# egg freezing - connecting with others who have done (or are about to do) this



## earthmama

Dear single ladies - would love to hear from anyone who has been on the egg-freezing journey (with your experiences and recommendations) and anyone who is about to jump in.  Thank you!!!!  If anyone knows of sites/ forums/ support groups etc for those wanting to freeze eggs to preserve their own fertility - would love to hear more.

I'd love to share a great resource "In Her Own Sweet Time" a book published in 2009 by Rachel Lehmann-Haupt - a US 30-somethign journalist who wants to be a mom, but probably not without her Mr Right.  She ended up going the egg-freezing route and apart from being a great read (fertility chic lit!) it is also packed full with useful interviews, research and statistics.

So, if you have already been there - please share your experiences to enlighten those of us who will be following.  And if you are about to jump in, maybe we can keep in touch and update each other with how we are getting on.

I almost wish there was a section on the site just for this (moderators, let me know what you think if you are reading!!!)

Love to all xoxox

/links


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## suitcase of dreams

Hi there,

Didn't want to not reply so just thought I'd say hello   
I don't know for sure but I don't think there are any singlies currently freezing eggs...most of us are doing IUI/IVF already...but maybe someone will pop up now you've posted
Hope you find someone to share experiences with
best of luck,
Suitcase
x


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## lulumead

Hi Earthmama


Thought i'd say hello too...sorry have no words of wisdom about egg freezing but hopefully someone will come along and give you some help soon   


Good luck with it.
xx


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## acrazywench

Hi Earthmama, 

I started down the egg freezing route early last year but after some blood tests showed I had compromised fertility I revised my plans. (I'm so pleased I looked into it - the bad hormone results confirmed for me just how much I want to be a mother and kick-started my current journey.)

I went to a free open evening at the Bridge Centre to find out more about it (they seem to hold these quite regularly). They use vitrification (quick freeze method) and if your hormone levels are good and you are under 36 you can participate in a freeze and share scheme which reduces the costs a lot. Someone I met there had her eggs frozen at Midland Fertility Services (MFS). They use both the slow and the quick freeze methods - started quick freezing last year I think - and it seems to be up to the patient which method is used and if you have enough eggs you can split between the two. They have a forum on their website which she found really helpful and supportive in terms of connecting with others who are going through the same process. The other place I looked into was Care fertility but by that stage I had started moving on to realising that I wouldn't be going down the freezing route. 

These three clinics seemed to come up most when I was searching for information on this topic, but I think quite a lot of clinics now offer this. I think the clinic I am with now probably does it, but by the time I was in touch with them I had already moved on to ttc now. I got a bit annoyed with Bridge - they were very keen on me when I was a potential donor - and I was keen on them because of the money saving element! -but they were pretty bad in the off-hand way they told me my hormone levels were poor. (I got these results through my GP so I had no idea there was anything potentially wrong until I shared my results with them).  

At the time I was looking into it MFS were responsible for the 4 live births in this country using frozen eggs, the small number of babies arising from this so far is probably because it is a new technique and most who have used it haven't defrosted their eggs yet. 

I think all the clinics I mentioned above have open evenings - and other clinics probably do to. I would recommend going to one or two of these so that you can get a feel for the clinics, find out more about the process and costs, and meet others in the same boat who have done some research into it that they are happy to share. I think the MFS forum for egg freezers may be accesible through their website so you may be able to find out more that way.

I'm sorry I haven't more information on this to share but I wish you lots of luck with it.

x


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## ♥JJ1♥

The Hammersmith also do it as one of the single FF ladies did her egg freezing  there.

I never had a good experience at the Bridge so wouldn't recommend them, but never had egg freezing there.

l x


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## earthmama

Thanks everyone for sharing your good wishes and experiences!  I wish you ladies all the best of everything!  The UK clinics were quoting nutty prices (like £6k+ ), so I'm going for the overseas option.  I think I've found my place.. I had to have my day 3 bloods done all over again as the NHS ones I had done in Jan were deemed out of date.  Results coming next week!  I find what I'm about to do both scary (injections - hormones - hospitals - country where I don't speak the language etc) and exciting (it's a very empowering choice to make).  I'm looking forward to finding a fabulous partner once this is all over (in a strange way, I'm really looking forward to dating afterwards as it will be from a much more relaxed place).
Anyone else who wants to step forwards to say hi or to share wisdom, please do!!!
Lots of love xoxo


