Alex was single and 35 when she decided to freeze her eggs. She knew a bit about fertility and egg freezing, but hadn’t considered it for herself.
Alex decided to start by having some basic fertility tests, and found a clinic which offered this. She decided to freeze her eggs sooner rather than later as she had enough money to pay for this.
Alex started the process within a few weeks. Her main concern was about giving herself injections at home. She admits she didn’t enjoy this part of the process, and used to do it lying on the floor, playing happy or calming music. Alex says she felt sad when she started the injections, as she hadn’t expected to have to go through this to have a family.
Alex asked lots of questions to make sure she understood everything that was going to happen. She was given a contact, the patient coordinator, to contact with any concerns.
Alex bought her medication from the clinic, and it was sent to her at home. She says it can be a lot cheaper to use a supermarket pharmacy. The injections made her feel bloated and tired.
She had to do the injections for around 12 days. During this time, she had to go back to the clinic for regular scans. She says being able to get to the clinic easily and quickly is really important.
Alex was open at work about the egg freezing. She asked her employer to change their existing fertility policy to include egg freezing. She says she felt emotional during the process. She would advise people to be kind to themselves during treatment. Alex says that although you can live life as normal, it’s better not to freeze your eggs when you know you are going to be very stressed or busy.
Alex says getting plenty of sleep, eating healthily and taking folic acid (and other supplments where appropriate) is recommended. She gave up drinking and didn’t exercise apart from doing a lot of walking during treatment.
On the day of the egg retrieval, Alex felt quite calm. She had booked a day off work, and the following day as well. She says she would recommend this. She wasn’t allowed to eat for six hours before the procedure. She didn’t feel anxious until she got changed into the gown. The staff could see it was unfamiliar to her, and helped to make her feel calm. She says the bed in the operating theatre was like a dentists chair, and the set up was similar to that of going for a smear test.
Alex was knocked out by the sedation. She says she couldn’t remember getting from the theatre to the recovery room as she felt hazy. She had some discomfort and spotting afterwards but was told this is normal after egg collection.
Alex had fifteen eggs from her egg collection. Sometimes, people have to do more than one round of treatment if the number of eggs isn’t high, but Alex was pleased not to have to do it again.
Top tips from Alex
Start by finding a clinic for basic fertility tests
Don’t get too focused on the number of eggs you need at the start
Make sure to take folic acid (and other supplements where appropriate)
Eat healthily and get plenty of sleep
Be kind to yourself
Don’t embark on the egg freezing process at a time you know is going to be stressful or very busy