Opinions on egg freezing range from it being an empowering choice to a decision too frequently made with insufficient information. And despite the inherent kindness involved in donating one’s eggs, the lack of regulation within the space has led to some shoddy practices. 

We exist to offer women a better approach to egg freezing and egg donation. And transparency is core to our approach. As such, we want you to know exactly where we stand on the big hairy questions around egg freezing and donation. 

What egg freezing is: a way to preserve your options

Egg freezing is a process in which a person’s eggs are retrieved and then frozen for future use. Because the number and quality of eggs decline as women age, egg freezing allows you to save younger, healthier eggs that may increase your chances of getting pregnant if you experience infertility down the line. 

In 2012, the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) announced that egg freezing was no longer an experimental procedure. Instead, they believed it was a means for anyone to have more control over their reproductive timelines. 

Today, hundreds of thousands of women have frozen their eggs to give themselves a better shot at building the family they want on their own terms. 

What egg freezing isn’t: an insurance policy

As egg freezing has made its way into the mainstream, many began positioning the procedure as an “insurance policy” against future fertility issues. While we believe that everyone should have the opportunity to freeze their eggs if they want, we do not believe egg freezing can or should ever be seen as a guarantee (and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise!).

Whether you actually end up having children with your frozen eggs depends on a variety of factors — the age at which you froze your eggs, your hormones, and other lifestyle and clinical factors. In fact, researchers at NYU recently found that a women’s ability to get pregnant using their frozen eggs is heavily influenced by the patient’s age at the time of freezing and the total number of eggs they had on ice (also influenced by age). This is in line with something we say ourselves: the best time to freeze your eggs may be when no one’s talking to you about it — until now. 

With our Split program, you freeze your eggs for free when you donate half of the eggs retrieved to a family that otherwise can’t conceive. Because you’re only taking home a portion of the eggs, you may be wondering whether you’ll end up with enough to have a baby down the line. First, know that our program guidelines, like requirements around age and medical history, are in place to set you up for success. Second, while we can’t predict how many eggs you’ll retrieve, we can guarantee that you’ll receive honest guidance from your doctor before and after  your retrieval. And if you decide to do a second cycle to retrieve more eggs, we can work with you on different options to make it happen. 

And it may not be for everyone…

We said earlier that we believe everyone should be able to freeze their eggs if they want to. And we mean that last part. We get that egg freezing isn’t for everyone. Our goal is to shake the taboo factor off subjects like fertility and egg freezing. And if, after learning more, you decide that egg freezing isn’t right for you at this point in time, we support you and that decision. 

What egg donation is: an opportunity to help another family

Egg donation is a process that enables you to help another family conceive. From couples experiencing infertility, to LGBTQ+ couples that biologically don’t have eggs, thousands of people are looking for an egg donor who will help them to grow a family.  

There are also legal safeguards in place to ensure that you feel comfortable and protected throughout the process. Before entering into a legal agreement with intended parents, Split members are provided with a fertility attorney at no cost. We can help you find an attorney who is familiar with the egg donation process and our Split program. 

What egg donation isn’t: a one-size-fits-all experience

Unfortunately, egg donors are all too often made to feel like they’re just part of a broader process. Our model honors our Split members as unique individuals and strives to take your perspective into account on everything from travel to long-term communication preferences.

If you’re more comfortable having your screening and retrieval done at a clinic near you, we’ll do our best to make that happen. If you are open to direct communication with any future donor-conceived children, we’ll make sure that’s noted in your legal agreement.   

And if you’re not sure yet…

We get it. Deciding to donate your eggs is a deeply personal decision. We recommend poking around our resource library or checking out our instagram. You can learn more about our program and get the inside scoop from women who have been or are going through the process. 

If you decide donation is not right for you and still want to freeze your eggs, remember that we offer our Keep program. You can keep all of the eggs retrieved and will get discounts on things like medication and storage. Plus, you’ll get access to our member community, The Nest!

What’s next?

Wherever your egg freezing or egg donation journey takes you, we’re here to help. Send us an email with any questions. We’re always happy to know what else we can be doing to support you through this process.