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## ♥JJ1♥

great to hear that you have got underway with your egg collection/freezing. Which country did you opt for in the end?
x


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## earthmama

As i started this thread - I wanted to conclude the story, which does have a happy ending!  I went on a whim to Cape Town a couple of weeks ago after getting a very good feeling about the Cape Fertility Clinic.  Although it was a slight leap of faith, it turned out to be a super-positive decision.  They were wonderful and I was really happy with today's results at the egg extraction.  If anybody wants to know anything about the clinic or egg freezing (can't claim to be an expert) then feel free to PM me as that way your message goes straight to my regular e-mail account, so I will see it!!!  
I can't quite believe that a journey that started almost 10 months ago at the Fertility Show in London has now come to its conclusion and a chapter is closing.
I truly think that this is the most empowering thing that any single gal with a ticking clock can do.
Allm my very best wishes to others considering this option xox


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## limefizz

Hi, I'm about to embark on this, probably with MFS.  If anyone else is currently going down this route please PM me!

thanks, Jemima


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## Egg Freezing Friend

Hello. I had 3 cycles of egg freezing at The Bridge Clinic in London in 2009-2010 and am happy to share my experience of the process if people have questions and it would help others. I still don't think there's enough said about this option for women. 

I found The Bridge very good. I was 41 at the time so 3x rounds was recommended (and I don't think they were over-prescribing). People can save themselves a fair bit of money on tests and drugs if they plan ahead and  (1) get the tests that can be done through the NHS from their GP and (2) by their fertility medications through a supplier such as Healthcare At Home (also called ADS). Don't get them through the clinic - it's much more expensive. Healthcare at Home are considerably cheaper and deliver very quickly (incl Saturday), so long as they have an original copy of your prescription. It saves at least 1K. 

I spread the 3x rounds out over the 12 months. It can be emotionally tiring planning the schedule, buying drugs, scheduling scan appointments around work etc however I am VERY glad I did the treatment and am in a much calmer 'place' for it. The blood tests and scans and self-injecting are now a distant memory and my eggs are 'on ice'. I was initially scared about self-injecting but, honestly, the needles are so thin, you hardly feel anything and I quickly got used to it. I'd even pack my medications and go out after work to dating events and just nip in to the Ladies when it was time to self-inject...

Before I started Round 1 I had a course of fertility acupunture who, although I can't prove it, I credit with the very good egg grwoth and retrievl rate, given my age. ASfter years on the pill my system was sluggish but with the fertility acupuncture I got back to regular and 'healthy' periods. Well, that's part of my story and I'm happy to share more or offer advice based on my experience if folk after interested. Best wishes with your own journeys!
Egg Freezing Friend x


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## ♥JJ1♥

Egg Freezing Friend that is great- how many eggs have you got stored away?

L


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## limefizz

I embarked on egg freezing because my partner wasn't ready to start a family.  The treatment was cancelled as I didn't respond to the drugs and only 2 eggs were developing.  MFS told me it wouldn't be worth trying again as the same thing was likely to happen.  I got a second opinion via the NHS and was diagnosed with premature ovarian failure, told I would never have children of my own and that I should put my name down on the list for an egg donor.  We stopped using contraception and 2 weeks later I missed my period.  I am now about to give birth to twins.  After a really awful first 3 month's of pregnancy where my partner was trying to convince me to get an abortion, he has come round to the idea so we are very happy but I'll never trust a medical opinion again.


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## cocochanel1

Congratulations Limefizz!
Coco xxx


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## Carolinablue

I froze my eggs in 2009 at the Bridge Centre.  It was a good experience.  I was 37 at the time and luckily got 29 eggs out in just two attempts.  In total with meds  and ten years of freezing it cost me about £10,000.  I did it because I didn't have a partner but was sure I wanted children eventually.

I'm glad I did it but it is by no means a sure thing.  There still haven't been hardly any babies born this way. 

Now I'm 40 and still don't have a partner and so I'm going to try and get pregnant with a gay friend who wants to co-parent with me. We're going to try turkey baster for a few months and then go to IVF.  First plan is to try and use my own fresh eggs.  I'd quite like 2 children so I'm hoping I'll get pregnant with fresh eggs for number one and may need to use the frozen eggs for number two.  Fingers crossed.

When I went for the egg freezing the clinic said to me - if you want to get pregnant we can get you pregnant now with donor sperm.  They had a point.  Waiting three years may have made it harder to get pregnant now but the truth was I just wasn't ready at 37 and I am now.

