologist. I digress.

Right after the procedure, they let you know how many eggs they were able to retrieve in the session. Then, I went home to recover in bed with my furry nurse Dingo.

Overall the experience was pretty wild as I literally felt pregnant most of the time, but it went much smoother than I expected. I learned how much grit we as people with uteruses have and that it is truly in our power to take hold of our future. I’m so thankful to have been able to seize this opportunity, but it really put into focus how women’s health is unavailable to a large part of the world. The treatments and medication are expensive, the care is not always covered by insurance, and generally, the burden of making these decisions is filled with not only a financial stress but an emotional one.

If you have any questions about my journey or want to talk about this, my door is always open. I hope this honest sharing is helpful for any of you who are looking into this procedure or might in the future.