Egg Freezing Review: Not as Scary as You Think! A Detailed Step-by-Step Review of the Egg Retrieval Process

Hello! I'm P'Jean, and this year I turned 34. Currently, I work as a beauty consultant. My journey into egg freezing started with a simple curiosity—why is it that people around me are struggling to conceive, yet older celebrities still manage to have children? So, I started researching and reading about other people's experiences with egg freezing. That’s when I discovered that this has been a well-kept secret in Western countries for years, and many Thai celebrities have also done it.

At the moment, I don’t have a husband—or even a boyfriend. I'm still enjoying my career and want to wait until I truly feel ready. But at the same time, I have a fear—what if by the time I’m ready and have a partner, I’m no longer able to have children? I don’t want to face the same struggles that many of my friends have. That’s why I decided to freeze my eggs, and I'm sharing my experience here in case it helps others who are considering this option!

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The egg-freezing process consists of 7 steps. For details on what each step entails and how to prepare, you can read the following sections:

Step 1: Consultation with the doctor
Step 2: Health check-up
Step 3: Start hormone injections to stimulate egg production
Step 4: Monitor egg growth
Step 5: Trigger shot for ovulation
Step 6: Egg retrieval procedure
Step 7: Post-retrieval care and egg freezing

Step 1: Consultation with the Doctor

The first step begins once you've decided to freeze your eggs. I went to consult with Dr. Ton at Beyond IVF, a doctor I trust. As a beauty consultant, I have many clients, including celebrities, who recommended him, praising his expertise and kind demeanor.

Scheduling a consultation with the doctor is very easy—just add the clinic’s official Line account, @Beyondivf, and express your interest. You can discuss costs, the egg-freezing process, and book an appointment. The best part? The consultation is completely free!

The clinic staff explained that Dr. Ton prefers to personally speak with every patient before starting the process. So, if you’re interested, I highly recommend scheduling a consultation to learn more!

On the day of my appointment with the doctor, I was really excited and didn’t even know what to ask. But the doctor was very understanding, asking about my needs and discussing everything in a very friendly manner.

I’d like to share a few key questions from this step for you to check out!

A: You can start egg freezing from reproductive age, typically around 25 years old, up until the late 30s, or depending on the patient's preference.

A: You can still conceive naturally. Egg freezing is like keeping a spare part.

A: When you want to conceive using frozen eggs, you must undergo In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) or Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI). The eggs cannot be placed back into the woman's body

The doctor will examine your reproductive system to determine if you are ready for egg freezing and check how many eggs you have.

For P’Jean, Dr. Ton mentioned that her uterus was in good condition, with no harmful cysts or tumors.

This examination is done using a transvaginal ultrasound. At first, I felt very shy and nervous, but the doctor explained that the probe is very small (P’Jean has attached a picture for everyone to see). The procedure is not painful—just a slight pressure and discomfort.

After the internal examination, we will proceed with a blood test to check hormone levels. At Beyond IVF, the primary hormone tested is AMH, which is essential because the doctor will use it to determine the appropriate ovarian stimulation medication.

After completing both the internal examination and blood test, the next step is to schedule an appointment with the doctor to begin ovarian stimulation and the egg freezing process.

The ovarian stimulation must start on day 2 or 3 of the menstrual cycle. The first day is counted when there is full menstrual flow on a sanitary pad.

Luckily, for P’Jean, her period started on day 2, so she was able to begin the stimulation process immediately!

The first step in the egg-freezing process is injecting hormones into the body to stimulate the production of multiple eggs. The injected hormones are similar to the body's natural hormones, so they do not cause any serious side effects or harm.

The injections are administered for about 10–12 days. For P’Jean, the doctor initially planned a 7-day injection period before scheduling a follow-up appointment to monitor the response and check how well the medication is stimulating egg growth.

At Beyond IVF, you can choose to either take the medication home for self-injection or visit the clinic for daily injections, making it very convenient.

The injections must be administered at the same time each day. P’Jean chose to come to the clinic daily since it was close to home—and also because she’s really afraid of needles! She preferred to take her time mentally preparing rather than risk injecting incorrectly.

