by Sarah Lam – Part 3 of 3

It’s been almost two months since I started egg freezing injections. You can read Part 1 and Part 2 of my journey with Seattle Reproductive Medicine. I’m so humbled and grateful that I had this opportunity because we live in a world where science and medicine made this an option. I consider my own egg freezing journey successful. It’s a big decision and a part of me wishes that I had done this two years ago when I first considered it.

“Freezing my eggs was honestly the best decision I made for myself in 2020.”

Now that I’ve had some time to reflect on my journey, I want to share a few things I wish I knew and things to keep in mind. Here are the most important ones:

Financial

• If you are unsure about freezing your eggs, I encourage you to do research and have an initial consultation to understand your baseline numbers and health – follicle count, AMH levels, and a normal uterus without cysts.

• See if your insurance covers fertility. If not, egg freezing is an expensive investment and you want to understand your all-in cost.

Preparation

• Prepare yourself for possibly needing more than one round of egg freezing and remember that this does not guarantee a baby.

• Watch the instructional videos on injections several times, check that you have the right medication, and have the correct supplies on hand.

Emotional

• Every treatment plan is unique to a woman. This is not a competition – don’t compare your progress or numbers to anyone else except your own and if your results aren’t what you hoped for, know it’s not your fault.

• Lean on your support circle, especially your friends who have also gone through egg freezing and can relate to you or help. Now that I’ve gone through this process, I think I can better emotionally support my friends who choose to do this in the future.

• This is an emotionally taxing process. Give yourself grace and be extra kind to yourself during and after egg freezing. If you want to eat cake because of cravings, do it. If you want to be lazy on the couch because the medication is making you tired, do it. What your body is doing through this process is incredible.

• Educate others and normalize conversations about egg freezing. You’d be surprised by how many people want to learn more, are considering it, or have gone through this themselves. Sharing these experiences can be comforting to everyone.

Freezing my eggs was honestly the best decision I made for myself in 2020. I felt empowered to take control of my future – I wasn’t going to let anyone else define it for me. I hope that by sharing all the ups and down of my own egg freezing journey, it inspires you to consider your own fertility and make the best decision for yourself. As always, you’re welcome to message me with any questions about fertility, the process itself, learning more about SRM, or even just to say hello.

~ Get to know Sarah Lam and follow her egg freezing journey on Instagram @fitbyslam and her blog.

If you are interested in knowing more about SRM’s Egg Freezing Program or attend a webinar open house, start here.