Emotional impact

Egg freezing can be an emotional experience. This may partly be due to the hormones given. It is difficult to predict how someone might be affected as everyone is different.

Some women can experience sadness, grief and anxiety. For example, they might feel sad about not being able to have a child at that time, or feel nervous about how many eggs they will collect, and possibly be disappointed if they do not collect as many eggs as expected.The use of needles and other medical procedures can cause discomfort too. If only a few follicles develop, a fertility specialist may suggest stopping the cycle which can be disappointing as well.

Other women experience more positive emotions. For example, feeling more “in control” of their fertility or empowered to take action (22, 23). Some patients find the process less emotional than they expected too.

In general, most women who freeze their eggs have little to no regret about their decision (2, 22, 24). However, some factors such as their age at the time of egg freezing, number of frozen eggs, chances of having a baby from those frozen eggs, and how well informed they felt when deciding can impact how they feel about their decision overall (25, 26).

Support and coping strategies

It is important to have good support and coping strategies to use during an egg freezing cycle. You may like to bring a close friend or family member along to your appointments, and/or talk to them when making your decision.

Speaking to a counsellor from a fertility clinic or a different service provider may also be useful. When contacting a fertility clinic you may like to ask how much contact and support you can expect from your fertility specialist and the rest of the healthcare team before, during, and after a cycle.

Some helpful coping strategies may include:

  • Trying relaxation or mindfulness activities (yoga/meditation/breathing exercises)
  • Regular and gentle exercise
  • Getting adequate sleep

The Better Health Channel has more information and tools to help manage stress. Click here to visit their website.