Dr. Fox: Welcome to today’s episode of “Healthful Woman,” a podcast designed to explore topics in women’s health at all stages of life. I’m your host, Dr. Nathan Fox, an OB-GYN and maternal fetal medicine specialist practicing in New York City. At “Healthful Woman,” I speak with leaders in the field, to help you learn more about women’s health, pregnancy, and wellness. Lauren Turk, welcome to the podcast. How goes it my friend?
Lauren: It’s going great. Rock n’ roll Star, Natey [SP] Fox. How are you doing?
Dr. Fox: I’m good. You’re a difficult woman to get a hold of. You know, I call you for the podcast and you don’t answer, then you answer and you’re not ready. You need 10 minutes because you’re busy, you know, selling something or doing something important. But no, it’s all good. I’m glad we can finally get you, the celebrity.
Lauren: Yeah. You know, I’m selling clothing. I’m a rockstar. We’re very busy. We’re multifaceted, us too.
Dr. Fox: Love it. Love it. Yeah. I guess you’re one of my new friends because at my age, anyone who, it’s within the past like five years is new. I suppose. But yes. So, you know, we’re band mates and, you know, we’re rocking together and we see each other in town and now we’re doing some podcasting, so I’m very honored. Thank you.
Lauren: Oh my God, thank you. I feel honored to be on your fancy podcast.
Dr. Fox: I appreciate you calling it fancy. That’s good stuff. So, Lauren, do me a favor, tell all the millions of listeners out there, who is Lauren Turk? Like, give us a background, like how would you sum yourself up?
Lauren: All right. Hi, everybody on the podcast. I’m Lauren Turk. I’m a 35-year-old entrepreneur. I opened a consignment shop in Englewood, New Jersey on February 17th, 2020. Three and a half weeks before a global pandemic, which a brick-and-mortar store, which wasn’t the best timing as you know.
Dr. Fox: Good business plan. Good business plan.
Lauren: Yeah. I left the world of real estate after 10 years, opened my own business, and then three and a half weeks later I closed it. I had to pivot as they said, and I went on Instagram every day. Came to the store during lockdown, and I really just promoted myself and grew my Instagram following. I am also a singer. I sing in a band called Adult Band. Dr. Natey Fox, podcaster extraordinaire. That’s me. That’s all I got for you, Natey.
Dr. Fox: That’s perfect. And, you know, in our conversations about rock n’ roll and life, it came up, you told me, “Hey, you’re an OB-GYN, I’m freezing my eggs.” So, I was like, “Oh, great, that’s cool. Let’s talk about it.” So, I was curious, why did you decide to be open about it? Like to tell people about it as opposed to being private, let’s say?
Lauren: Great question. So, growing up in our Orthodox Jewish community, I never heard about egg freezing in reference to women that were older, I only heard about IVF and egg freezing for people who couldn’t get pregnant, like young married couples. It was all such a tragedy, whatever. I never expected, I mean, listen, man plans and God laughs. But I never intended or expected to be single at this stage of my life. I personally would love to have a family and be married and move forward with my life, but that just didn’t happen for me at this time. So, I knew I wanted to freeze my eggs because I know that no matter what happens in my life, whether I get married or not, I’m gonna be a parent. I love children. I’ve always had that like, yearning to be with children and I was a teacher in college and whatever. That’s just me.
So, unfortunately, the plan was March of 2020, I planned to open a business, buy an apartment, and start a new business. None of those things really panned out for me, so I had to freeze my eggs during COVID. So, even more so of the importance of it happening for me at that point in my life, I wanted to let other women… And girls younger than me, even in their early 20s, were dating or whatever. It’s still something that should be on our mind. I had no idea. No one ever teaches us as young adults that your egg count drops and it’s not that easy as you get older. It was, like, actually shocking to me about how uneducated I was in this department.
So, after I went through the whole process, which I actually had to end up doing twice, I decided to speak about it on Instagram and social media. And my parents were, like, you know, like, you don’t share very much on social media that’s personal. Why this? Same question, like, it’s so private. And if I could encourage or even just educate one person, even women older than me, just to just know that things they didn’t before it was worth it to me. And it ended up being, like, kind of awesome. I got a lot of DMs and I met with a few people for coffee about it and it was really helpful. And I ended up loving the second place I went to that was successful. And I talk about them all the time to whomever will listen to me.
Dr. Fox: Now, the DMs you got and the people who reached out, what was the split between people who had done it themselves and just wanted to, like, “Hey, thank you so much, you know, this is really cool,” you know, versus people, “I’m thinking about it. Can I pick your brain?”
