Should women in their 30s who want children eventually freeze their eggs now? The Doctors follow one woman as she embarks on her journey of deciding whether or not to freeze her eggs at 32.
Last year, Amanda Bradford – creator of the dating app The League – visited The Doctors to share her dilemma of whether or not to freeze her eggs and we are with her when she meets with reproductive endocrinologist Dr. Armando Hernandez-Rey to discuss her options. Amanda tells Dr. Hernandez-Rey that freezing her eggs will “extend her runway for meeting Mr. Right.”
Watch: To Freeze or Not to Freeze?
The reproductive endocrinologist recommends that she does freeze her eggs after a period of controlled ovarian hyperstimulation and retrieval of her eggs. To help produce the most eggs possible, Amanda had to give herself a series of shots 3 times a day. The procedure involves the extraction of her eggs and then an embryologist separates the eggs to freeze. Dr. Hernandez-Rey was able to harvest 11 eggs from Amanda and says, “[Her] fertility has been effectively preserved.”
Following the procedure, Amanda tells The Doctors, “I feel less stressed about dating and finding Mr. Right and I can focus on building my business.” She also says that when she does decide to have children, that having waited will allow her to be a more hands-on mom and devote more time to her child.
Watch: Egg Freezing and Cancer
When it comes to deciding who is the best candidate for freezing eggs, Dr. Hernandez-Rey says, “Everybody is really a candidate, but the truth is yesterday is better than today, and today is better than tomorrow.” Dr. Hernandez-Rey notes that in Amanda’s case when she decides to start a family that he recommends trying the old fashion way first and the frozen eggs will serve as an insurance policy.
Is egg freezing an option you are considering? Share your story with us.
