Maria Menounos: I’m Going to Freeze My Eggs

I’ve been undergoing fertility treatment in Canada for a few years now, and unless things have changed or are different in the US, I was told that freezing eggs is rarely done…I guess there is much more research and success with freezing embryos and egg freezing is often used for women who’ve suffered from cancer or have to have ovaries removed etc. I’d love to hear if anyone knows any differently.

good for her! if i had the money i’d due the same! this is the future of birth control

i am not sure how i feel about that……i mean she is only 33. unless she’s planning on having children after 40.

interesting.

Um, who needs to announce that they are going to freeze their eggs???

How utterly personal and something that one does not need to share with the world. For one thing, who cares?

Just another Hollywood trend. These women are taking advantage of modern medicine and using it for their convenience.

Once again I don’t feel she needs to share it with the world and announce it to her parents on some tv show.

Steph, there is a technique for freezing eggs that is increasingly being used and it is called oocyte vitrification. It has very similar success rates to that of embryo freezing. Best of luck!

Why is thi news?????

Alice – I had my child at 40 and have plenty of energy to keep up with her and she’s in full-tilt toddler stage. You’re making a gross generalizations based, perhaps, on your life. Every woman is different.

A friend of mine had a baby at 45 – she was running during her pregnancy (marathons) and had an exercise class scheduled for the day she ended up delivering. All this was monitored by her physician, but she is now nearly 50 with plenty of energy.

Keeping up with kids has little to do with age. Maria is 33, and getting closer to what is considered higher risk pregnancy age. Good for her in choosing an option that fits (and being able to afford it).

I’m not sure why she feels the need to announce this or when she plans to have children. She should have them when she feels ready, I agree – however – there’s always a reason to not start a family. You’re never truly ready financially or otherwise. If you are seriously concerned you are losing fertility, you should probably go ahead and get started if you really want children. It’s a wonderful gift being able to get pregnant without medical assistance that many couples don’t have. And here she is throwing it away?

To each their own … although it does take a lot of the “miracle” our of having a child. Talk about plan plan plan. I hope she isn’t planning on the entire experience of motherhood to be that convenient … or she will be in for a BIG surprise … because once that baby is here … it’s most definitely not about what is most convenient for the mother! Nuff said.

I had tried unsuccessfully in my 20’s to get pregnant with five ectopic pregnancies even after reproductive surgeries. IVF was very expensive back then and the success rate slim. Eventually adopted. Years later my husband left and I evetually remarried. As I neared my late 30’s my “always hoping for an accident miracle baby” never happened so I wanted to try IVF as it success rate was much higher and cheaper. After three attempts, one loss pregnancy at five months, I finally had a healthy baby boy. I also was a runner and ran with doctor weekly supervision as I was considered high risk pregnancy. I delivered my son two days after I turned 41. Yes, I am older now but I still run every day and push my son in the baby jogger stroller. I admit I had a little more energy in my younger years but I still have plenty of energy now too. No regrets and love all my children!

I have had a personal experience with IVF and fertility treatments and am in the medical field myself. Frozen egg technology is still in its beginning stages as eggs do not survive as well, cryopreservation of embryos however (fertilized egg and sperm) have good outcomes for future thawing. Nevertheless, agree with various readers that IVF technology is not a guarantee of future LIVE BIRTHS and those who feel that a child is important in their lives should make the decision sooner rather than earlier if possible as age after thirty plays a detrimental role in IVF success.

I think saying things like “I am going to freeze my eggs. It’s like an insurance policy.” and “I’ve decided I’m going to have kids.” is like counting your chickens before they hatch. NOTHING is promised and no matter how much of an ‘insurance policy’ you think you have by freezing babies (I assume she means embryos since they mentioned her LTR with Keven) it still can’t guarnatee sucess. While this kind of science could be great for women with no other choice (i.e cancer patients)I just have to wonder to myself why a healthy, financially stable woman who expresses a desire to have kids would want to go this route. Even if she waits a few years, she could still have children before hitting the ‘higher risk’ mark. Also, what if she gets pregnant between now and then? what will she do with the embryo’s not used? Throw them away?

To each his own. But I agree, sometimes Mother Nature knows best. Best of luck to her though. At least she realizes now isn’t the time and isn’t bringing a baby into the world before she feels ready. I wonder though if she would feel if a career was worth it in a few years if her plans don’t go as,well, planned.

I hate when women who already have children assume that everyone else who wants to wait is doing it wrong. Every women is different. When she is ready for children she will have them. Just because you have children later in life does not mean that you won’t have the energy for it. Women are suppose to support eachother.