Good luck with what ever you choose. x


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## joanneci

good luck to you Carolinablue... my eggs are still in freeze at Care Nottingham and I may (fingers crossed) get to use them later this year... 
x


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## natclare

Hi there
Currently I am freezing via egg share at the Lister. 1st round got me 5 mature eggs to freeze ( of . I am definitely going ahead with all egg share rounds then possibly one funded. Good experience so far, very straightforward. Interested to link in with anyone doing the same.


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## earthmama

Hi there! As it's been a long time since I was on these pages - I wanted to put out word to any newer members that if they are considering egg freezing, they may benefit from reading the account I wrote about my journey (and useful findings along the way). My story was set around 18 months ago - and has a happy ending. There were lots of bumps along the way - and most of the time I felt like I was lost in a maze as there was so little good info out there. So, I felt compelled to share everything that I learnt and experienced to help others. Go to www.eggfreezingsuccess.com to read the first part of my account there. Of course, my journey is not your journey - but if my story can illuminate yours, give you encouragement or answer some questions for you - I will be delighted.
Blessings and baby dust all round!!!

This post contains an unconfirmed link/information and readers are reminded that FertilityFriends.co.uk or its owners are not responsible for the content of external internet sites


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## Rose39

Hi earthmama - thanks for the reminder on this. Can I please ask, have you had a successful pregnancy from your frozen eggs? (you mentioned that it's 18 months since you had treatment). We often get ladies asking about egg freezing (the process etc) and what they also always ask is what the success rates are for pregnancy with frozen eggs. Unfortunately frozen donor eggs didn't work for me, and the other ladies I know who used frozen eggs (own or donor) all had negative outcomes sadly - it would be good to have a positive story to tell! 
Good luck on your journey.
Rose xx


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## Kisum99

Hi, I am looking for some advice on egg freezing. I am 30 and recently lost my partner. We were very happy and had plans to marry, have children and share a life together. Now I'm not sure what to expect from my future. I can't imagine wanting to even think about a relationship for years, and starting over will mean it is probably going to be a very long time before I can consider starting a family. Because of this I am thinking of getting my nice young eggs frozen ready for if I wish to start a family one day in the future. I have always wanted children and this is very important to me. Over the years I have seen many friends and family struggle to get pregnant, and I want to limit these problems for myself. If anyone has any advice on how to get started or what sort of costs I am looking at I would very much appreciate it. Thank you!


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## Tincancat

Hi Kisum
I  had 4 eggs frozen in 2003 after my losing my twin sons and marriage falling apart.  I did not respond well to stimulation drugs.  I had no more money to try a second round to collect more by using a higher stimulation dose.

I used my frozen eggs in 2012 and 3 thawed well.  All three fertilised and I had two transfered day 3.  The other embryo stopped growing.  If I had had the money I would have frozen more eggs and I believe it is the way forward to preserve fertility.  I now know I have immune issues and these should have been treated properly before I used my frozen eggs.  I am too old now to use my eggs so next is donor eggs abroad.

If you have the money freeze eggs now!  If I knew what ai know now I would have found the money somehow in 2003 for more cycles.  But at that time technology was so new I did not know if it was even worth freezing eggs.

