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Many things have changed about society in the last few decades, like the fact that more moms are choosing to work rather than stay home or the fact that some women are waiting later in life to have children. These are potentially good changes, as research has found that children who have working moms grow up to be happier than those with stay-at-home moms. Additional research has shown that having kids later in life might help women live longer. Society is coming around to the idea that life can and should be a build-your-own-adventure experience, and there is no one right way to do things. But one thing that we can’t change is a woman’s fertility – particularly the years when a woman is most likely to produce healthy babies.
The CDC reports that more women are having babies between the ages of 35 and 39. While that might be when their finances and relationships are finally where those moms want them to be in order to provide a stable home, it does increase the risk of pregnancy complications, and birth defects. That’s where the beauty of freezing eggs comes in: you can do things on your timeline, rather than nature’s. But it’s not a casual or budget-friendly procedure. Here are things to consider to help you decide if freezing your eggs is right for you.
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The finances
It’s important that you’re certain you will be able to fund this entire process, from start to finish, before even beginning. That means not just paying for your egg freezing, but also the storage of the eggs, and later, in vitro fertilization (IVF) when you decide to become pregnant. One cycle of egg freezing may cost up to $20,000. Storage of your frozen eggs might be over $1,000 a year. And when you’re ready, IVF can cost you somewhere in the range of $40,000 to $60,000. That last part can come as a shock, since many individuals figure out how to fund the egg freezing without knowing how they’ll fund IVF later. It’s best not to do the first step unless you’re sure you can eventually fund the second. Insurance doesn’t cover egg freezing and IVF in all states, and where it does, you must qualify. You’ll have to prove you’ve been trying, in a timely manner (i.e. tracking ovulation) for a certain amount of time, by a certain age (speak to your insurance provider for specifics) or have a condition that makes a safe pregnancy difficult or impossible for you.
