I froze my eggs in Bangkok when I was 31. I would go through the process again. – Mothership.SG

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PERSPECTIVE: In 2017, Gwendolyn Regina froze her eggs in Bangkok, Thailand. 

Again then, it was unlawful to freeze one’s eggs in Singapore with no medical motive (similar to present process chemotherapy or different therapy that may doubtlessly have an effect on one’s capacity to have a baby). 

Now 37, Regina displays on why she opted for elective egg freezing six years in the past, what the process was like, and the way she felt at its totally different levels. She additionally shares her ideas on the legalisation of social egg freezing in Singapore, which takes impact from 2023. 

As advised to Lean Jinghui

I’ve identified about elective egg freezing since my early 20s.

It crossed my thoughts to go for the process at some point, as a result of I’ve at all times needed infants.

Nonetheless, again then, I didn’t give it some thought critically – it was a kind of issues that I knew existed, and I knew that in the course of reaching a sure stage in life, that I’d need to take into account extra deeply.

As I aged over my 20s, it was a mixture of things that finally motivated me to freeze my eggs.

At all times needed youngsters

For one, I’ve at all times been somebody who has needed youngsters, since I used to be younger.

I’ve simply at all times been a child individual.

Nonetheless, throughout my 20s, I didn’t have a severe accomplice, so it wasn’t one thing I may do instantly, as a result of I used to be not married.

Throughout my early 20s, I used to be additionally targeted on working my very own companies.

It was not a case of selecting to construct my profession over having youngsters – I need to be clear – however it was simply that I used to be tremendous busy, and I used to be extra invested in rising my corporations and all that, which I cherished.

As I used to be hitting 30, and I nonetheless had not met the correct accomplice, the considered freezing my eggs acquired extra concrete.

As a lot as I’m eager on adopting too, I really need to have the ability to have my very own organic youngsters at some point, so it was me coming in from an insurance coverage perspective.

And clearly, the sooner you freeze your eggs, the higher your probabilities, proper?

Weighing the choices for egg freezing

What prompted me then was additionally the data that freezing one’s eggs in Singapore was unlawful, so I must discover different choices elsewhere, which might take time.

Whereas the U.S. and UK supply elective egg freezing procedures, it prices 15,000USD or 15,000 kilos, and doesn’t embody the prices of flying over and lodging.

I knew that in Southeast Asia, we now have good medical hospitals and medical care, if you realize the correct locations. So, I attempted to search out someplace inside our area for the process, as finding accessible and inexpensive choices for egg freezing was vital too.

A Vietnamese good friend of mine, who had achieved In-Vitro Fertilization (IVF) earlier than, later advisable her physician, who was from Singapore.

The serendipitous connection was that this Singapore physician had truly helped a Vietnamese hospital I enquired at for elective egg freezing in Ho Chi Minh again in 2014.

The physician from Singapore, Dr Yeong Cheng Toh at Tow Yung Clinic, was very affected person all through, and defined to me the complete process.

He additionally advisable the physician and clinic in Bangkok, Thailand to me, for the retrieval and freezing of my eggs.

First two weeks – Each day hormonal injections

The primary two weeks had been the identical as step one of IVF, and I used to be in a position to do every part in Singapore.

It consisted of each day self-injections of assorted quantities of hormones to stimulate egg follicle manufacturing.

I used to be usually very sanguine through the course of, as somebody who’s not squeamish about blood.

It didn’t really feel scary, as I already knew that it was one thing I needed to do, and that it’s a process that has been safely carried out many, many occasions.

I believe the one time I felt nervous was after I did my first self-injection.

I advised myself that I wanted to recollect and comply with directions – which consisted of getting to inject your self at this smiley-shaped space round your navel – to a T.

I used to be dwelling alone then, and I simply bear in mind being like “Oh my god, that is very severe, I want to verify I comply with all of the steps appropriately.”

So I spent 20 minutes on it, making an attempt to be so cautious, solely to finish up with a bent needle. And I had to make use of a brand new one.

After a number of injections, nonetheless, I may principally do the thrice-daily hormonal injections in lower than 10 seconds every, day by day. It turned “regular” already.

Whereas I didn’t really feel any totally different through the two weeks, my girlfriends advised me that I did change into extra emotional as I used to be doing the hormonal injections.

It’s attention-grabbing as a result of the heightened emotion sort of mirrors what can occur in being pregnant, which I did not realise till it got here up in informal dialog.

Fears and little joys through the course of

Apart from the injections, I went again to Dr Yeong each two to a few days for blood checks and ultrasounds.

The ultrasound is supposed to verify on the expansion of the egg follicles and guarantee your eggs are rising nicely. You need as many eggs as attainable, so the physician will verify in on their measurement and quantity throughout every go to, and alter the each day dosage and kind of hormones given as you go alongside.

For 3 weeks, “regular life” basically stopped for me, as I couldn’t be bodily energetic through the course of.

One of many major dangers of the method is hyperstimulated ovaries, which is when the ovaries get too massive, leading to dangers of nausea and cysts. So I stop exercising for a number of weeks, in case my ovaries twisted.

I used to be very cautious, as I used to be conscious that I used to be “rising” many eggs, and in a manner, that there have been “future infants” inside me.

Wanting on the ultrasounds and witnessing the expansion of the eggs daily was fascinating – I bear in mind pondering to myself then: “I’m getting an early check trial of what it would imply to be pregnant.”

And I’m undecided glad is the correct phrase, however there was undoubtedly reduction that I used to be getting the egg freezing process achieved.

In the direction of the tip of the 2 weeks, you could possibly truly see a bit bump on my tummy, although it was not too discernible.