Lauren: So, actually the people who wanted to know more, it was more in-person. Like, a few days later, a girl who’s like four or five years older than me, came into the store, and I knew her growing up. She’s my older brother’s age and she walked in and was it just us, it was very quiet that day. And she’s like, “I actually came to talk to you about egg freezing. Do you think you and I could meet up in private?” So, that happened like with two or three people, it was in-person. The DMs from like people who had been through it were very supportive and, like, so unnecessary. I don’t do this for, like, clout. I don’t want people to be like, woohoo. But it was so… I mean, it was me being vulnerable and I didn’t have any negative response. Everyone was so friendly and sweet and supportive.
Dr. Fox: You know, I know you obviously, and the people on the podcast, I’m sure there’s probably a couple thousand that know you and everyone else is just meeting you for the first time. But you are a very outgoing person. You have, you know, you greet people with a, you know, huge smile and very warm. And so you’re definitely not someone who one would predict would be sort of, you know, like in the shadows or reclusive. But still, it’s like you said, it’s a big deal to be out there with, you know, this is your personal stuff we’re talking about. This is freezing your eggs. You know, this isn’t like going on Instagram and saying, you have a shirt to sell. Right? This is a big thing. And did you have any hesitancy about that?
Lauren: So, it’s funny, I didn’t. My family kept saying like, are you sure? Are you… Like, I don’t think it’s anything to shy away from. I think it’s not something to be embarrassed about, it’s a lot. It’s emotional. It’s depressing for a single woman. Like, it’s a lot. But I had no… I didn’t second-guess myself once, because I couldn’t think of a single reason why it wouldn’t be positive. And I did go on, I had like a addressing our best, which is a series where I “address our best” and interview people who have different jobs. And I interviewed my friend who’s the nurse that I went through it with, just so we could have live people asking questions to Eliza, to Eliza [SP] Facenda, my nurse. I’m like, it really… It was great. People were interacting with her and asking questions. I have no shame on this department because it’s not something to be shamed about.
Dr. Fox: No, I agree. I 100% agree with you, but I think that it’s unusual that people would come to that conclusion themselves quickly. And I think it’s awesome. How did you even hear about it? You said you didn’t hear about it growing up or whatnot, so when did it even come to you as an option?
Lauren: It was my gynecologist, Dr. Scheller. Shout out to Dr. Scheller. She’s the [inaudible 00:08:09]. She brought it up when I turned 29. Or you know what, the truth is, I think one of my best friends was about to do it. And she asked and I was like, you know what, I really wanna do it. I just, I don’t wanna miss it. And we made a plan. She was like, “Okay, when you’re this age, we’ll do it.” And then that was the year that COVID hit. So, it was just a few months after. Listen, the doctor at the time said he is… For everybody’s honesty sake, they took initially it was 13 and 11 made it. 11 eggs. By the way, they send you like a, like a sonogram picture of like a petri dish with your eggs in it. Mine’s on my refrigerator because all of my friends that have like sonograms of their babies on the fridge, so like, why the hell not, can I keep my beautiful, healthy frozen little baby eggs on my fridge? So, I mean, like I said, I have nothing to hide. I’m very open about it because I’m grateful. But my doctor did say, he is like, “Listen, if you were my daughter, I’d say to do it again.” Because yes, 11 eggs is not terrible. Obviously I’m very grateful. He is like, but they don’t always take and you don’t know where you’ll be, but something that should be discussed, and I’m sure you say this [inaudible 00:09:21] expensive.
Dr. Fox: Yeah.
Lauren: It’s a lot of money. And like, I had just left a steady job for 10 years with a salary. And like I said, I had gone to one fertility clinic, it failed. I “failed” because I really didn’t know what I was… And this is a good one maybe. This is why I spoke up about it. Because the first place that I went to, the nurse that I was assigned didn’t really explain everything. Like, for example, my mom lives across the street from a nurse, so she taught me how to do the shot. Like I YouTubed it, but I really didn’t know what the hell I was doing. I’ve never given myself a shot before. At the age of 33, I didn’t know what I was doing. And then it ended up… She didn’t tell me that if you have X amount of medication left, you’re gonna have to order more or let me know. So, I ended up running out of a medication and then the morning of my retrieval I failed. So, after paying all this money, I lost a lot of money, I had to do it again. And I was… That’s what, you know what Nate, that was in, like, the height of COVID when we had a band practice in your backyard.
Dr. Fox: Right.
Lauren: That’s when I came to you and I’m like, where do I go? What do I do? I feel so silly. And the doctor had come highly recommended, that place was like a factory. I felt like I got lost in the system, which is possible because I guess I just didn’t click. But the second time I did it, I was so grateful and it really… It was such a different experience. Thank God I got very lucky. But it was something… I didn’t want this to happen to anybody else because I knew nothing going in. And granted it could have been my own fault for not asking more questions, but because it was during COVID and everything was via Zoom, like, I never actually met the doctor in my entire process. I never met the doctor because I would get checked every morning by a different person.
