Fertility Lessons, Egg Freezing, and IVF: Youmna’s 10-Year Story

Discovering Egg Freezing at Age 32

Let’s start at the very beginning. We have to go way, way back. 

I first learned about egg freezing when I was 32–so about 10 years ago now. I had wondered, you know, why do women freeze their eggs? I got my question answered–but in a sad way. 

A friend of mine found out she had breast cancer. And a big reason why women freeze their eggs is so they can still have children after going through chemotherapy. That got me thinking about it. Because, if I ever got sick, at least I could still hope to have children with frozen eggs. 

In hindsight, I wish I had frozen my eggs back then. I really wish I did. But it’s a pretty time-consuming and restrictive procedure. I couldn’t commit to it. My life felt too busy and I was still going out a lot, so it just didn’t fit. 

Egg Freezing at 35 (Well, Almost…)

A few years went by and when I was 35, something unexpected happened. I broke off my engagement. 

That’s when I realised, okay, it’s time for me to freeze my eggs. 

I was recommended a fertility doctor at Portland Hospital and he took me under his wing for the whole process. And it’s been a longgg process. 

But, on my first visit with him, he literally told me, “35 is the limit for egg freezing. You’re a bit late.” And that scared me. But it made me commit 100% to the process because I realised how important freezing my eggs was to me.

I was so ready to get on with it. But I had been on the pill non-stop since I was 17, so I had to stop taking the pill for a full year to get it out of my system. Then, we could get started with more testing and egg freezing. 

Shocked by Fertility Testing Results

After waiting a year for my body to stabilise after the pill, I did another round of fertility tests. And the news I got? Well… It was bad. 

My ovarian reserve was really low and only one of my ovaries was producing eggs. I was in total shock. 

You know, I knew the basics of how women get pregnant. But I had no idea how hard it is to actually get pregnant. Fertility isn’t a straightforward thing. I had no idea that when you have your period, you’re losing eggs. And not just one egg, but a handful. So that first doctor’s appointment? It was like a biology lesson. 

Can I Freeze My Eggs at 37? Twice?

I had that question in the back of my mind, but I was determined. I had a good doctor, the clinic was super helpful and hands-on, and the process wasn’t too bad once I got the hang of it. 

I mean, I was definitely scared the first time I injected myself. I think I was afraid of the pain, but it was fine in the end. As far as side effects go, I didn’t have any mood swings. I just felt so bloated and tired all the time. It kind of felt like I was on my period, I guess. 

What happens during egg retrieval? Well, they put me to sleep and an hour later, I woke up and they gave me tea and biscuits. 

Physically, it was pretty simple. But emotionally? I was so anxious. As soon as I woke up, I was anxious. I knew I had a low ovarian reserve so I was nervous about the number of eggs, egg quality, everything. 

Egg Freezing Results

For my first retrieval, I got four eggs. And I think it’s important for women to know–even though I started the process at 35, and 35 is young, that doesn’t mean fertility and getting pregnant will be easy. 

I didn’t realise the odds were so low for me. Not all eggs will survive freezing and thawing, not all eggs will turn into embryos, and not all embryos will result in a pregnancy. That was all such overwhelming information for me. 

I didn’t want to do a second cycle, but the fear had set in. My doctor told me I should aim for 10-15 eggs. I only retrieved four, so I went straight into another cycle of egg freezing.

During my second cycle, I gained six kilos. I was lethargic. I started growing sideburns and some facial hair. Not ideal things for me as a woman. And after all that, I got five eggs. So, I froze nine eggs in total.  

My doctor said I should start a third cycle, but I just couldn’t. I regret it now. I wish I had gone ahead with the third cycle. The hormones were too much, so I just couldn’t. 

How Do I Get Pregnant with Frozen Eggs? At 40?

After my two rounds of egg freezing, I went back to living my normal life for a few years.

And when I turned 40? That’s when I decided I wanted a baby. 

I went back to my same doctor at Portland Hospital and I was like, what’s the process? What do I do? How do I get pregnant with my frozen eggs?

I thought I’d be using the eggs I’d frozen. That’s what they’re for, right? But, since I was still fertile, my doctor said we should retrieve new ones. He said my frozen eggs are my golden eggs. I could use them later if I meet someone or want my baby to have a sibling. 

And, you know what that means… I started hormones and egg retrieval all over again. That way they could make embryos with my fresh eggs and sperm from a donor. 

Finding a Sperm Donor

Finding a sperm donor was such a process. You’re looking for the father of your child, after all! 

I worked with five different sperm banks. At first, you’re looking for your dream man. What they look like physically, their education, eye colour, height, straight hair or curly hair–literally everything. That narrows it down quick. But, in the end, you’re just looking for someone healthy and whose sperm is available. 

I went with a sperm bank from the U.S. because I wanted pictures of the guy, and I wanted his information to be released when the child turns 18. Once I found a donor, I bought four vials and was ready to go. 

Egg Retrieval for IVF

A little FYI: My story gets worse, like wayyy worse, before it gets better. 

I went in four times for egg retrieval to use for IVF. Four times! 

In round one, I got two eggs. One egg was fertilised into an embryo, but the cells didn’t grow into a blastocyst. So that was that. I went in for round two. I got one egg but it had a genetic mutation. So, nothing, again. Round three. No eggs. Seriously, none of my follicles turned into eggs. 

It was July then. My doctor told me to take a break for a month, stop stressing, and come back in September. We would try one more time in September. 

The time came and they were able to retrieve one egg. They turned that single egg into an embryo and implanted it via IVF. And, after all that, two weeks later I was pregnant. 

So, here we are! I still haven’t used my frozen eggs–but maybe my baby will want a sibling one day.