When we heard the December storyline of Lipstick Jungle — the NBC dramedy based on Candace Bushnell’s novel — covered the topic of egg freezing, we just had to tune in. Nico Reilly (Kim Raver) considers the procedure, in light of a recent divorce, demanding career and boyfriend who isn’t ready for fatherhood. We’d think about it, too, if we were in her Dolce & Gabbana pumps!
A study conducted last year by egg-freezing company Extend Fertility and Reproductive Medicine Associates of New York City found that more than half of women who freeze their eggs do it to take advantage of all reproductive opportunities, while many choose this route to alleviate biological-clock pressure. Another 15 percent do it for “insurance,” meaning they’re not planning to really use the eggs.
The treatment cycle at Extend Fertility costs between $9,000 and $13,000 and includes blood tests, hormone injections, checkups and the outpatient procedure of egg harvesting itself. The eggs are then stored in liquid nitrogen until the woman is ready for in-vitro fertilization. (The cost of the first year of storage is part of the initial fee.)
Older women giving birth are in the news — from celebs to the 70-year-old woman who gave birth in India. While you might not want to wait that long to have children, do you think egg-freezing is a good option for buying time?
Photo caption: On a recent episode of Lipstick Jungle, Nico Reilly (Kim Raver, right) considers having her eggs frozen after bonding with this baby.
Photo credit: NBC Photo: Nicole Rivelli
Tags: Candace Bushnell, Cryobiology, EXTEND FERTILITY INC, Fertility medicine, Gynecology, Human reproduction, In vitro fertilisation, India, Kim Raver, Lipstick Jungle, Medicine, Natural Disaster, NBC Limited, New York City, Nico, Nico Reilly, Nicole Rivelli, Obstetrics, Oocyte cryopreservation, Reproduction, Reproductive Medicine Associates, USD
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2 Reader Comments:
Extend Fertility was founded years ago, at a time when the egg freezing procedure was in its early stages and was largely experimental. In 2010, however, most major urban hospitals have doctors who perform the procedures regularly and successfully. What Extend offered clients years ago and still offers today is a service that connects women with doctors who perform egg freezing and nurses and others who assist with questions, including medication issues.
The problem that Extend faces today is that their service is no longer relevant because so many doctors now successfully perform egg freezing procedures and they and their nurses are well-equipped to answer patient questions. In New York, for example, you can either use one of Extend’s contracting providers, Robert Copperman, MD, and also pay thousands of dollars to Extend as “fees,” or go to NYU Fertility Center (another hospital recognized as providing egg freezing services, and Extend’s major competitor) and simply pay for your medical care (no Extend “fee”). Dr. Nicole Noyes at NYU was one of the first doctors in the US to successfully freeze/thaw eggs and the center has nurses available 24 hours a day to answer questions and help with medication.
Last year I chose not to use Extend and successfully froze eggs at NYU — I spoke to a doctor or a nurse every day of my procedure, all my questions were answered and it was a terrific experience. Had I used Extend, I would have paid them money for “services” that were actually done by the nurses at NYU — no additional charge.
Extend Fertility would like you to think it is a company established by women for women. Sadly, however, Extend charges each their clients thousands of dollars for a service that doctors and nurses should and do perform. Dont allow Extend to prey on fears, find a doctor in your area who does the procedure and save yourself those thousands of dollars that Extend Fertility will desperately try to convince you to instead fork over to them.
I’m not that surprised that so many women want to freeze their eggs and put them at Extend Fertility. It is a very smart idea. Perfect for those who aren’t ready to have kids but are scared that they might get too old when reaching that time.