Dr. Fox: So, just to clarify, you decided to do this on sort of the advice of Dr. Scheller and also your friend. And you went to one place. It was during COVID, you didn’t get great instructions and nothing happened. You didn’t get any eggs, then you went somewhere else, and did it once and it was successful and did it another time to get even more.
Lauren: No.
Dr. Fox: No.
Lauren: No, that was it.
Dr. Fox: I got it. Okay. The second time was the second time. All right.
Lauren: The second time was the retrieval. It was a very good experience. Minus the fact, because you know my life, and this is Lauren Turk in a nutshell. I arrived to Manhattan to do my retrieval that morning of, and you know, after like day whatever you’re bloated, I felt like I had like a litter of kittens in my stomach. And the elevators, there was someone stuck in the elevator. The retrieval office was on the 20th floor. They told you during COVID you cannot be late. They were so scary. So I had to walk up 20 flights of stairs the morning of my retrieval with my, like, big belly. I literally had my hand, like, cupped underneath because I felt like my eggs were gonna fall outta me. I literally… I’m not being dramatic guys. This sometimes happens to people. And I walked up 20 flights of stairs. I was crying. I was an emotional wreck. But it was fine. I did my retrieval. I met all the nice nurses and doctors. I got out of it. I woke up, I ate tons of snacks. It was great.
Dr. Fox: How did you find the first doctor? I’m gonna ask how you found each of them. So, tell me how you found the first doctor. The one that… Or the clinic, you didn’t meet the doctor even that didn’t work out.
Lauren: Correct. I didn’t even meet her. That one, awkward. My gynecologist recommended because it was local, and I had just opened the business, so it was important to me because you have to get a blood test and that internal ultrasound every day. I had to go every day. I figured I’m here in New Jersey, it’s right down the block. I was like, I’ll just use this person. It makes so much sense for me. Even though I knew a friend that worked at the other office, it just made sense for me and I shouldn’t have listened to my gut or whatever because it ended up not working.
Dr. Fox: And then how’d you find the second one? Just because your friend worked there?
Lauren: So, my very good friend, Eliza [SP]. Yes, she worked for this doctor. And I knew him. Like, I lived on the Upper West Side for five years, I think, a bunch of years ago. And she was one of my closest friends at the time. And we’d be like, she worked every day. So, if we’d be out on Sunday, he’d, like, call her or she’d FaceTime me and I’d say hello. Like, he’s a great guy, an amazing doctor. Like, the only reason I didn’t go there is because I needed to be “responsible” and to drive into Manhattan every morning at 6: 00… Also, it was a very different system. So, the first place I went to, it was like not a first come, first serve situation. There were hundreds of women and men in that waiting room during COVID and it was packed. The second place I went to, they texted you when it was time to come upstairs. You had an appoint… It was a completely… Like, I felt like a person and not just a number.
Dr. Fox: All right. Well that’s good. Did you do… How did you decide on the age? Meaning, because you said, you know, you’re picking a certain age because there is, you know, there’s differences of opinions of exactly what the best age to do it at. How’d you pick your age?
Lauren: So, honestly, I hate to, like, blame Dr. Scheller. Awkward. I said her name 100 times, but she said 30. She had told me 30. And I was like, all right, let’s just wait till I’m 30. And then I, like, let’s do it when I’m 33, double digits, you know. And then, yeah, I honestly… Who knows if I did it at 21, if I’d get more. But also in our community, you know, like at 21 I expected that I’d be…
Dr. Fox: Yeah, no. [crosstalk 00:14:59.897]. It’s not free. And it’s also, there is, you know, some pain involved and there’s stuff that happens. So usually it’s sort of like, you don’t wanna do it too early because you may not need it and you’d be like, oh, and you don’t wanna do it too late because then your eggs may not be a good quality. And there is that sort of middle ground and it’s different for every person, I would say.
Lauren: Yeah.
Dr. Fox: So, I’m just curious how you picked. So, just sort of, you know, she said 30s, she said I’ll do 33, whatever. I mean that’s a good… And it’s a pretty good age for people to do it.
Lauren: I kind of, like, panicked and I was like, oh, I gotta do this. I’m gonna go, like, balls to the wall. My friend Abbie Sophia is like a fancy photographer. I did like a whole photo shoot with Abbie, because Abbie also helped me when I was going through it because to get pregnant, she and her husband went through the process like IVF. So she is one of my closer friends. So she also helped me with, like, my shots and the medication. Like, I had a good support system. So, we were talking and I’m like, honestly Abbie, I feel like I have babies. I mean like, let’s do like a mommy and me photo shoot. So, I literally stood in her backyard in, like, a sports bra and a pair of underwear. Her father-in-law is like super Israeli and he happened to be in for that week. He thought I was outta my mind. I was like prancing around her backyard naked. That’s fun. That’s great. Great memories. You know.
