Things I Wish I’d Known: Egg Freezing
I’ve been wanting to freeze my eggs for a long time, but let’s be real: it’s expensive. I finally pulled the trigger in September 2025 because two stars aligned: I’m 32 (the "Goldilocks" age for fertility), and my current employer covers the majority of the cost.
If you’re sitting on the fence, here is my messy, honest notebook from those three weeks in New York.
The "Why Now?" (Besides the biological clock)
My partner and I know we want two kids, but we aren't ready right now. We’re hopeful that conceiving our first will be smooth, but if we need a little help for baby number two down the road, these frozen eggs are our insurance policy. Plus, a co-worker who had been through it walked me through the paperwork, which lowered the "where do I even start?" barrier. To top it off, my mom, Martha, was visiting in September and stayed to help me through the recovery.
Fun Facts: Why 32 is a "Flex"
I jotted down some research during my appointments that made me feel much better about the timing:
The Age Shift: While many studies cite 37 as the average age for freezing, the trend is dropping toward 35. We’re getting proactive earlier!
Quality over Quantity: At 32, I’m in the "optimal" window. Women under 38 who freeze at least 20 mature eggs see success rates as high as 70–80%.
The Return: Most women who freeze in their early 30s don't actually return to use them until they are around 40.
The Financial Fine Print
Even with great insurance, I had a "sticker shock" moment when nearly $3,000 came out of my own pocket. Bea Pro-Tip: Ask your clinic about payment plans. Mine allowed a 12-month, zero-interest plan, which makes that $3k feel like a monthly subscription rather than a giant hit to my savings.
The Shots: Bruises, Burns, and One Major Meltdown
The daily shots were the part I dreaded most. My lower belly ended up looking like a purple pincushion.
The Sting: The needles themselves are tiny, but the Menopur powder (which you mix with saline) burns like crazy going in. I found that using the absolute minimum amount of saline needed to dissolve the powder helped shorten the "burn time."
The Hack: Numbing the area with ice helps, or you can get fancy with an injection care kit (like Dandi Fertility).
The Trigger Shot: I didn't have much moodiness during the first 10 days, but the "Trigger Shot" (the final injection before retrieval) was a different beast. I felt completely out of control. Things that would normally be a 2/10 annoyance felt like a 10/10 world-ending crisis. My poor mother definitely bore the brunt of my "Trigger Mood."
The "Work" of It All
I’m lucky that I didn’t experience much of the "IVF Brain Fog" that some women report (which research suggests is caused by the spike in progesterone and estrogen). However, I was exhausted.
I’m a VP of Product, which means my brain is usually at 100%. During those three weeks, I was probably at 60%. I gave my team a heads-up that I was going through a medical procedure and took half-days when I needed them. If you’re a high-achiever, give yourself permission to "underperform" for 14 days. Your body is literally growing a dozen+ tiny humans; that’s a full-time job.
The Restrictions: No Yoga, No Sex, No Twisting
This was the hardest part for me. My doctor told me no exercise, including stretching and yoga. * The "Why": As your follicles grow, your ovaries expand from the size of a walnut to the size of a grapefruit. They become heavy and "mobile."
The Risk: Twisting, jumping, or even deep yoga stretches can cause Ovarian Torsion—where the ovary actually twists on its blood supply. It’s rare, but it’s a surgical emergency. (Source: ACOG).
The "Sex Sabbatical": You have to skip sex before, during, and for about 10 days after. Before the retrieval, you’re hyper-fertile (hello, accidental octuplets!). After, your ovaries are still healing and enlarged.
The IUD Question
I was so worried I’d have to get my IUD removed. Good news: You don’t. The IUD lives in your uterus; the needles for egg retrieval go to your ovaries. They are on different "floors." The doctors even did a final check during my extraction to make sure my IUD was still perfectly in place.
What's next? I’ll be sharing a more detailed guide on the exact hormones involved and how to track your "phases" when your cycle feels like it’s been hit by a bus.