It is called Social Freezing and it is not a social network. It is cryopreservation of oocytes for precautionary purposes. In other words, a forward-looking therapy. Today, a woman can decide to freeze her oocytes to have the option of assisted reproduction in case she is unable to conceive spontaneously.
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The reasons for this choice can be personal. So preserving fertility and proceeding with a pregnancy later in life. But also objective ones. There may, in fact, be difficulties in conception because of infertility, early menopause, because of heavy treatments such as chemotherapy or other types of interventions that may impair productive capacity.
We talked about Social Freezing with Sara, a former dancer, bright-eyed pilates teacher with an infectious laugh who chose this path about two years ago.
Sara, tell us why you made this choice?
The why has to do with the word freedom. I had recently broken up and was at the age when everyone was having children. In other words, I was lonely, in crisis. I knew about this procedure because it was already widely practiced abroad, and two years ago I made up my mind.
In fact, from the Health Daily we read that The culture of fertility preservation, now well established in countries such as Spain and the United Kingdom, is also beginning to spread among Italian women in 2020. The numbers say so with requests for Social Freezing doubled in the spring of 2021 compared to the same period in 2019.
But tell us about the various steps.
After various routine examinations you start ovarian stimulation which lasts 10/12 days, a period in which you undergo various monitoring and around day 14 the doctor decides to do the pick-up (egg retrieval), an operation done in Day hospital. Nothing painful and all very fast. The procedure is done. It is not traumatic or strenuous, but during ovarian stimulation you cannot play sports that require excessive effort, neither running nor jumping or lifting weights. I had to take it easy, and that was not an easy thing for me. Both for work and personal need I love sports and need to move.
Sara's body responded well, a little bit changed: “I had swollen up a little bit but I had great breasts! Never had in my life.”
She had no fear, her instincts won out and she went with the flow. Crucial was the support of her family who supported her in everything. Even her psychotherapist protected and helped her to give her the way to get to the time of the pick-up serenely. Although Sara of doubts never had any.
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Was this choice of yours due to a lack of confidence in men? Or from a spirit of independence?
I repeat it was a choice of freedom and is completely unrelated to the issue of men. I wanted and want to feel comfortable regardless of who I will or will not meet in my future. I invite any woman between the ages of 25 and 35 to do this practice. If I had a young cousin, niece or sister of that age and a daughter tomorrow I would advise her to do it.
Freedom involves both personal and work life. Think of how many women are forced to postpone or choose between career and motherhood. Instead, it is right to have the freedom to be able to make their own decisions. Many because of the biological clock attach themselves to a man because time is short. You know those questions that come at a certain age: when are you going to have children? Here I would never ask that. Pregnancy is a delicate time. I have great respect for women who decide not to have children. No one has to be a mom and no one has to not be a mom. We can choose.
How do you see yourself in 10 years?
It's strange, but since I froze my eggs, I've been thinking a lot less about motherhood. Definitely much less than I used to think about it. Which means I don't know what and who will be in my future. I don't want to force things. Maybe tomorrow I meet the man of my life and I can become a mom naturally. However, I have given myself this extra chance. I am open to everything. I'm not even sure I'm going to be a mom but honestly I'm more serene now.
In fact, social freezing does not compromise future fertility and cryopreserved cells can last for a long time without losing their quality. Even for many years.
All that is left for Sara is to savor what is to come with the certainty that if one day she wants to open that fridge she will be able to live out her dreams. She has frozen her present to love in the future.
Illustration by Gloria Dozio - Acrimònia Studios
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