Dr. Fox: That’s awesome. And then…
Lauren: No shame.
Dr. Fox: No, no, no, no shame. So, take us through the process sort of logistically, like, from your end. So, start to finish and let’s pick the one that worked, right. Just so someone can get a sense, like, one of our listeners can understand exactly what it is. So, start from sort of like the first consultation through, you know, the day of the, you know, the retrieval and afterwards.
Lauren: Okay. So, I’m gonna skip the first experience of my life and we’re only gonna talk about the great experiences.
Dr. Fox: Yes. Yeah. Yeah. Clinic number two.
Lauren: Yes. So, the first time I went in there, I get a blood test, because a blood test it was… Every day there was a blood test. Every other day there’s an ultrasound. Is that what it was?
Dr. Fox: I said, but do they make you meet with… I assume you meet with them in advance to talk about it in general. There must be an initial meeting before they… Yeah.
Lauren: Yeah, there was an initial consultation. And I got assigned this nurse because she was my friend also, she like came to my personal appointments, but they don’t always. But my advice to everyone on this matter, like I went in there and I was scared and I was nervous. And I had, of course, because I had just failed the first time, I was overly confident in the fact that I could ask a million questions. So like, when she would say like, oh, this many centimeters, we’re measuring the sac, I had no idea what the hell she meant. Because I wasn’t good in science. I didn’t know what the hell she’s talking about. I asked a billion questions and no one’s gonna advocate… Because I’m like burned. I’m so traumatized. No one’s gonna advocate for you but yourself.
Dr. Fox: Right.
Lauren: So like, they explained to me how the process works. I made her draw me a picture. True story. I’m very visual. Because I was nervous about the meds and how they worked and what they did. I made sure to ask them, how many am I gonna need to purchase in advance? Because it’s very confusing. You have to take, like, don’t even remember the names of them. But like, you have to give yourself more than one shot at the same exact time every night. Like, a friend of mine who’s going through it now, we were like going out for dinner and she literally had a cooler with her meds. Popped into the bathroom, gave herself a shot. And they stay at a really… It’s not like when you say you have to take your birth control every morning at 9: 00 AM, and you’re like, no, I’ll take it at 10: 30. Like, what’s the difference? This is something like, they’re a little bit intimidating. And because you’re making such an investment in your time, in your health, and in, like, you’re spending a lot of money, like, you gotta take it seriously. So, I was a little bit nervous at that first appointment, even with the second doctor. It’s a commitment. It’s not just… Also, that’s another thing. It’s not just like, oh, just give blood. Oh, it’s no big deal. Like, you have to be up every morning to get to your appointment, like, to keep track. And it’s a big…
Dr. Fox: Yeah.
Lauren: But it’s only like three weeks of your life.
Dr. Fox: Right. It’s basically every day for three weeks, give or take. Right?
Lauren: Yeah. Yes. And like at the beginning, there’s no side effects, right? Like week one are just like, okay. Like it’s emotionally draining and it’s heavy. Like, even if you’re younger, whatever you’re going through of your life, it’s emotional. But like, by the end of it, I think it was, like, by the end of week two, I felt so bloated. I mean, you are, you are, your stomach is totally distended. Like, I obviously wasn’t pregnant, but I was walking around with my hand on my lower belly, because it felt like… It feels like there’s something in there. It’s really, really trippy.
Dr. Fox: Right. So, the visits are like every day. And how long are they give or take? They’re quick. Right?
Lauren: So again, if it’s the right office for you, it’s super quick. You go up, you get your blood drawn, you go in to see… It’s not always the same doctor. And this is every place, every clinic or every office. It’s not always the same doctor that checks you for your internal ultrasound.
Yeah. So, they look in like an ultrasound and they showed me every day on the screen. And if they didn’t show me clearly, I asked to see exactly. Because I really wanted to know what was going on the second time, also I was alone, because it was COVID. So, I couldn’t bring my mom and I couldn’t bring my friend the first time. But because I had a Eliza the second time, like, I wasn’t… The doctor the second time did show me, they’d show you if your eggs were growing and how many are there, or the sacs or whatever. I don’t really remember the verbiage, you know. It’s been a been a minute.
Dr. Fox: Yeah, the follicles.
Lauren: Thank you. The follicles. Again, like [crosstalk 00:20:28.118] I asked her to draw a picture really helps.
Dr. Fox: And then was it a blood draw every day or every other day? Every third day.
Lauren: I think it was every other day.
Dr. Fox: Right. And they used that sort of to tell you, Hey, take more of this medicine, less of this medicine. Like they follow up with you with those things. Like, they use that data for what?
Lauren: I don’t know. Good question.
