Women will use any excuse to throw a party. There are housewarming parties, divorce parties and even parties to sell you products to clean your house. So the newest party type should be of no surprise – egg freezing parties.

But why in the world would women want to throw a party around the subject of freezing their eggs? After all, until recently, fertility has been some what of a taboo topic and it remains a topic that can make people uncomfortable. So gathering with a group of strangers to discuss ovaries, eggs, progesterone, estrogen and everything in between would seem like a bit of a stretch.

A Forum For Education

But us women, well, we find safety in numbers. We go to the bathroom together, get our nails done together and if we hang out together long enough, our cycles have been known to sync. Thinking about freezing ones eggs would probably seem daunting and probably scary. Possibly even shameful – after all, it’s not the way things are “supposed” to go. But a room full of females who are also curious can make the subject seem far less scary – there are others out there with similar thoughts and fears. Reaffirming that you are not alone can be comforting.

The herd mentality is also beneficial for those who provide egg freezing services. There is a reason direct sale companies such as Norwex, Pampered Chef and Tupperware do so well. Call it keeping up with the Jones’, peer pressure or the simple power of persuasion, women buy things because their friends buy things. Social media has only perpetuated this phenomenon by allowing women to spread the word about their favorite products and services to more people than the women at their gym.

Providing a forum in which women can gain information about subjects such as egg freezing as well as engage with questions and concerns is positive. After all, knowledge is power. Women need to be informed about their reproductive systems and options for building a family in the future – including reasons why they might want to consider freezing their eggs. Forums such as egg-freezing parties provide a relaxed atmosphere for women to meet and form relationships with.

Find Out If You’re A Candidate, Then Do More Research

On the flip side, the ethics of these parties should be carefully considered. After all, the clinics throwing these parties have a financial stake in convincing you to utilize their services. While the premise of learning about egg freezing in a relaxed atmosphere is innocent enough, it is ultimately a marketing strategy. A way for clinics providing egg-freezing services, to further their message by providing a good experience for women and their friends, thus positively reinforcing their message. Like any good marketing strategy, once they have your information, the follow-up marketing is just as important. They might not convince you the night of the party, but weeks or months later, they might be able to.

However, just because egg freezing parties are part of the overall marketing strategy for egg-freezing clinics, it does not necessarily mean it is a bad thing. Even the most noble of causes have a marketing strategy behind them. It is merely a fact that women should consider when weighing their options.

Egg-freezing parties provide a relaxed atmosphere for women to meet and form relationships with medical doctors and other medical staff. Learning about the egg freezing process, including reasons why they might want to consider freezing their eggs and what would make them a good candidate are just a couple of subjects women could expect to learn more about at an egg-freezing party.

Check Success Rates & Get a Consultation

It is especially important for women to gather information from other independent sources outside of the clinic they are considering. Specifically, researching success rates at the clinic they are considering as compared to national averages.

Some good resources to use as a starting point include:

• Society for Reproductive Technology (SART)
• The National Infertility Association
• The American Pregnancy Association
• The American Society for Reproductive Medicine

Each of these sources provide a plethora of information to women regarding their fertility and the information varies from site to site. Some topics that a woman should consider includes information on different fertility procedures and techniques, fertility testing and options based on results, and different factors to take into account when considering any type of fertility procedure. Women can also find information on financing procedures such as egg-freezing and information on how insurance coverage varies from state to state for fertility-related procedures.

Times have definitely changed. I am sure our mothers and grandmothers would be appalled by the idea of discussing our ovaries over cosmos after a long day at the office. If you’re curious about freezing your eggs, an egg-freezing party may be a good venue to learn about your options. Just be sure to utilize other sources of information before taking the leap.