If you are looking for ways to support a friend who is going through an egg freezing cycle, here are some ideas (for an overview of the process, see here):
- The gift of feeling understood. Read up on the process, learn about what it looks like step by step, what could go right and wrong, so you can offer educated empathy.
- Offer a place for her to store and administer the medications. She may not have a lot of privacy or support at home, or a comfortable space to organize the paraphernalia (needles, syringes, alcohol swabs, band-aids, ice pack, sharps container, trash bag).
- A ride to monitoring appointments (early morning) or even more essential, a ride home from the retrieval (usually midmorning). Really helpful!
- Meals, or restaurant gift cards! A cycle can get really busy and hectic, and that TLC/self-care is such a relief. (Ask if she is on a special diet).
- Offer to run errands (to pick up an item from the store or the pharmacy, for example). It’s a busy time and can get stressful with juggling a lot on one’s own, and another hand can make a huge difference.
- A listening ear and a place to destress when she wants to talk out her jitters. Don’t ask too many questions, just follow her lead, as she may not want to get into details about how her cycle is going.
If you’ve been through a cycle, what would you add?
