What You Should Know Before Freezing Your Eggs Ft. Lauren Makler & Dr. Meera Shah
Oct 1, 2023
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Remy and Emily are joined by Lauren Makler, co-founder of Cofertility, and Dr. Meera Shah to discuss egg freezing. They explore the mission of Cofertility, making egg freezing more accessible, the emotional impact of egg donation, the implications of higher BMI on egg freezing, administering hormones for egg freezing, the egg collection process and cost, pre-implantation genetic testing on embryos, secondary infertility, and the podcast's resources and personal platforms.
Co-fertility offers affordable and accessible egg freezing programs, including a option to donate half of retrieved eggs to intended parents
Awareness about fertility challenges is important, even for individuals who conceived their first child without trouble
Egg freezing allows for more efficient reproduction, avoiding the need for multiple IVF cycles or the use of an egg donor
Deep dives
Co-fertility: Making Egg Freezing Affordable and Accessible
Co-fertility is a company that aims to make egg freezing more affordable and accessible for women. They offer two programs: Split and Keep. The Split program allows women to freeze their eggs for free and donate half of the retrieved eggs to intended parents who cannot conceive. The Keep program is a self-pay option where women keep 100% of their eggs. Co-fertility has been able to negotiate lower costs for medication, storage, and other services to lower the financial burden for their members. The cost of egg freezing including medication in New York City is around $15,000, but with Co-fertility's programs, women can do the entire process for $11,000 or $12,000 for 10 years of storage. Embryo freezing is also an option, providing more information about the potential of the egg upfront. Co-fertility aims to be inclusive and supportive, even for individuals with higher BMI and those facing secondary infertility.
The Frequency of Struggling with Conceiving Naturally
According to recent data published by the WHO, about one in six couples struggle with conceiving naturally. However, this could be an underestimate as collecting accurate data is challenging. There is also a significant number of cases of secondary infertility, where individuals experience trouble conceiving or carrying a pregnancy after having a successful first child. Age plays a role in fertility, and as people get older, the quality and quantity of eggs decrease, making it more difficult to conceive. It is important for individuals to be aware of the possibility of fertility challenges, even if they had no trouble conceiving their first child.
Exploring the Realities of Genetic Abnormalities
The risks of genetic disorders or abnormalities do increase with advanced maternal age, but the overall chance is still relatively low. The chance of having a child with Down syndrome, for example, does increase with age, but it is still in the low single digits. PGTU (Pre-implantation Genetic Testing) can offer more information about the genetic health of embryos, allowing individuals to make informed decisions about their reproductive choices. It is also important to remember that individuals with genetic abnormalities can still lead fulfilling lives, and decisions regarding pregnancy and parenthood should be respected and supported.
Assessing Ovarian Reserve and Predicting Response
The podcast discusses the assessment of ovarian reserve, which is a quantitative measure of the number of eggs a woman has. This can be done through blood tests and visually examining the ovaries. The speaker highlights the correlation between these two methods and their predictive value in determining a woman's response to fertility treatments and the number of eggs she may produce.
The Egg Freezing Process and Its Benefits
The podcast delves into the process of egg freezing and explains how it makes reproduction more efficient. The speaker highlights the wastefulness and inefficiency of our reproductive system, where only a fraction of our eggs are used in our lifetime. The podcast emphasizes the importance of freezing eggs at a young age to ensure future options and avoid the need for multiple IVF cycles or the difficult decision to use an egg donor. Additionally, the podcast addresses concerns about the process, such as the use of injectable hormones, the collection of eggs through transvaginal ultrasound, and the impacts on fertility and mental health.
Inspired by a previous Dear DST about egg donation, Remy and Emily are joined by Lauren Makler, co-founder and CEO of Cofertility, as well as reproductive endocrinologist Dr. Meera Shah. Remy and Emily start by asking Lauren about the mission of Cofertility and how they’re making egg freezing more accessible, and Dr. Shah answers all their medical questions about the egg freezing process. Plus, Remy and Emily ask listener-submitted questions about egg donation, egg freezing, fertility, and more.