Rachel Lehmann-Haupt, author of In Her Own Sweet Time: Egg Freezing and the New Frontiers of Family is telling a new story very publicly and is catching the interest of many, such as Refinery29 and the Toronto Sun. Lehmann-Haupt, as she explains, is a DIY mom. She took her dreams of one day having a biological child and froze her eggs and then used an anonymous sperm donor to have a baby. Not only is she raising the topic of using a sperm donor and becoming a “DIY” mom, Lehmann-Haupt has become an inspiring voice for scores of women who are freezing fertility.
Freezing Fertility to Find the Right Timing
Like many women, Lehmann-Haupt explains that her decision to freeze her eggs came after she spent a huge chunk of her 20s and 30s pursuing her career, living on her own, travelling, and entering different relationships. At 32, her long-time boyfriend broke up with her, “I wasn’t as heartbroken about the guy as about the fact that I wasn’t going to have a child soon and that my biological clock was ticking. I’m really happy the relationship ended—I don’t think anybody should marry the wrong person just to have a child.”
A few years later she found herself pondering, “God, did I forget to have a baby?” Lehmann-Haupt adds, “I was nearing the age of 35 and I was single and I had not yet had a child…and then I started looking at all these statistics and realized that I was just one among many many women — millions — having children later, because we are putting our economic power ahead of our procreative power.”
She says that she’s a part of a growing group that has uncertain feelings towards being parents even as the inevitable timing of their biological clock ticks away.
“We’re postponing marriage, [and] the age of first-–time motherhood and fatherhood is naturally rising, especially in cities,” says Lehmann-Haupt. She’s right, the average age of first-time moms is increasing. But as women age, their egg quantity and quality decreases, affecting certain women’s ability to conceive.
Take Advantage of Your Fertility Now
Wherever you are in life, or if you’re even thinking about kids, take charge by having your ovarian reserve (egg supply) tested. If you are under 35, you are at the optimal age to freeze your eggs, which has become a way to extend your current fertility. And although your body will age, the eggs that you freeze in this safe and effective way will be available if you need them when you decide to start a family. Ovarian reserve testing can be performed through a simple blood test and ultrasound at Shady Grove Fertility.
- As women of a post-boomer generation, we are used to being in control of our lives, professionally and financially. The fact that we do not have control over the duration of our fertility is incredibly frightening, something many of us would like to ignore for as long as possible. But I have learned that no matter how scary some information was at first, it’s ultimately liberating to understand my own body’s reproductive possibilities—as well as its impossibilities. We have more options than ever; understanding them can empower us and, perhaps most importantly, turn panic into peace, she says.
Your Options to Freeze Fertility at Shady Grove Fertility
On average, the optimal time to freeze your eggs is in your early- to mid-30s while your fertility potential is still near its peak. However, Shady Grove Fertility’s Egg Freezing Program allows you to freeze your eggs between the ages of 30 and 40. So women like 35-year-old Rachel Lehmann-Haupt can, “keep the possibility of having children on the back burner indefinitely…”
“You may end up dramatically changing your mind about not wanting kids at 37, and by preparing for this possibility you’ll be in a much better place if you run into challenges,” Lehmann-Haupt adds.
To learn more about the egg freezing process or for more information about Shady Grove Fertility’s exclusive egg freezing financial programs, call 1-877-411-9292 to speak with one of our New Patient Liaisons, fill out this form to schedule an egg freezing appointment, or register for one of our upcoming patient educational events.
