You’ve been outspoken in the past of wanting kids of your own. So are congratulations in order? Are you pregnant?
No, I am not pregnant. I have taken the step to freeze my eggs. I have done it with a company called Genea Horizon, which is a niche company that looks after women like me—professional women looking to take charge of their own destiny.
What made you decide to go down this route?
Well, I am nearly 40. I will be 40 in January, and basically, I thought, “My gosh, I have tried pretty much everything love has to offer out there in the world.” And I wanted to take out an insurance policy. We have insurance policies on our cars, our houses and our health, but our fertility—I wanted to have something for myself that I could go back to when I needed it.
Was it daunting to make the decision to freeze your eggs? Or was it a natural progression?
It was very much a natural thing. I am someone that loves doing my research. Once I had done my research and done all my fact and figures, I contacted them and set up a time. Because it’s really in-depth, actually. It’s a great thing I’ve decided to do and I’m really proud I’m doing this for myself.
Tell us about the process. That photo you put on Instagram, was that your egg?
No, it’s not me. But that photo is very indicative of what happens. The process is very similar to IVF.
Was it painful?
It’s the same as going through IVF so I had to inject myself every day. And it’s something that does take a serious level of commitment. But I’m serious about my future and very serious about wanting kids. It may still happen the old-fashioned way—with a partner—where I meet some lovely bloke and we have a romantic time together and a baby happens naturally. But just in case I don’t find that guy, I wanted to really look after myself, and have that option available for me.
Would you use a donor?
There are a lot of options available to me. So I still want love, and would love the “traditional” family—meet a guy and have a family...
And you are obviously still fertile... Do you know if you can still have kids?
Yes. I am at that point where I had to do something. All of a sudden it could stop, so I feel very fortunate to be able to say, “Right, I know myself enough with what I want, I really want a family one day and to have a child.”
Would you be willing to go it alone and be a single parent? Is there a timeline?
There is no hard-and-fast timeline. It’s something I thought was a great insurance policy for me to do. I’m all about empowering myself and I know my story inspires a lot of other women. It purely was for me. The reality is, I can’t make my life some fantasy and wind back the clock—it is what it is. And I either do it, or I don’t do it. And I would rather do something and say, “Oh, I may never use the eggs I have frozen,” and then I will decide further down the track. At this point, [the eggs] are on ice, ready for mummy to make a decision. When I went there, I kissed the tank and said, “Goodnight!”
So this really is a new phase of life for you!
Yes. For me, if I die tomorrow, not having kids would be my only regret—not becoming a mum.
This article originally appeared on WHO.
