I learned about the Freeze and Share programme at London Egg Bank because my friend went through the regular egg-freezing process there. Although she didn't fall within the age range for Freeze and Share, she encouraged me to look into it.
I was about to turn 30 this year and had been thinking a lot about my future and whether I saw children in it. Although I wasn't yet sure what my future held, I've always wanted to be prepared. Freezing my eggs without the heavy financial burden of egg-freezing cost was the best Plan B I could have.
“Freezing my eggs without the heavy financial burden was the best Plan B I could have.”
When I started the process there was a lot of documentation available, and I had multiple sessions with fertility doctors, nurses, and mental health specialists to discuss all aspects of the egg freezing process and donating my eggs. So I was well-informed when making my decision. I was also relieved to learn that I didn't have any major fertility issues at the moment, something that a lot of women can't take for granted.
The process was fairly straightforward, but due to my travel schedule, I had to find a time when I could be in London for a consecutive month to dedicate the necessary time to the treatment. The entire process took around three to four months. I started in May with several tests to see if I would fit the programme well. Once the results came back after a month, we had to wait a couple of months for a suitable start date. Once we began in September, the final part of the process took about two weeks.
As a condition of the Freeze and Share programme at London Egg Bank in order to get free egg freezing, I donated half of my eggs to women who cannot conceive on their own. If a child is born from my donation, they can find out about me when they turn 18. It's difficult to think about in reality since might only happen two decades from now. However, I still feel very happy to think about potentially helping a family. I would be happy to be contacted by any donor-conceived person when they feel ready to do so.
Our innovative Freeze and Share programme, allows you to freeze your eggs for free and at the same time give another family the chance to have the baby they are longing for.
Read more about Freeze and Share
Why Do Women Freeze and Share Their Eggs?
“Sharing eggs with someone was an important factor. It was easier to go through a challenging situation when not only myself would benefit.”
What is the best age to freeze my eggs?
Just how quickly fertility declines is dependent on a number of genetic and lifestyle factors, including weight, exercise, stress, environment and medications, but generally you can be sure that egg quality and quantity will decline with advancing age.