Your Egg Freezing Journey at EVOLVE

Let’s walk through what egg freezing at EVOLVE actually looks like – not just medically, but how it might feel along the way.

1. Initial Testing & Consultation

Before we dive into medications or procedures, we start by understanding your body. Think of this as getting a clear map before planning a road trip.

These first tests are timed around your cycle. Day 1 is your first day of full-flow bleeding, and a lot of the testing happens in the early part of your cycle at our downtown clinic. If you have an irregular or absent cycle, just let our team know and they can guide you.

Here’s what happens:

Bloodwork

We’ll check hormones like AMH, FSH, LH, Estradiol, TSH (and a few others) to get a sense of your ovarian reserve (aka how many eggs you’re working with) and general reproductive health. It’s a regular blood draw. Not glamorous, but pretty quick.

Ultrasound

You’ll have:

• A transvaginal (internal) ultrasound
• And a transabdominal (over the stomach) ultrasound

These help us measure your ovaries and count the tiny resting follicles (where immature eggs live).

It can feel a bit awkward the first time, but most people say it’s more “weird” than painful.

Once your results are back and your doctor has reviewed everything, you’ll come back in.

Doctor Consultation

You’ll sit down in person with your EVOLVE physician to:

• Go over your numbers (in normal-human language, not just medical jargon)
• Talk about your goals (What is your ideal family size? How many eggs should you bank?) What’s your timeline?)
• Build a personalized treatment plan that makes sense for you, not just a generic protocol
• This is your chance to ask all the questions—yes, even the “Is this normal?” or “What if this doesn’t work?” ones.

2. Protocol Creation & Cycle Preparation

After your consultation, your doctor designs a specific stimulation protocol for you. This is where things start to feel more “real.”

Behind the scenes, your doctor, your nurse, and our “Day 1 team” are all coordinating, so by the time you’re ready to start, you’re not guessing.

Here’s what you’ll get:

Medication Plan

A breakdown of the injectable medications you’ll be using to stimulate your ovaries to grow multiple eggs in one cycle instead of just one.

Cycle Calendar

Your nurse coordinator gives you a detailed schedule:

• When to start each medication
• When to come in for bloodwork and ultrasounds
• What days matter most
• It helps take the mental load off. You don’t have to keep everything in your head—we give you the roadmap.
• Medication Teaching

If you choose to use our pharmacy, you’ll get:

• Step-by-step teaching on how to do your injections
• Where to inject
• How to store everything
• If someone else (like a partner) will be doing the injections, they review the training too. It can help both of you feel more confident.

Birth Control (sometimes)

In some cases, your doctor may prescribe a month of birth control before starting stimulation.

Not to “treat” anything, but to help coordinate the timing of your cycle so we can plan more precisely.

3. Ovarian Stimulation & Monitoring

This is the most active phase of the process. It usually lasts about 8–12 days.

During this time:

• You’ll give yourself (or have a partner give you) daily injectable medications to stimulate egg growth.

A few things people often say:

The first injection is usually the most emotionally intense one. After that, it becomes more routine.

Bruising is common. By around day 12, your belly can feel like it’s had a lot of pokes.

To help with this, some people use:

• An ice pack beforehand
• A topical numbing cream

Even with all of that, you’ll likely have some bruises by the end—it’s very normal.

Monitoring Visits

You’ll come into EVOLVE about every 1–3 days for:

• Bloodwork
• Ultrasounds

These visits let us:

• Track how your follicles are growing
• Check your hormone levels
• Adjust your medication doses as needed

You won’t be left guessing—each day you’ll be given clear instructions on what to take and what’s changing.

How You Might Feel Physically

The goal of the medication is to grow many follicles. That means your ovaries get temporarily bigger than usual.

Most people describe it like:

• Feeling bloated
• Heavy in the pelvis
• “Bad period” level discomfort

It’s uncomfortable, yes—but it’s typically not sharp or severe pain.

Final Trigger Injection

When your follicles reach the right size and your hormone levels are optimal, you’ll get instructions for a very precisely timed “trigger shot”.

This shot helps your eggs mature and get ready for retrieval.

Timing here is crucial: your egg retrieval will happen about 36 hours after this injection.

We want the eggs at just the right stage when we collect them—so we’ll be very clear about exactly when to do this.

4. Egg Retrieval Day

This is the big day (but shorter than many people expect).

This is an outpatient procedure, and you’ll be with us for just a few hours from start to finish.

Here’s how it goes:

Sedation

You’ll receive light sedation.

You won’t be fully asleep like with a deep surgical anesthetic, but you’ll be very relaxed and more comfortable. The nurses will be monitoring you the whole time and checking in on your pain level.

The Procedure

Using an ultrasound as a guide, your physician gently passes a needle into each mature follicle to collect what’s inside—that’s where your eggs are.

You won’t see any of this, and it usually feels more like pressure or cramping rather than sharp pain, especially with sedation.

Recovery at EVOLVE

After the retrieval, you’ll go to our recovery area for about 30–60 minutes:

You’ll have a blanket and a private space to rest.

Our nursing team keeps an eye on you, checks your vitals, and makes sure you’re okay to go home.

A lot of people bring:

• Cozy socks
• Music or a podcast
• Something comforting (your “emotional support hoodie” absolutely counts)
• A support person who will wait in the waiting room until you’re ready to be discharged.

Before you leave:

• Your doctor will check on you personally.
• You’ll be given clear instructions on what to expect and what to do over the next few days.

Results

Behind the scenes, the embryology team is already at work.

They’ll confirm:

• How many eggs were retrieved
• How many of those are mature and suitable for freezing
• Your nurse will contact you within 24 hours to share these results.

5. After Retrieval

This is the part where you rest and exhale.

In the day or two after your retrieval, most people experience:

• Mild cramping
• Bloating
• A strong urge to just… lay low

You’ll want to:

• Take it easy for a few days
• Avoid exercise and heavy lifting
• Listen to your body (if the idea of a workout sounds absurd, that’s your body being very clear)

Within two weeks, you’ll have:

A follow-up call with your doctor

You’ll go over:

• Your final results in the form of an easy-to-read Violet report
• What the egg count means for your future options
• Whether another cycle might be recommended or whether you’re in a spot you feel comfortable with.

And then, the quiet part of this journey begins:

Long-term Storage

Your eggs are carefully frozen and stored until you’re ready to use them in the future.

It’s like putting a little insurance policy in place for your future self—one that you don’t have to think about every day, but might be very glad you have one day.