Good luck
TC xx


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## natclare

Kisum, Firstly I am so sorry about the loss of your partner   If you are sure you want to freeze your eggs and don't mind (or even want to from an altruistic point of view) share your eggs then your IVF is free. At 30, I personally would do this. You are also helping someone and it is an amazing gift. You can also, should you choose, use donor sperm and use your half of the eggs to create embryos and freeze those. Embryos have a much greater success rate than eggs do as they are stronger and freeze better. That way you would have the cost of the sperm but that would be all. If you don't want to share your eggs then you will be paying for treatment from the word go so you need to think about and research the costs which are not cheap. I was recommended to do 3 rounds of egg freezing to get 30 eggs in total for it to have a hope of working. As I still could (at 33/34) I was an egg sharer twice at The Lister and can really recommend them but if you think about it 2 egg share cycles is the same as 1 for yourself. You need a LOT of eggs for it to be viable so if you were not sharing you would be looking at 3 cycles, if sharing 6. At that point I was not sure what I would be doing in the future, also at that stage the thought of using a donor if I never met anyone romantically was a possibility very much in the abstract only... it gradually became more of a reality over the past 2 years. This, coupled with the very low rates of frozen eggs even working (I think it was about 10% chance) on my 3rd cycle I switched to creating embryos and freezing those so I have both options available to me. Also at that stage I was no longer eligible for egg sharing. For freezing embryos as you can see from my signature, I did one cycle at the Lister and the last two at Serum. I can recommend both clinics very highly. At Serum basically the costs are 3000 Euro 1 cycle, 4000 Euro for 2 cycles plus medication (you can budget 1300 euro per cycle) plus 1000 euro per freeze, plus accommodation plus flights. Important to note if you are going down the embryo route is that they do not charge for ICSI or sperm but the sperm if you use it has to be anonymous according to Greek law. Also when you get around to defrosting the eggs or embryos there are no further charges as far as I know but you would need more medication plus accommodation plus flights. I know it is not, but if it were me, I would go for egg sharing at a good UK clinic since this is free and will help others. If you are paying, I would think about Serum quite seriously but I know from my own experience that they do not recommend egg freezing because of the low success rates. At 30  though and having just lost your partner I completely understand why you would not feel ready to use a donor, I know I certainly wasn't when I started this process. I wish you all the very best of luck with whatever you choose. xxx


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## FarThinkngChavel

Kisum, I am looking into egg freezing as well. So far I have contacted all clinics in London, been to a few and had 3 consultations. I wanted to look at the quality of the services provided by the different clinics before deciding which one to go for. Also being a scientists, I want to look at the statistics related to each lab/clinic before making the decision. However, I have to say I am disappointed with almost all clinics with their approach to patients. I am planning to write up my findings, possibly submit to a medical journal even. In any case, I am happy to share all I have found out, statistics and price overview etc to all if anyone is interested. Would be extremely useful to hear others experience, too.


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## Barbaratje

Hi Kisum and Farthinkingchavel, I also looked into egg freezing for a friend recently. Here in Belgium the best clinic (VUB) only works with frozen eggs on donor cycles. There is also a clinic in the UK that has an operational frozen donor eggbank. It is no longer science fiction and great progress has been made in the last years.

My understanding is that it is very important to have a good clinic that knows how to freeze and thaw eggs and also most importantly the age/quality of the eggs.

I have seen statistics on frozen egg cycles showing success comparable to fresh cycles when using 'comparable eggs'. (I believe the 10% quoted in a previous post needs to be put into context and perhaps a source quoted. Also compare it to fresh egg cycle where you might get 10 eggs, 7 fertilize, 6 make it to day three,  3 go to blast and one is implanted and you get pregnant. The other two are not good enough to freeze. This also amounts to 10% sucess rate per egg, 14% per embryo and 33% per blast - and is not untypical of an IVF cycle with average eggs).

In the end it is the quality of the egg above all else that determines sucess. A bad egg will not make a good embryo. 

Kisum I am really sorry that at 30 your life has been turned upside down. I hope you find a way forward. You. Ight also cpmsider going overseas to have your eggs frozen. Could be a lot cheaper and include yourself a holiday. Best wishes to you whatever you do. 

Chavel if you find more info perhaps you could post it here as well. I always find stuf and forget to bookmark it grrr. If I find it again I will be happy to post it to you.

B


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## Caroline1759

Hi all

just come back to FF after a 2 month break. I'm single and old(!!) so will be posting on a couple of different sections on the forum.

I'm going to use my eggs i had frozen 6 years ago, using donor sperm. I'm aiming for September. However i'm having difficulty choosing a clinic to go to. I don't want to use the clinic where i had the freezing originally done as i don't think they're that good. 

Does anyone have any experience using frozen eggs and can recommend a clinic (obviously one that treats single women)?

thanks
C xxx


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## natclare

Hi Caroline, I was trying to work out which clinic you had your eggs frozen at and why you don't think the clinic is that good? I don't have huge amounts of advice (I have just frozen mine at the moment and at the Lister). The Lister are good and are supposed to be experienced at treating older ladies (although you are effectively still 39 right?) and if I am reading this right you had your recent cycle there? I think if it were me I would be looking also for a clinic that has experience with ICSI just in case you need that. Don't forget that so many clinics simply do not have experience of using frozen eggs because people are only now starting to use their frozen eggs so less of a black mark against the clinics.

