Three Women, One Goal: Taking Control of their Fertility Future
Egg freezing, have you heard of it? Celebrities in media aren’t the only ones freezing their eggs anymore. What exactly is it though?
“Egg freezing, or oocyte cryopreservation, is a process in which a woman’s eggs (oocytes) are extracted, frozen and stored as a method to preserve reproductive potential in women of reproductive age. The first human birth from a frozen oocyte was reported in 1986. Oocyte cryopreservation has advanced greatly over the past few years, with improved overall success of eggs surviving the freezing process. It is no longer considered an experimental procedure by the American Society for Reproductive Medicine. The techniques leading to enhanced gamete survival, potential fertilization and live birth rates allow women a much greater degree of autonomy than was possible even in the past 5 years”
— UCLA.EDU
Women who care about their future fertility all over the world have been putting eggs on ice in exponentially increasing numbers. The ability to freeze eggs is turning our society upside down by allowing women to focus on things other than dating and to switch gears towards the bigger picture; leveling the playing field (a little more) between men and women.
Trust me. This is important, and it can change the world. There are a few great reasons why women are freezing, and it’s no longer reserved for just the elite. Based on findings from the National Center for Health Research, women are freezing their eggs for medical and personal reasons.
Medical
Women tend to freeze their eggs due to a recent cancer diagnosis and or other illness that may ultimately affect fertility potential; oocyte cryopreservation can be a valuable backup plan to preserve your future fertility in the event your health takes a turn.
Women with cancer that require chemotherapy treatments and/or pelvic radiation therapy.
Any kind of surgery that may cause damage to their ovaries.
The potential risk of premature ovarian failure due to chromosomal abnormalities. For example Turner syndrome, fragile X syndrome, and or there is a family history of early menopause.
Diagnosis of an ovarian disease that holds a risk of significant damage to the ovaries.
A genetic mutation that requires the removal of the ovaries (e.g. BRCA mutation).
A transgender individual transitioning and going through hormonal therapy.
Personal
Data from the Mayo Clinic, suggest that others freeze their eggs to preserve their younger eggs for future use:
for religious and or ethical reasons
to continue education or focus on career
to buy time in order to choose the right partner
to delay childbearing with the focus of general fertility preservation
Three Women with one shared goal
Monica Olivas, Alli Jar, and Michele Jaimie have all decided to take that step in their life. Though the driving force behind their choice may vary, each of them share one common goal. Taking control of their fertility future through oocyte cryopreservation or egg freezing.
Monica Olivas @runeatrepeat
Holistic Health Coach and certified Running Coach Monica Olivas, documented her journey through this process and was wonderful enough to share her story.
“I first started to consider freezing my eggs over a year ago. I went to two different fertility doctors for a consultation. I had a good experience with both of them. At both appointments I had a vaginal ultrasound and my follicles looked good – it looked like I had a good number of follicles which indicate if you might have a good amount of eggs. So I used that info to take some time to think about everything.”
- Monica Olivas
Monica received treatment at Coastal Fertility: Irvine, CA and is very grateful for Dr. Werlin, and the rest of the team for their ongoing help through the process. She is happy with the results of her cycle, having frozen 19 eggs for her future!
You can read more about Monica’s journey on her blog.
Alli Jar @alli.jar
As a medical student wanting to focus on her career growth, Alli Jar opened up about her experience with egg freezing on her instagram. She makes it her goal to inspire her followers through obstacles life has to offer; from career growth to fitness goals. Her desire for a legacy inspired her to freeze her eggs as a go to backup plan in case she couldn’t conceive naturally later on in life.
The decision to freeze my eggs 😱🥶 (oocyte cryopreservation) has been something I’ve wanted to do since I knew I’d be going back to school. However, now that I’ve been through the process, I highly recommend it to every female in her 30’s— it’s insurance for your future.”
- Alli Jar
Alli highly recommends this procedure for every woman in their 30’s because you never know what the future may hold. Her experience was a positive one, taking place at the Southern California Reproductive Center: Beverly Hills, CA under the care of Dr. Wendy Chang.
Michele Jaimie @michele_jaime_08
Even though all three of these women share the common goal of fertility preservation, Michele Jaimie from Florida is taking control of her future fertility for different reasons.
This is me taking my life into my own hands. I’m not letting MS dictate my future, I’m not letting a relationship dictate my future. My whole life all I’ve ever wanted was to be a mom. That dream seemed to drift when I was diagnosed almost a year ago and even more so with what has happened recently. So... I’m freezing my eggs!
- Michele Jaime
She expresses on her instagram, the importance of getting looked at if you may have RRMS (Relapsing Remitting Multiple Sclerosis) because of how it can significantly impact your fertility.
She highly recommends her followers who have Relapsing Remitting Multiple Sclerosis to see Dr. Denker from Palm Beach Fertility Clinic: Boca Raton, FL, or another fertility center to have a fertility workup. Michele had 4 eggs retrieved and will be doing a second cycle to increase her chances of success.
Taking Control of Your Fertility Future
Making the choice to preserve your fertility can create a significant impact on your life; present and future. Whether taking back control after an unexpected diagnosis or pushing against societal norms and putting your dreams first, egg freezing is something every woman should consider doing. Don’t count on things to always go according to plan, because sometimes the universe likes to deal us an unexpected twist.
If you are interested in egg freezing and don’t know where to start, click here to book an appointment with one of our fertility specialists.