Dr. Fox: Did you ever get called and say to change your dose? Like give yourself more…
Lauren: No.
Dr. Fox: …or less or the same dose. Okay. I mean, you know [crosstalk 00:20:54.454]. And I was gonna ask you about that. You know, during COVID when, you know, the world was upside down and you had to go alone. But I don’t know, do you have a sense if most women who are doing this do it alone? I mean, versus bringing a friend or a family member or, you know, whoever. Do you have a sense of that for these visits?
Lauren: No, but like I knew myself and if it wasn’t COVID, there’s not a chance in hell that I wasn’t gonna bring, like, my mom. Because for me, freezing my eggs at 33 when I didn’t even wanna do it and I felt so alone, like I definitely would’ve brought her. But it wasn’t an option.
Dr. Fox: Right. And it’s also… I think it’s an important point because there’s just the concept of having, like, support, like, emotionally, like, it’s, you know, it’s lonely and you’re, you know, like you said, this wasn’t plan A for you. You’re sort of doing this for a reason and, you know, there is some emotion with it and whatever it might be, there’s some logistics with it. You know, sometimes you can’t find a parking spot and someone else is with you. They can, you know, wait outside or, you know, whatever it is. And then, yeah…
Lauren: Yeah, I feel like sometimes even if you’re an adult, it’s okay to say that you want a friend or…
Dr. Fox: Yeah, no, 100%. And the other thing I was gonna mention, and because you specifically said this was a concern the first time around, is there’s a lot of instructions thrown at you. You know, doctors, we’re really annoying like that. And we just say, oh do this, this, this, this and this. And then we walk out of the room and people are like, what? Like what did they say? And if you have someone else there, you have another person who can maybe take notes or another person and say, wait, that didn’t make sense to me. Can you explain that again? Or make sure you understand. Frequently two people are hearing it and they both understand there’s a higher chance that it’s gonna get done right than if only one person’s there, because, you know, it just makes sense like that.
Lauren: Totally.
Dr. Fox: Yeah. And also I think for just our listeners, this is literally the same process that everyone goes through when they’re doing IVF, the first part of IVF is sort of doing the same thing. You get the hormone shots and then they retrieve the eggs. And the difference is in IVF they take the eggs and right away fertilize them with the sperm versus if you’re freezing your eggs, they take the eggs and put ’em in freezer and wait.
So, it’s sort of the process on your end and the process of someone freezing their rags would be, like, they could speak to anyone who underwent IVF and it’ll be the same up until the day of their retrieval. And then it’s sort of different. And so there are a lot of people who’ve undergone this for different reasons or, you know, I guess for parallel reasons. Okay. So, you do the injections, you do the blood work, and then at a certain point they tell you the time has come. Right?
Lauren: Right.
Dr. Fox: And so what happens?
Lauren: And it’s so interesting because whether you’re like a Sabbath or observer or anything, you cannot travel. You cannot miss your appointments. Like I had to drive, like I, I don’t drive on Saturdays, I had to drive on Saturdays. Twice in the end. My retrieval was on a Saturday morning.
Dr. Fox: Right. It has to. They tell you it’s tomorrow. Like here it is, you’re doing this tomorrow.
Lauren: But you’re here like once they… The day before your retrieval is like, you have to take, I forget what’s… Trigger shot.
Dr. Fox: Yeah.
Lauren: Yes.
Dr. Fox: ACG.
Lauren: Look at me.
Dr. Fox: ACG trigger shot.
Lauren: So I took my trigger shot the night before and, like, there’s a lot of rules again that you have to, like, do it, you can’t miss it, you have to be there on time, blah, blah. Hence, like, panicked when I had to walk up 20 flights of stairs, my dad drove me to the appointment. Once they measure you like the day before or two days before, they’re just seeing how big your follicles are and whether or not you’re ready for the trigger shot, which triggers your brain. So, when the time is right, Dr. Fox, triggers your brain to tell your body that it’s time for your eggs to drop into your whatever area. And then the doctor like goes in with the straw, and sucks them out.
Dr. Fox: Whoa.
Lauren: And free them.
Dr. Fox: Wait, let’s back up. Let’s back up one second. Because you may have just freaked some people out here. I was…
Lauren: Oh, sorry guys.
Dr. Fox: You get anesthesia first. You take the trigger shot at home, which sort of tells the ovaries that these follicles are ready to come out. And then instead of them coming out on their own, like 24 hours later, you go to the office the next day and they give you… I assume they put you to sleep in some capacity. They give you an IV, they knock you out. Right?
Lauren: Yeah.
Dr. Fox: Yeah. Because without the anesthesia, it would kind of hurt what they do.