I don't know if you can ship eggs abroad however that may be worth enquiring about you may well be able to have some treatment abroad to give you improved chances of implantation e.g. implantation cuts, immunes whilst still having treatment in the UK and/or at your original UK clinic? I am a bit pro Serum so excuse this but... you should be able to have a free telephone consultation with them which may give you some useful advice and worth it for a second opinion. You just fill in a form on their website.

Above all I wish you all the very best with using those 16 in September and keep us all posted how you get on. If it doesn't work with the frozen eggs, embryo adoption may be worth considering.

Best wishes,
N


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## Caroline1759

Hi natclare

thanks for your reply. I had them frozen at the Bridge Clinic. My experience at that time was not great to be honest, although it was 6 years ago so things may have changed. However they told me they do not have any pregnancies from using frozen eggs currently and i am looking for a clinic that does. 

Thanks for the recommendation about Serum, i will look into that. I think the Lister does have some experience with using frozen eggs and currently has a couple of pregnancies. But my consultant there, although very nice and knowledgeable about many things, gave me the impression that it was not an area he was too familiar with as he had to keep running off to ask the embryologists to get the answers to my questions! I get the impression that the embyologists are good there though. And i know this is really important.

I had a consultation at LWC and they said they have quite a lot of experience treating women using frozen eggs, albeit mainly donor eggs. The doctor i saw there was very nice and seemed very knowledgeable about the whole process. They also treat single women and older women (although technically my eggs are age 39).

I've heard good things about Serum. My only problem is the logistics of trying to have treatment abroad. Being single i have to work full time to support myself and getting enough time off work to go abroad etc i think would be tricky. But if they do free consultations that is great. I have considered the issues around implantation and i don't actually know if i have a problem or not with that. My scan was ok apart from a tiny little uterine cyst which i've been assured will make no difference. I haven't done immunes. Very undecided about it. If the cost was cheaper i may just do it but it's a lot of money to have the tests when i don't have any evidence to suggest i may have a problem with that.

I see your profile says you are dating to find your husband?! How is that going? 

C xx


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## natclare

Hi Caroline,

You know, I think the main issue with frozen eggs is that no clinic really has much experience with them as so few women have actually used their frozen eggs... I personally wouldn't hold it against a clinic if they did not have a registered pregnancy with frozen eggs. It's all so new and you may be their first one!! The Lister are very good and lots of ladies do like LWC if you don't want to travel and it may be impossible to ship your eggs out of the country anyway. Yes, still dating!!

x


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## Altai

Caroline - have a look at crgh. From what I heard, they have good experience in using frozen eggs. Probably mostly de but I'd doesn't matter as the technique is the same, and you really need an expert clinic in this area.
They used to ship frozen eggs from Russia. So it's different freezing technique, culture, transport from overseas etc  but from what I heard their thawing rate is good despite of all this. But obviously don't expect it to be 100%.

Good luck with your choice


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## jackie_c

Hi ladies, I am new here. I've just split up with my boyfriend who is six years younger than me because he is not ready to have kids and my body clock is screaming at 35. I am looking into freezing my eggs and am also looking for any advice, recommendation, support I can find. I noticed some of you wrote a couple of years ago, but if you have gone through this experience I would love to hear. Is there a way of direct messaging people or sharing my email address on here? 

Thanks and look forward to hearing from you x


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## natclare

Hi Jackie, I might be able to help and will PM you. x


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## Cool Coolio

I am excited to have stumbled on to this board and thanks to all who have provided info even though some have been over 2 years ago.  It's tough find a lot of real life experiences on egg freezing.

I'm single and 39 and as my 40th approaches I'm looking to preserve my fertility.  I made the first step by getting my blood test and scans done through the NHS and now it's time to find a clinic. It's so confusing and there are so many. I can imagine they would all be great with IVF but I need one that is excellent at freezing and thawing eggs.  I feel this may be my one shot and I need to choose the right clinic. I need help! Also my scans revealed large fibroids in my uterus and this worries me.

I've carefully read everyone's input here and the top names I'm now considering are Lister, LWC, Create.  The Midlands one seems to have successful pregnancies from freezing but being a full time single person in London, it may be challenging to visit. 

Can anyone who's had their eggs frozen and was happy with the services and costs through the process recommend their clinic? And the consultant if possible.  I welcome DMs.


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## bossypants

Hi cool coolio. My friend has just had her eggs frozen at CRGH. She had a good experience, so I am now going to go with them too. She was told they were the best in London by a gynaecologist friend of hers so thats why. 
Best of luck to you. And thanks to everyone for the advice.


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