Hey friends and welcome to episode #41. In this weeks episode I share my fertility journey and experience with my first egg retrieval. (Part 2 coming).

I have always wanted a family of my own and just figured that it would happen "when the time was right". After moving home from Indonesia in 2020 at the age of 32 and parting ways with my long term partner, I decided to find out where I was in relation to my fertility health. When my AMH results came back as 'low' I realised I was going to need to make a decision.

It is a simple fact that as women age we have less eggs and the quality starts to drop, which could make falling pregnant more difficult. I made the choice to move forward with an egg retrieval so that I could freeze my eggs as a bit of "peace of mind" after debating the topic in my head for months. Do I spend the money? Do I put my body through that? What if I don't need them? WHAT IF I DO?!

I talk through how I got to this point, withdrawing money from my superannuation account to pay for it, the different hormones and what the injection process was like and allllll of the feels that came after the retrieval itself.

This is a raw and emotional share. I am and will eternally be grateful to every single person who reached out to me as I documented this on my instagram account. To every person who checked i, who offered tips, who shared their own experiences; there will never be enough words to say how thankful I am for making this solo process a little less lonely.

Thank you for taking the time to listen, I am SO glad that you are here with me today! Find ME on instagram at either @hightidelowtideau or @a_girl_and_the_ocean

Please note that in these episodes we will discuss mental health and all that it entails. Sometimes we will talk about suicide and self harm, if this is triggering for you please take a moment to decide if you should continue to listen.

If you or someone you know is in crisis and needs help now, call triple zero (000). You can also call  Lifeline  on 13 11 14 — 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Other helplines available in Australia include:

Mens help line (24/7)- 1300 78 99 78

BeyondBlue (24/7)- 1300 22 46 36

Sane Australia (10am-10pm)- 1800 18 72 63

Suicide Call Back Service (24/7)- 1300 659 467