Wow…This is really too much information!!! We don’t want to know all that. Why do celebraties think that every piece of their personal life is news worthy. Just a narcistic person who wants to be infront of the camera at any cost. Her parents much be so proud. Gross.

She’s being ill-advised or perhaps she simply made an off-the-cuff remark and hasn’t really looked into it. IVF is not an easy process and she obviously doesn’t have any experience with infertility. No one experienced in this area would choose to go that route.

People who put themselves let alone their career before a family don’t deserve to have children in my opinion. One word – SELFISH!!!She is perfectly capable of having children now and wants to freeze her eggs so she can work more? She sounds completely dumb and I’m embarrassed for her.

Jumping the gun a little, don’t you think? Most of my friends started their families in their mid-thirties with no problems. Another just got a “surprise” on her 45th birthday…

If you are 33, its time to have the baby. Something so wrong about using frozen eggs just because you want to wait until you have done more in your career. I have a hard time understanding that.

To each their own, I guess!

And I need to add, embryo freezing is more effective than egg freezing. If Maria has a partner now and still not ready for children, they should freeze embryos. But I dont understand why if you are in a healthy relationship why she can’t become a mother now- doesn’t make sense to me. Women should not gamble with time and fertility.

Yes you can freezes eggs with no proglems. I went to ccrm in Denver the past couple of years. I am from Canada. Check ccrms website for more details.

i think shes being responsible!!

I agree with all of the posters who cautioned that IVF is not a guarantee. Freezing your eggs (or even embryos) can therefore give you a false sense of security that you will be able to have a biological child later in life. IVF can also really take a toll on your body and should not be taken lightly.

We went through IVF due to my husband’s infertility, and it was a VERY difficult process. The numerous shots throughout the days/weeks, early morning appointments for bloodwork and ultrasounds were tough, but I suffered from severe hyperstimulation from the infertility drugs and became deathly ill. I was in the worst pain imaginable for days on end, and ultimately was not able to go through with the embryo transfer for fear that a further rise in my hormone levels would cause my body to shut down.

The good news is that we eventually transferred two of the embryos and now have a healthy child. But it was definitely after many months of pain and suffering and fear – something a woman may wish to think about before deciding to freeze eggs for future use.

For the lady that suggested that you start checking your fertility at 30, I believe it should be a lot younger than that. I found out about my problems at 18- which is probably early for some people, but I just knew my body wasn’t working right, so I got it checked. If I had waited till I was 30 it would have been way to late for me.

I did have my eggs frozen at 20. I was’t getting married too soon- it took me another 4 yrs, and my fsh was way high, I’m lucky I have 2 sons and haven’t had to try using my frozen eggs yet.

If she knew there was a problem with her then good for trying to do something, but she’d really be better off just having the kid if she wants them. If she doesn’t really want them, she needs to shut up

In life there are NO GUARANTEES. If this is what she wants, well more power to her. But take note not everyone has the same luck with this kind of new age thing. Just watch the heart break of the Rancics in their quest to get pregnant. Look how some of her fellow celebrity women have kids and are working. Having kids shouldn’t stop a woman like her from working. Her long term partner is going to surprise her one day with the news that he got some other woman pregnant. She’d better rethink.

No offense, but is this something the general public really needs (or wants) to know?

She just need to dump the guy she is with and just find the one that she would want to have kids with. If you are 33 and you spent last ten with the guy and you are still not ready for kids that this relationship is probably not the one.

Why don’t these celebrities stop being so self absorbed and adopt if they want kids so badly. There are so many needy children in this world who need a loving home.

Her comment “We’re going to freeze our eggs so that we have no problems down the line” is very misleading. Who’s to say she won’t have problems? She could have multiple health issues interfere with her ability to conceive not to mention her eggs may not be of high quality.

Much like Sophia, I suffered from extreme hyperstimulation after an egg retreival that put me in the hospital knocking on death’s door. We had no option but IVF for our miracle child, but if a woman isn’t infertile, and she wants to wait for a bit before becoming pregnant…then stimulation through drugs is a big “chance” she should really consider fully before doing. The drugs needed to stimulate can cause a host of issues that Maria doesn’t need to experience if she is just wanting to wait a few years. Freezing eggs is no guarantee of a pregnancy later on down the line though. Just hope she’s thought out every option firts.

ha good luck with this one, the majority of eggs frozen dont even make it and are not viable by the time you are ready to stop being a celebrity and start a family, really you would be more vested into starting a family now while your young and healthy with fresh eggs , plus IVF is very unpredictable , this is definitely someone who has no clue about infertility either, just because you HAVE eggs doesnt even mean their good ones period!

