National Infertility Awareness Week: 3 Singaporean women who have shared about their egg freezing and IVF journey

What started out positively with 15 eggs retrieved on my IVF cycle quickly led to disappointment when only one made it to the blastocyst stage. I did tell God I didn’t want too many embryos, just the right amount, and I consoled myself that one was all I needed. Our precious embryo transferred successfully and we finally tested positive for pregnancy after two years of trying.

Sadly, our baby didn’t make it and I suffered a miscarriage. I’ve never felt such deep sadness as the embryo & placenta expelled from my body; heartbroken thinking of what it could have been. But I know there’s a purpose for my pain and I have peace knowing I am loved with an everlasting love.

I froze my eggs on a whim in 2018, as an “insurance”, wanting peace of mind. I was completely clueless, asking" "How many eggs are good enough?"

Since then, I have been approached by 200+ women. I wanted to keep this personal decision private for various reasons but I felt bad for not replying.

Since women are consistently marrying later, why don't we face assisted reproduction in a realistic & pragmatic way?

I decided to write about my experience, research & FAQs: Costs, where & when to do it, risks, basic facts & figures about egg count, quality & fertility. Self-injections, harvesting, storage & more.

While I didn’t think much of it then, I increasingly believe that I made the RIGHT choice. It's good for women to start thinking early if fertility preservation is something they want to pursue. It is a biological conundrum – something one can’t reverse or contend with.

I didn’t know I had to go through IVF at the age of 30 and I certainly didn’t know it would take me 6 years to finally have a miracle child

In 2018, after 8 IUIs, 2 failed IVF cycles, 1 miscarriage and 3 doctors, I decided to read up a lot more about the IVF process in the US. I then approached a 4th doctor in Singapore whom I know works closely with a hospital in Malaysia which provides PGS testing for embryos.

I then continued another 4 back to back cycles but only 2 viable embryos survived to blastocyst and were sent for testing. Out of the two PGS tested, both were girls but only one was normal to be transferred. That one and only embryo is our [daughter], Mia, today.

Sometimes you just need a gentle reminder to not give up and to find the right doctor who believes in you.