I flew to Barcelona to freeze my eggs for under $4,500. Being alone for the hard parts was the price I didn't calculate.
Egg freezing in Spain saved me thousands compared with New York. But navigating complications alone abroad came with an emotional price.
The author embarked on a journey to Barcelona to freeze her eggs for under $4,500. Traveling to Spain just after her 40th birthday, the author viewed the procedure as an opportunity to provide future reproductive options. The author ultimately froze eight eggs and plans to undergo another round.
The cost of egg freezing in Barcelona was significantly lower than in New York, where some clinics charge upwards of $20,000. The author's decision to freeze her eggs was influenced by the lower cost, a higher percentage of mothers over 40 in Spain, and the ease of accessing clinics.
However, the author faced challenges while in Spain, including navigating medical jargon, dealing with language barriers, and experiencing complications during the egg freezing process. The author had to make crucial decisions alone, while the clinic was on hold, waiting to schedule her monitoring scans.
Despite these challenges, the author remained committed to the process, returning to Barcelona for a second round of egg freezing. The next round proved successful, with eight eggs surviving and being stored in Barcelona. The author acknowledges the emotional cost of fertility tourism but believes it is still more affordable than the high costs of fertility treatments in the US.
Written by urgent.news from Business Insider's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
