This is a guest post from one of our patients. She is 32 and recently froze her eggs at Malpani Infertility Clinic
Our 20’s and early 30's may be the easiest time to have a baby but
it's not always the best time - for a lot of good reasons. We are at the top of
our career and want to grow professionally; we want to prepare emotionally and
financially to be parents ; and we are unwilling to settle for Mr. RightNow
instead of Mr. Right.
The problem is that the biological clock is
ticking on - and we can hear it loud and clear ! The good news is that with a
little medical help , we can freeze time , to plan for the future , and create
a safety net for our eggs !
Egg Freezing gives us the opportunity to take
control of a ‘What if’ situation and preserve our fertility until we are ready to have a baby.
I recently took the path less traveled and
froze my eggs. Here are some key takeaways from from my journey:
Find the best doctor for
you
With the number of IVF clinics burgeoning
around the country; I cannot emphasise enough the importance of a finding a
great doctor. It is a super specialised procedure and can be tricky and emotional. It is also
expensive. So the last thing you want is a doctor who is unequipped in any way
or one that doesn’t have your best interest at heart.
I was incredibly lucky to find Mumbai based,
Dr. Anjali and Dr. Aniruddha Malpani who are pioneers the field. Their vast knowledge and infinite experience,
state of the art medical facilities, generosity and patience with educating their patients, honesty and
genuine compassion in discussing the realistic possibilities truly left me
feeling like I was in the best hands possible.
The initial tests are
important
After your first consultation; your doctor
will advise you a series of tests to evaluate your reproductive health , to check
your ovarian reserve. This is a simple
blood test to check your AMH level; and a vaginal ultrasound scan to check your
antral follicle count.
It's best to not make any assumptions at this stage with
respect to what your fertility prospects are. Whatever the outcome of these
results; it's important to remain objective and not feel guilty or stressed and
to work with your doctor to find the best way forward.
The procedure
You will need to take injections for about 10-12
days , to mature your eggs, so they are ready for collection. I know the idea
of taking shots daily can put anyone off, but these are given subcutaneously, through a very
fine needle, which means they aren't painful, and you can learn to take them
yourself.
The egg retrieval
process (in a nutshell)
The doctor will do scans about 3-4 times
during this process, to make sure your eggs are growing well. When they are
mature, the eggs are ready to be retrieved. This takes less than 30 mins, and
is done under anesthesia, so there is no pain. Hospitalisation is not needed,
because it's done under vaginal ultrasound guidance, so there's no surgery involved.
Recovery times will vary. In my case I was
working full time throughout the process and was back on my feet an hour after
surgery.
You may need more than
one cycle
In general doctors advise that you freeze
about 10 eggs , so you have a good chance of getting pregnant when you want to
have a baby. How many mature eggs the doctor will be able to freeze for you
varies from person to person. But what’s important to note is that you may need
more than one cycle to freeze sufficient number of eggs.
Seek positive
affirmation and support
When I mentioned to my mum and my closest
friends that I was thinking about having my eggs frozen, their response was
‘That’s a great idea!’.
But don’t expect everyone to understand your
decision. Be prepared to not have unanimous support and even receive unwelcome advice from those who do not
understand you. The journey can be emotional and despite your best efforts to
stay strong and independent, having a support system will help you remain positive throughout the process.
Plan Financially
Unless you work for a progressive company
like Google that provides IVF benefits, you must factor in the cost of having
your eggs frozen. As you can now appreciate, the treatment is super specialised and expensive. It's
a good idea to discuss the full cost of the treatment upfront with your doctor and then evaluate
your current status or work with your insurance provider to confirm what costs
are covered.
What next ?
When I am ready to start a family, I hope to
conceive naturally, so that I don't need to use my frozen eggs . I am just
creating a safety net for myself right now.
Also, I understand that having my eggs frozen
does not guarantee having a baby , but it hugely reduces the risks of my never
having a baby. This has left me feeling empowered, in control of my future and
frankly, a bit relieved.
I also feel oddly proud that I was able to silence
the voices - both inside my head and socially , and be brave enough to take this
step, reaffirming that I am the modern, forward thinking woman that I think
myself of as being , and have always striven to be.
I share my journey in the hope to alleviate
the social stigma around preserving fertility and to extend my whole hearted
support to those who have been thinking about egg freezing , but feel too embarrassed,
ashamed, scared or alone to do this for whatever reason.
Not leaving your fertility to destiny is a
smart thing to do.