I wanted to freeze my eggs years ago & my OB/Gyn did not sound too fond of it. I wish I would have done it even though I know it is risky. I have a beautiful son now thru fertility assistance.

For Alice-I am a new Mother in my 40’s & keep up after my son better than some 20 year olds.

It depends on the individuals. Check out child abuse statistics. It usually is not parents in their later years that are abusing their kids. They are usually more financially stable & sure they wanted them.

Too much information. Also, don’t depend on science….its pretty good, but it’s not perfect. No guarantees in life. Plan all you want.

I guess it just seems strange to me that she’s been “dating” the same guy for over a decade but they’re still not ready to have kids. What are they waiting for? Just curious. At least they’re not rushing into it.

Nikki- I agree.. if you’ve been in a relationship for ten years and you are still not ready to have kids, there is something wrong. My sister got married shortly after dating her husband since she wanted children, and she was pregnant within a year-she knew he was the one and both were stable and she doesn’t regret rushing one bit. She has two kids and though there are some marital issues, she has her children first and figured, everything else can wait. I dont get why maria is continuing to postpone motherhood-if she’s not ready now, she will never be.

wonder is anugston froze hers……

All of you judgemental people who “don’t care” about what a celebrity does with her eggs are on the WRONG site! I just love how the World Wide Web has made everyone so brave and rude so they can just say any mean thing they want because they don’t have to take any responsibility for what they say. Maria Menounos, I am proud of you for taking control of your life, your body, and your reproductive rights! And kudos for you for having a plan, doing it your way, and doing it responsibly! If I could afford to freeze my eggs and have another child when I was ready, I would. I can’t afford it though; that’s why I seek the light-heated escapism of People.com…. Just sayin’!

Some of you are being so judgmental and ignorant that it’s disturbing.

I presume that all of you have husbands who stay at home with the kids…oh wait, they don’t? Wow, you sure have selfish partners that put their career before time with their children. Get a grip people! What do you care what she does with her body and when? And it’s a short little interview, probably some silly little thing to promote the science. I’m sure she knows that other things could go wrong with her pregnancy. People like to willfully misunderstand others so they can get on their high horses.

I agree with Alice – pregnancy should be done younger. My parents had me in their early twenties, and they had lots of energy to keep up. Not only that, but every single kid in my grade was incredibly jealous of the fact that my parents are young. What parents don’t know is that kids tend to be embarrassed at the age of their own parents…

Plus if you need to have IVF to get pregnant due to delaying children, nature is telling you something. We should stop thinking we know more than nature.

How is this an entertainment story? Isn’t it her own private business? I realize she made it otherwise, but what a dumb thing to seek attention over.

Really? Maria, why would you let this ‘private’ life of your life out to the world? Your child or children you conceive with your frozen eggs will find this story in twenty or so years, and then you will look like a jackass.

Also, fertility is not something to take lightly. It becomes harder to conceive, the older you get. You are 33, and the chance of conceiving with your frozen eggs gets lower, as you get older. I would suggest stop displaying your personal information in articles and focus on your career. Nobody needs to know you are freezing your eggs, but yourself and your partner.

Thank you Sandra, I couldn’t have said it better myself. Clearly, these women who said that you should let nature take it’s coarse has never experienced infertility. I started fertility treatments when I was 26, and nearly 6 years later am still doing them. I don’t believe I will stop until I have a child of my own.

Those who say “just adopt” don’t understand that adoption (domestic or international) can cost upwards of 30k and is out of reach for a lot of people. Not everyone wants to adopt, although I think adoption is wonderful, it’s not as easy as people think and some couples want biological children. I think your ignorance is disgusting!

I’m Single & In My Late 30’s, I Don’t Have 10K, So I’ll Have To Adopt A Child/Children, My Reproductive Came Into This World/Damaged, Was Born W/ Phys. Challenges, Sadly, I Cannot Ever Get Pregnant :-( !!

Women DON’T want to hear this, but as you age and, yes, 33 is aging in FERTILITY TERMS you are not as likely to get pregnant. It is a simple fact. I have been through it all–IVF several times, etc. I am thankful to live in an age to do it, but I will say it was not optimal. It is VERY expensive, tough on a relationship and an emotional roller coaster. Women need to listen to their physicians when they say the clock is ticking, because it is.

Hate to tell you maria but people are more interested in you when you are pregnant. Who are you anyways?? Slow news day??

This is just too much information…Couldn’t get past the headline!