Dr. Fox: Oh, sorry guys. Yeah. Oh god. Right. Lauren, be helpful. Okay. So yes. So I get to the city, I walk up the 20 flights of stairs, I have a lump of cry in my throat, obviously. Beause I’m like, my belly is really big. Oh, I’m sorry I’m five minutes late. Shouldn’t care. They give you like a shower cap and a matching set of like scrubby pajamas. And you sit in a room and the initial nurse comes in and, like, I believe she hooked me up to an IV. And then I got, like, I guess, like, some pre-anesthesia stuff. And then I walked into the… Okay, [crosstalk 00:25:32.135].
Dr. Fox: Probably a little happy juice is my guess.
Lauren: Well, that… Yeah. And then I walked into the operating room and I put myself up on the table, and of course in Lauren Turk Hangout fashion, I started telling everyone in the operating room what I do for a living and promoted my business. Like, are any of you women looking to… By the way, my doctor, the one who did do their retrieval, ends up consigning at the Hangout. True story. I promise you, and so did my doctor from the clinic. But they tell you exactly like if you’re going for any other procedure, they tell you they’re gonna start count back from four whatever. And honestly, the anesthesia that’s given for, like this process, it was just like a lovely nap. And I woke up and I was like, “Hello?” And they’re like, “Hi, would you like some Graham cracker?” And I was like, “Absolutely.” So I drank apple juice and ate some Graham crackers and that was it.
Dr. Fox: Yeah, it is amazing. It’s sort of what they give now for like a colonoscopy or this. I mean, literally you’re talking to them and then you close your eyes and you open them. You’re like, all right, when are we gonna start to like, dude we’re done.
Lauren: Exactly.
Dr. Fox: It’s an hour later, you know, you’re in another room right now and the doctor’s gone. It’s so cool.
Lauren: Yeah. That was it. Yeah [crosstalk 00:26:42.501]
Dr. Fox: Yeah, what they’re actually doing is they’re doing, like, a vaginal ultrasound and then along the ultrasound there’s like a very long skinny needle that they sort of guide, right, like through the vagina, into the ovary in your belly and suck out the eggs. And yeah, that would be quite uncomfortable without anesthesia. But with anesthesia you’re fine. And it’s not a particularly dangerous procedure, fortunately. And then when you wake up, did you have pain the next day? Like more so or less so than before?
Lauren: Dude, zero pain.
Dr. Fox: Zero pain.
Lauren: Zero.
Dr. Fox: Less bloating. Right? Because the ovaries are on the way down.
Lauren: Yeah, about an 80.
Dr. Fox: No, it takes a while. [crosstalk 00:27:21.763] Yeah. Your ovaries go from the size of like grapes to the size of grapefruits over the course of two to three weeks. And then they have to get back down to grapes and it takes a while.
Lauren: Yeah. It’s almost like they just like slow motion, like bumper car around your body inside.
Dr. Fox: Yeah.
Lauren: So your belly… You gotta wear a lot of leggings, sweatpants, but it’s fine. Guys who wants to wear jeans in like 2023? We don’t have to. Post-COVID life guys, it’s all elastic all the time. Yes, it didn’t hurt. There was no pain. I was like loopy that day. I slept the whole day. But immediately when I woke up, I was nervous about my number.
Dr. Fox: Yeah. When do you find out?
Lauren: I found out that day.
Dr. Fox: That there were 11.
Lauren: But she ended up telling me there were 13 initially, but that’s not the final number. Later in the evening I was told what the final number was. Yes.
Dr. Fox: Oh. So, I mean, that day or by the next day, you’re gonna know. Did you get inside information from your friend?
Lauren: Yes.
Dr. Fox: Yeah. All right. So then it’ll be the next day, I guess, for anybody else to find out how many sort of, you know, made it through the freezing process.
Lauren: Yeah. And that’s also really scary. Because, like, I know people who got less than five. I know people who had like 23. She’s like super fertile maybe.
Dr. Fox: Yeah, the Olympics. The egg-freezing Olympics.
Lauren: I’m like you… It was actually someone who came into my store and told me about their experience after I shared it on Instagram. I was whoa, you’re gonna have like a million kittens, aren’t you?
Dr. Fox: What was it like emotionally for you during those two, three weeks? What’s…
Lauren: I’m the most emotional human ever. Come on.
Dr. Fox: More so than normal. Were you a wreck or were you just…
Lauren: Personally? Yeah. Oh yeah. But for me also, because I am so focused on like being a mom and being a parent. I think I was like ultrasensitive to everything that was going on inside my body and, like, what I was doing. I’m trying to think if I was living at my parents’. Yeah, because it was still early COVID. I think it was August of 2020. I still, I had my apartment. I was living in Fort Lee at the Modern, but I lived on the 44th floor and one person per elevator ride was crazy. So I moved home to Teaneck, my parents’ house. So, I was living at home at the time, which also made me feel like, not gory, you know, like I’m 33 and I look like I’m pregnant. You know, very emotional.
