EP 52: Egg Freezing: Clinical And Emotional Journey With Anna Reichert

Fertility inclusivity, trigger shots, hormones. Discover the step-by-step medical process of freezing eggs, and how the journey is impacted both physically and emotionally.

I heard that Anna was in the process of freezing her eggs through an Instagram Stories post where they opened up their experience for questions about the experience. I loved how open they was to conversation around the journey and couldn’t wait to have them on the podcast to talk in depth about it.

Through Anna’s work benefits they was able to go through the process of freezing her eggs. Several factors played into their decision freeze their eggs, including age and a recent separation. They wanted to be able to keep their options open for the future.

Anna visited two clinics before deciding where they felt most comfortable. They emphasizes the importance of finding the right fit, inclusivity was a deciding factor in making their choice.

In our conversation we go step by step through the weeks leading up to the procedure and dive deep into her experience of recovery. Anna talked through Stimulation and the process used to prepare your ovaries and prevent you from ovulation too early. They also talk about how they helped themself get more comfortable with needles and some of the anxieties that came up along the way. Through their physical side effects were relatively mild, they did feel the effect emotional.

Through posting about their experience on Instagram, they learn just how many people they knew whose lives have been touched by fertility in some way shape or form. They were struck by how much people were opening to connecting on the topic once the door was open.

Anna takes us through the details of retrieval day and recovery and how easy it is to have shame, guilt and anxiety seep into the experience. They also talk us through the evolving role of their partner thought out the journey.

One thing they wish they had been more aware of going in is expectation setting. In their personal experience, they had a large follicle which the doctor was very positive about, however a large follicle doesn’t necessarily indicate viability and knowing that would have been helpful for them emotionally.

We end our conversation with some important thoughts from Anna on the importance of inclusivity in the birthing and fertility space.