At New England Fertility in Stamford, Connecticut, we have had great success in using frozen eggs for creating embryos. With the new method of vitrification, the success rates for pregnancies from frozen eggs has improved dramatically. Freezing egg is a viable solution for many women who want to preserve their fertility.

Personal information that is obviously shared for publicity reasons

I applaud RESPONSIBLE parenting decisions. I had my son at 38 and have a LOT of energy for him at 46. Just because people think I am over-the-hiill makes me no less an energetic and patient parent than the 17 and 18 year old HS students wishing to be “young moms”. Maria is waiting until parenting is right for her (i.e. she makes sure who she is with is the right father). Good for you, Maria!

I don’t know what her motives were for revealing this news in the manner that she did. However, the fact that it brings increased awareness to assisted reproductive treatments can only be viewed as a good thing.

I’m 41 years old and currently pregnant with twins via IVF and egg donor. I had secondary fertility issues and spent a few years in denial followed by months of research in to adoption and surrogacy and ultimately learned about egg and embryo adoption.

I wish that I knew more about fertility treatment in my twenties. I wouldn’t have waited so long to see a specialist. I attached a negative stigma to seeing a specialist. I thought that doing so would only make me feel more stressed an make it more difficult to conceive. Now I view it as the smartest decision that any woman over 27 can make.

At a minimum, run some diagnostics and make sure your nutrition and hormone levels are adequate. Seeing a FACOG will give you the best chances of having a supported pregnancy.

I’m 34 and wish I could afford to freeze my eggs. I want children but have not found the right guy yet. I realize I could go it alone but I don’t feel like that is the right choice for me. And I do hope to adopt someday but would like to have a biological child (and go through pregnancy) someday.

I’d gladly put my career on the back burner for a husband & family.

I’m glad I had all of my children before 30. I have 4.The first was born on my 19th birthday and the last was born when I was 28. I just can’t imagine having kids up into my 30’s and 40’s.

I have a cousin who only had one child because she waited until she was 28 to have him and she says 30 is too old to have kids. That’s why she will only have one! Right now at age 31, I can already tell I have less energy and spunk than I did in my 20’s. But, I guess having kids at an older age works better for some women. More power to her, it’s just not for me!

Steph

I froze my eggs about 4 years ago and yes, it is far more common to freeze embryos than eggs. This is due to the resulting low viability of an egg that has been frozen and thawed. The human oocyte (egg) is the largest single cell in the human body and is made up primarily of water. When you freeze water, it expands and ends up damaging cellular walls. Think of what happens when you freeze vegetables. When you thaw them out, they are mushy.

I myself froze eggs vs embryos because of a lack of a partner in my life. Not only am I not entirely sure I want kids, I didn’t want to deal with the dilemna of what to do with a frozen embryo if I decided against having kids. At the time, I was at an age where my eggs would not have been ‘young enough’ to result in embryos that were desirable for anyone else to want.

Technology has evolved slightly since I froze my eggs but not enough that you would be guaranteed to have eggs that would be viable after the being thawed.

Why is this news? She’s a nobody that the Today Show tried to shove down our throats because she’s a Mexican. We didn’t buy it! I would guess thats the same reason that you have this article posted.

Good idea. I assume she is also going to buy an artificial womb so she can grow the embryo in her living room so she can feel involved without having to damage her career’s body.

Why on earth is this news? Who cares!

Its selfish. Get over yourselves will you. You’ve been in a relationship for a deacde and no offense sweetie your career isn’t that great to start off with.

A lot has changed from what you have apparently been told. Many of the leading fertility centers in the US are now very successfully freezing and thawing eggs for patients undergoing treatment for cancer as well as many other serious medical conditions. These same centers are also offering egg freezing to women who wish to freeze their eggs electively for fertility preservation.

Many fertility centers offer freezing options but only the top clinics in the US can also show live births from these preserved eggs. If you are considering egg freezing it is important that you consider working with a fertility center that has proven technology and documented successful live births from their fertility preservation program.

I think it’s good to not rush + wait to have kids until you’re ready–but I do think it’s strange….her + her boyfriend have been together for over 10 years–they’re not married…and no kids yet?…..If it’s right…go for it-don’t stall.

“Why is this news?” — I’m thrilled this is news. As a 33 year old who had to try for 3 years to conceive her first child I always love to hear the true stories of how eggs don’t last for ever and your fertility is not guaranteed.

For every story of a 40+ celebrity having a baby (usually surrogate or donor eggs or at the least many expensive and painful treatments) it’s also good to see the other side.

Yes, you might be the person who can easily pop out a kid at 44. But the odds are better that it will be a long hard road. Better to be safe than sorry.