Regarding side effects, the doctor mentioned that some people may experience PMS-like symptoms, such as mood swings or mild nausea. However, P’Jean felt completely normal with no side effects at all—maybe she’s just a tough girl

For the hormone injection process for egg freezing, the doctor advised that some people may experience side effects similar to pregnancy, such as dizziness, mild nausea, or mood swings, similar to when they have their period. For P’Jean, she didn’t experience much at all—she felt really chill! At first, she was a little worried, thinking, "What if I get moody at home? What will I do?" Haha!

The appointment day arrived after completing the injections. P’Jean's ovaries responded well, and the egg growth was within the expected range, with no complications. Everything was going smoothly. The doctor then planned to continue the injections for another 3 days, with a follow-up check afterward.

After the ultrasound check, the doctor confirmed that the egg cells were ready, which was great news. The next step is to trigger ovulation with an injection. This time, we will need to inject the medication ourselves, as it needs to be done at night. Each patient has a different injection time, which the doctor will schedule. A nurse will train us on how to properly administer the injection, and if we have any questions, we can ask for clarification.

At the scheduled time, P'Jean prepared to inject herself. She was really excited and hesitated for a while, but once she saw how small the needle was, she took a deep breath and quickly injected it into her abdomen. It only took a moment, and she was done. After the injection, the doctor scheduled the egg retrieval for about 36 hours later.

What is ovulation trigger medication? You can read more about it at "Ovulation Trigger Medication for People Who Want to Have Children: How to Use It and Can You Buy It Yourself?

Finally, the day for egg retrieval has arrived. Before coming in, there are some preparations to be made. P’Jean has listed the main steps as follows

• No food or drink for 6 hours before the procedure.

• No makeup or cream.

• Do not wear contact lenses.

• No nail polish. If you have gel nails, they need to be removed beforehand.

• No perfume.

Egg retrieval procedure:

While P’Jean is asleep, the doctor will insert an ultrasound probe, similar to what was used to check the egg cell size, into the vaginal area. However, this time, a needle will be attached to the end of the probe to aspirate the egg cells. Once the eggs are retrieved, they must be quickly sent to the laboratory, where specialized scientists are waiting. It's a race against time, as human reproductive cells are very delicate and cannot survive outside the body for long.

Once the clinic takes over the care of the eggs, waking up after the procedure wasn’t too painful. There was some mild abdominal cramping, similar to menstrual pain. Nurses were nearby, keeping a close watch on me, and the doctor came over to check on how I was feeling. I rested for about an hour to recover from the anesthesia. During that time, I felt relaxed and spent the time casually playing on my phone.

At this stage, it's not recommended to drive yourself home. You should bring a caregiver with you to assist and take care of you.

Possible side effects after egg retrieval, as reported by the staff:

• Bloating and abdominal swelling

• Mild dizziness

• Light vaginal bleeding

After egg retrieval, the first menstrual period typically comes within 7-14 days, depending on your cycle. However, it's common for the first period after egg retrieval to be delayed. If your period doesn't come after more than 1 month, it’s recommended to consult a doctor for further examination and to identify any underlying causes.

The doctor was very kind and personally called P'Jean to inform her of the results and to ask how she was feeling, checking if she was still experiencing any abdominal pain or other symptoms. P'Jean was very impressed by this. As for the egg retrieval results, P'Jean was very happy to hear that she retrieved a total of 25 eggs, with 23 of them being strong and healthy. She was overjoyed, especially since she had initially prepared herself for a smaller number.

After speaking with the doctor, a staff member will send a report detailing the egg cells, confirming the number of eggs retrieved and their developmental stages.

P'Jean says that she wishes she had known about this option earlier. If she had, she would have come sooner because the earlier you come, the better the quality of your eggs. For anyone who plans to have children later in life but is worried about the possibility of not being able to, she highly recommends freezing your eggs in advance, just like buying insurance. No matter what happens, you'll have eggs stored as a backup. At Beyond IVF, the care is excellent. You can discuss any concerns with the doctor beforehand. P'Jean highly recommends it, and consultations with the doctor are free of charge. You can reach out via Line @Beyondivf