Dr. Fox: Right. But you have cool parents, so that helps.
Lauren: Oh yeah. Great. I have the greatest parents, but it’s still really difficult. But emotionally, I was extra, for sure extra sensitive about everything. But again, it didn’t take more than a week or maybe a week and a half to get back to feeling regular. I mean, those grapefruit slow-moving bubbles in your belly are gone. So, it’s not as… Like, I literally had to stand up like a nine-month pregnant woman. Like I felt it.
Dr. Fox: Yeah. No, I remember when you came over for the backyard practice. I mean, you showed me what your belly looked like and, you know, you’re like rail thin. And then I was like, we’re like, whoa. Hey, look at that. You know, like Lauren’s belly, she’s like, you know…
Lauren: That’s a bummer. That was the time that I never even retrieved.
Dr. Fox: Yeah. It’s…
Lauren: And that was really emotional.
Dr. Fox: Yeah. But we did have, you know, nice singing by a fire pit. So that was…
Lauren: We had nice skies, we had nice singing by a fire pit, and if you remember, I played with chalk, which is…
Dr. Fox: I do remember.
Lauren: … one of my happy mediums of artwork. So that was a fun night.
Dr. Fox: That was some driveway chalk that was, you know, that was…
Lauren: Maybe. Did you tell everybody about our concert? Does everybody know that you’re a guitar player and a harmonicist?
Dr. Fox: Some do, some don’t. I dabble in it. I am fortunate enough to stand next to you while you sing. Because then most people after the concert said, “Hey, Lauren’s a great singer.” I was like, I was there like, Yeah, yeah. Lauren’s really great. But that’s all. I am accepting of my place in the band, which is…
Lauren: Oh, please, I’d be remiss to not mention your tabourining, which is impeccable.
Dr. Fox: I have a good tambouriner. I agree with that. So, all right. In the whole process, what was the best part of it? Was it afterwards, like being done, having the eggs there, just knowing that they’re there for you?
Lauren: Yes.
Dr. Fox: Like that “insurance policy.”
Lauren: Totally.
Dr. Fox: Okay.
Lauren: Just to know that no matter what happens in my life, I for sure, no matter what happens in this world, I will somehow be a parent. And I want this for myself. So, waking up the next week and knowing that I was done, that it’s there. Listen, if I choose to go back in and do it a second time just for that extra security or whatever it is, I’ll see you when that road like comes to, but I might… The beauty of this policy for me is I might even not need them. I might meet somebody tomorrow and get pregnant naturally and it’ll be great. But if I do, they’re there. All 11 babies. I didn’t name the eggs, just for clarification. Everyone thinks I’m nuts. I just have them hanging on my refrigerator, because I’m proud of them.
Dr. Fox: That’a cool. I was gonna ask you, when you meet someone and you’re dating them, do you tell them this and what’s their response typically? Are people like, do they sort of like, not know what to say? Are they like, oh, that’s awesome or how does…
Lauren: No, it’s positive. I am so open about it. Maybe like, people will try to set me up.
Dr. Fox: No, I mean, when you’re on, like if you’re on a date and you’re talking to a guy and it comes up, do they be like, whoa. Like I am not, you know.
Lauren: I’m not gonna lie to you, Nate. I have yet to be on a date with a guy where I mentioned my eggs. But when that time comes, I will be happy to share it with you so you can relay it to your podcast listeners.
Dr. Fox: That’ll be good to know. Updates. Updates.
Lauren: I would never not.
Dr. Fox: Yeah. No, no. I’m saying [crosstalk 00:33:00.422].
Lauren: Let’s say I go out with somebody for more than three dates [inaudible 00:33:04] I hope, for sure I’d be open with that person. I’m 36. Like…
Dr. Fox: Yeah. No, I would expect… I wasn’t asking if you would tell them, I assume either they would know or would come up at some point. I’m curious if you’ve ever had been at a date and got to see what their response is and I just don’t know. I don’t know if they would, you know…
Lauren: What would you say?
Dr. Fox: For me? Well, if I were on a date right now and they’re telling me about freezing their eggs, it would be a little weird because my wife could probably…
Lauren: Well maybe, you know what I mean? I know your wife, I know your children.
Dr. Fox: I mean, me personally, I would say that’s awesome. Like, good for you. That’s what I would say. I mean…
Lauren: What’s the negative?
Dr. Fox: Yeah. No.
Lauren: I can’t imagine a guy being like, “Oh, that’s so negative and intrusive. I don’t know.
Dr. Fox: Well, yeah, speaking for the 50% of the world that are guys, many of us are immature, childish and stupid. So, I am sure that there are people who would respond in ways that are according to that way of life. But, you know, I would hope that someone would be very positive and encouraging because that’s what, you know, someone should be. But we sometimes get things wrong. I’ve been told from time to time.