I used to be not in a position to sleep on my facet in the direction of the tip of the method as nicely, so it actually did really feel like a mini being pregnant.

It was a Wednesday after I went in for the ultimate ultrasound in Singapore, and the physician advised me that I may e book my flight for that Friday to Thailand, for the egg freezing process on Sunday.

I bear in mind feeling a bit nervous then, like ”Oh actually, that is it?”

Whereas I had travelled to Bangkok a number of occasions for work earlier than, this journey felt particular.

Second step – Retrieving and freezing my eggs in Bangkok

The night time earlier than I flew to Bangkok, my finest good friend came to visit to my place for ethical help.

That was actually candy, and while I don’t assume I ever felt alone throughout the complete course of, having her over made a distinction.

On the airport, my major concern was having to carry aboard this syringe on the flight – for the ultimate injection you needed to take to arrange your physique for the egg freezing process.

It was a reduction after I handed airport safety with none issues, as a result of I didn’t need to expertise any final minute hiccups at that time limit.

Arriving in Bangkok, I primarily felt pleasure.

I used to be most likely a bit nervous as nicely, however it was extra sensible issues than something – like did I get to the correct place on time, or does the physician have my right data on file?

After assembly the Bangkok physician on Saturday morning, I used to be given specific directions to nua within the lodge room, and keep a easy eating regimen of water, 100PLUS, and egg whites.

I believe I spent a complete day within the lodge room simply watching Star Trek, which was superb as a result of I usually work rather a lot.

On the day of, what I clearly bear in mind was that they wheeled me into the theatre, and once they began placing on the hospital robe, I used to be like, “Okay, my god, that is it.”

I solely bear in mind asking “Is that anaesthesia” and questioning if they’d tailor-made the dose to my top and weight (disclaimer: they did), earlier than I conked out.

Subsequent factor I knew, I awoke in a mattress, and panicked pondering that the process hadn’t began. However truly, they advised me that I’d been sleeping for half an hour already, and that the process was lengthy over.

Coincidentally, one other good good friend of mine was in Bangkok the identical weekend that I froze my eggs. So she provided to select me up after I’d accomplished the process, and took me out to lunch earlier than sending me again to the lodge, which was actually comforting as I used to be undoubtedly woozy from the GA.

I rested the rest of that Sunday.

Why I’d do the egg freezing process once more

I nonetheless pay about 1,000 USD (S$1,378) a 12 months for the storage of my eggs within the Bangkok facility.

Actually, I’d advised myself then that in some unspecified time in the future in a number of years, I’d freeze my eggs once more a second time, if I used to be nonetheless single.

It’s because I’m doing all this for insurance coverage. And placing all of your eggs (actually) in a single basket, in a single hospital, shouldn’t be insurance coverage sufficient.

I didn’t subsequently, as I began seeing somebody, and now I’m engaged.

As I’m not but 40, I believe we’ll attempt naturally in some unspecified time in the future first, and if someway we are able to’t conceive, I’ll decide to make use of my eggs.

Wanting again, I am very glad that I froze my eggs then, due to the peace of mind it now offers.

To me, it’s well worth the worth, for the potential of getting my very own organic youngsters later.

Legalisation of process in Singapore is nice first step

I am glad that no less than there’s a begin to enable social egg freezing for ladies in Singapore.

The perfect for me is that you simply enable social egg freezing for ladies, no matter age, and to permit girls to have the ability to use their eggs even when they don’t seem to be legally married.

I believe it’s vital that each lady is ready to make their very own decisions, on the subject of utilizing their eggs every time they need.

Nonetheless, we should always nonetheless have fun that there’s no less than one step in the direction of the perfect.

I’m optimistic in that manner, and the truth that social egg freezing might be allowed in Singapore from 2023 is certainly a very good step ahead.

I additionally agree that previous to the process, there needs to be time taken to grasp each the dangers of egg-freezing and the potential dangers and stats of utilizing your eggs at some point in hopes of conceiving.

“Pre-procedure counselling” shouldn’t be the correct phrase, however you principally want to grasp that not all your retrieved eggs might be mature sufficient to be frozen, and that not all your mature, frozen eggs may finally be sufficient to type a wholesome child.

For instance, one usually requires about 15 mature frozen eggs to end in one wholesome child. I had 12 frozen, so technically I don’t even have the right “statistic” for a wholesome child.

Egg freezing can also be a price prohibitive expenditure.

I have been fortunate to have the ability to afford it, however with a basic “one-third failure charge”, value once more turns into a difficulty because it won’t be accessible and inexpensive for some girls to attempt that many occasions.

Within the U.S., massive tech corporations like Meta and Google supply to pay for ladies who need to freeze their eggs.

And whereas I didn’t “select profession over infants”, I do assume that it’s a nice possibility that permits girls to have the ability to focus on their careers, whereas nonetheless having the opportunity of motherhood sooner or later.

Past being simply for individuals who put their profession first

I believe the most typical false impression I’d like to handle, is that it’s solely profession girls who need to freeze their eggs.

I believe that’s utterly not true, and for me, it was actually only for insurance coverage, as I do need youngsters, however I simply didn’t have the correct accomplice then.

Actually, I’d advocate that each women and men freeze their eggs and sperm. (And the process for males is manner much less value prohibitive and easier.)

If it’s inexpensive and accessible for you, and also you’ve at all times needed youngsters, it really is nice insurance coverage for your self, as a result of it offers you a lot wanted peace of thoughts.

It’s laborious to place a quantity to the potential worth it could actually afford you, and you’ll reap.

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High photographs through Gwendolyn Regina