To freeze or not to freeze?

Posted on 11 February, 2019

When media professional Juliette Saly caught up with her friends for breakfast one morning in her early thirties, talk turned to egg freezing.

“I quickly realised there was a whole world of fertility that I didn’t know about,” Juliette admits.

It prompted her to take an Anti-Müllerian Hormone (AMH) test to see where she stood. The AMH test measures a hormone secreted by cells in the follicles of an ovary and is often used to determine ovarian reserve—or numbers of eggs you have left.

The result of Juliette’s test was lower than expected, and sent her on a fact-finding mission to figure out her next move.

“I’m quite a proactive, pragmatic person so I started from the bottom and researched because nobody I knew was talking about egg freezing at that point,” Juliette says.

After speaking with a Genea Fertility Specialist, Juliette decided to go ahead with the treatment, freezing her eggs at 34.

What’s involved?

Egg freezing is a method to preserve a woman’s fertility. When people talk about egg freezing, most of the discussion focusses on the potential to have a child later in life and is pitched as a decision that will benefit “future you”.

But the decision to go ahead and freeze your eggs can actually give you myriad benefits, right now.

Image: istock

In an egg freezing cycle, a woman undergoes hormone stimulation over a period of approximately 10 days to encourage multiple eggs to mature. She then undergoes an egg collection procedure, which takes about 10-20 minutes.

The collected eggs are then frozen using an advanced method called vitrification—essentially snap freezing—and safely stored. Frozen eggs can be stored for many years.

Insurance against regret

After months of consideration, entrepreneur Jessa Wright decided to freeze her eggs at 35. At the time she thought of it as a “last ditch” thing to do, but she now believes more women would freeze their eggs if they knew how easy it was.

“One thing that stopped me doing it earlier was thinking of it as a last ditch thing to do, but I don’t think that anymore,” Jessa says.

Image: Stock image, supplied

“Since doing it I now think of egg freezing as a prudent, pre-emptive insurance that I hope I won’t need.”

Both Juliette and Jessa experienced an influx of somewhat unexpected calmness after their treatment.

“As soon as I started the cycle I felt a huge sense of relief, which I hadn’t anticipated,” Jessa says.

“I felt incredibly well supported by my family, friends and the team at Genea. I want other women to know it’s not a big deal and might help give them peace of mind.”

Expectation vs reality

One concern Fertility Specialists and critics alike have is that egg freezing is being sold as a panacea to single women. The reality is that having frozen eggs stored away will not guarantee a child in the future.

“I don’t think any woman sees it as a replacement for trying to find a relationship, but anything that is going to give you a better chance down the line is an important thing to consider,” Jessa says.

Image: Stock image, supplied

Juliette realises she may never become a mother with her own eggs, but freezing her eggs means she has done everything she can to give herself the best chance.

“I know doctors have hesitations about it because you can’t guarantee a return, but you can’t guarantee a return on a normal pregnancy either,” she says.

WANT TO KNOW MORE?

What: Genea Horizon Egg Freezing Seminar
When: Wednesday 27 February 2019, 6 pm – 7 pm
Where: Ground Floor/2 King St, Canberra
Web (please RSVP): genea.com.au/events/canberra-genea-horizon-egg-freezing-27-feb-2019

the essentials

What: Genea Horizon Egg Freezing clinic
Where: Ground Floor/2 King St, Canberra ACT 2600
How much: Consultations are $300 (before Medicare rebate)
Web: geneahorizon.com.au

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