When I first explored egg freezing, it felt like a VIP club for the rich and famous, the likes of the. Whenever I saw brochures or watched documentaries, I saw white faces. I hadn’t come across any stories from minority or working-class women – and I was both. I grew up on a council estate, where it was necessary to dodge racists, dog shit and joy riders. Oh, and used condoms, which were clearly not all that widely used .
I was among those interested parties, but the process is not as straightforward as you might think. For one thing, it’s expensive… £4,300 expensive, in my case – and that’s without factoring in medication and storage. While some people are still debating who should pick up the bill on a date, I don’t have a partner to go halves with on freezing my eggs.
When it came to choosing a clinic, the HFEA site became my bible. Not only do few clinics’ online testimonials include stories from people of colour, some cannot even spell my name correctly. When you’re trusting them with something so sacred, it’s not a good start.. When I spoke to one of the staff, it felt like I was talking to a BFF who just happened to be an egg freezing expert.
In the run up to the procedure, I’m not giving into temptation. I’ve been advised to exercise regularly, eat healthier, avoid alcohol and take fertility supplements. Most of all, I am focusing on me, glorious me. Goodbye toxic relationships, hello healthy eggs.