Lauren: Yeah, it’s rough. Not all the boys are like you. Natey Fox, you know, and not all the dates are great.
Dr. Fox: Well, so what would be, you know, someone came to you right now and said, “Hey, you know, I’m 32, I’m thinking of doing this.” And you’re sitting down with coffee, you know, you’re telling them your story. What would be like the top advice you would give them?
Lauren: For sure, I would say do it. I would give them my number. I would FaceTime with them every night while doing their shots. I would… No, I would say if you are not sure of anything, ask your nurse. And if you’re not sure on top of that, ask your nurse. Because that’s why they’re there. And they don’t always… I was so lucky, like Eliza FaceTimed with me while I did my shots the first like four nights.
Dr. Fox: Right.
Lauren: Like, she was so great and because I was comfortable with her, it’s a very vulnerable thing. But if you don’t do it right, it’s not gonna work. But that’s my thing with everything, every job, it’s better to ask a million more questions than not. So, that’s my advice to everybody is just if you’re gonna do it, do it all the way. And if you have any questions, also, sometimes if you can’t find someone that knows and your nurse isn’t necessarily clicking with you, speak to your doctor and say, I’m not getting all the information. Because it could be very overwhelming, and a lot of times these nurses don’t realize it’s your first time and that you don’t know the deal. So that’s my advice.
Dr. Fox: Yeah. And sometimes it’s personality, sometimes, you know, people, the same person giving advice to two people, sometimes it’s right for one person and not right for another. And then another person. Like, it’s not, you know.
Lauren: Yeah, the first time I felt so unsafe and unsure and self-conscious. And like you said before, so many people have been through it. And now that I know so much more about it, I’m able to like say, oh, you know, this person, it’s like so many women now also who talk about it. It’s just more of an open thing I think. Maybe.
Dr. Fox: Yeah. No, I think so. How do people find you, LT?
Lauren: Uh, guys.
Dr. Fox: Let’s do plug it. Let’s talk about the Hangout.
Lauren: Podcasters. Hi, I’m Lauren Turk, the owner of the Hangout NJ. It is a designer consignment boutique in Englewood, New Jersey. You could follow me on Instagram, guys at the concert. And Deedee was plugging me. Follow me on the Hangout NJ. Yes. Also, if anybody on this podcast has a question you could tell them. I keep it real. I’ll give you the truth. Anybody wants to know where to go. I got you.
Dr. Fox: As long as you follow the Hangout on Instagram, you’re one of Lauren’s peeps. I can say that right now.
Lauren: Yeah, I like to call you guys my hangers. Those are my followers.
Dr. Fox: Love it.
Lauren: Listen guys, my first concert was in, what was it, 2019?
Dr. Fox: It was, yeah, it was 2019. Yeah, we started practicing I guess a year and a half before, something like that. Give or take. So, we met sometime, I guess that was end of 2017, beginning of 2018. So it’s been five years.
Lauren: And after our first concert, the amount of messages that I got on Instagram that said, “Oh my God, I think that’s my OB, that guy delivered like 90% of my friends’ kids. Like, everybody was responding to that.
Dr. Fox: So like, did…
Lauren: Dr. Fox.
Dr. Fox: I don’t know if I’d rather hear that they said, wow, he’s a much better doctor than he is guitar player or hear he’s a much better guitar player than doctor. Both of them are kind of, yeah, I don’t know. I have to think about that one. But the first concert I did very little guitar because I was just learning. I was mostly…
Lauren: Yeah, you are more of a singer and a harmonica dude.
Dr. Fox: Yeah. So that’s good. Awesome. Well, Lauren, I love talking to you. Thank you so much for coming on the podcast and for…
Lauren: Thank you. Of course.
Dr. Fox: Yeah. This is really helpful stuff for everybody. And yeah. And I will see you around and everyone who’s listening here, absolutely follow Lauren on the Hangout NJ and yeah. And you’ll then also get to be friends with Lauren as well.
Lauren: Thanks Natey. I can’t wait to rock out in your basement.
Dr. Fox: Thank you for listening to the “Healthful Woman Podcast.” To learn more about our podcast, please visit our website at www.healthfulwoman.com. That’s H-E-A-L-T-H-F-U-L-W-O-M-A-N dot com. If you have any questions about this podcast or any other topic you would like us to address, please feel free to email us at hw@healthfulwoman.com. Have a great day. The information discussed in “Healthful Woman” is intended for educational uses only, does not replace medical care from your physician. “Healthful Woman” is meant to expand your knowledge of women’s health and does not replace ongoing care from your regular physician or gynecologist. We encourage you to speak with your doctor about specific diagnoses and treatment options for an effective treatment plan.
