Meredith is a 35-year-old woman living and working in Philadelphia. She has an exciting career in communications, working for a large corporation. Her job actually played a major role in her decision to pursue egg freezing treatment. Meredith decided to share her story to help educate others about taking control of fertility and pausing the biological clock.
Testing My Fertility
Three years ago, after reading a few articles online, I heard about an egg freezing informational talk happening at a local bar. My best friend and I went to get more information. It was really helpful, so we both decided to get our fertility tested. The testing was pretty easy, comprised of bloodwork and an ultrasound. Even though I’m terrified of needles, the blood test part was fast. It was important for me to get answers.
My numbers looked good and I decided to hold off on freezing my eggs. My friend’s numbers showed she should pursue egg freezing sooner rather than later, so she went through the process.
My New Job
I got a new job at a large corporation and found out my insurance covered the majority of egg freezing treatment. I was really excited about this because my past insurances would cover IVF, but not egg freezing. Since I wanted to freeze my eggs, I decided now was the best time to do it while I had coverage. After speaking with my insurance company, they recommended four fertility centers in my area.
Choosing a doctor was important, so I felt it was necessary to research the four centers for egg freezing in Philadelphia. One center was Shady Grove Fertility (SGF), which I had never heard of, but it was conveniently located in Center City.
Meeting Dr. Brianna Schumacher
SGF was having a seminar hosted by Dr. Brianna Schumacher, who I immediately LOVED. I made a consultation appointment with her to get more information before deciding which center to choose. Dr. Schumacher was informed and actually interested in egg freezing. She really “got it.” Many of the other fertility centers only focused on IVF, and egg freezing was just something else they offered. Dr. Schumacher was clearly passionate about egg freezing and invested in me.
Deciding where to freeze my eggs was hard because my best friend went to another center and had a great experience, but in the end, I wanted Dr. Schumacher as my physician. I really connected with her.
The Egg Freezing Process
As I mentioned earlier, I am SCARED of needles. The thought of daily injections and blood draws was of course daunting, but I knew I needed to do this for myself. I had a nurse friend come over and share tips for giving myself the injections, which really helped. I’d have music or TV playing in the background to help distract myself from my fear. Sometimes my amazing friends would come over. They were a great support system during this emotional process.
The egg retrieval was a smooth process. I was most nervous about the IV, but the nurses and anesthesiologist were amazing. Dr. Ryan Martin did my retrieval and he was also great. The whole team put me at ease. The recovery was easier than I expected.
I am really proud of myself because I was able to push past my fear of needles. I truly felt empowered throughout this whole process.
Why Egg Freezing?
I don’t have a partner and I don’t want to rush my future based on my biological clock. Egg freezing buys you time and relieves the stress of dating. I know it feels like a large investment, but it’s an investment in yourself that you need to consider. The option to take control of your fertility is priceless.
[READ: Talk Show Hosts Experience “Aha Moment” After Dr. McCarthy-Keith’s Egg Freezing Explanation]
[Watch: Egg Freezing On-Demand Webinar]
