‘Heartbroken’ Woman Freezes Her Eggs at 37, Then Everything Changes

A California woman who froze her eggs in her late 30s has shared how a moment of heartbreak turned into hope.

Meg Quinn (@ainttooproudtomeg), based in Los Angeles, posted a reel on Instagram, speaking to “the heartbroken girl freezing her eggs at 37 … it all works out,” read the text overlay.

The clip then cuts to Quinn and her partner holding her pregnant belly and photos from an ultrasound.

Now mom to a toddler, Quinn told Newsweek that the reel was sparked from a moment of reflection and gratitude.

“I thought about how happy my younger self would be to see that I ended up with the life I had always hoped for: a loving partner and a healthy baby,” Quinn said.

Her decision to freeze her eggs wasn’t made lightly. She was left heartbroken after a breakup, and while she knew she would meet someone new eventually, the thought of whether it would be in time for her to have children was overwhelming.

“Would I miss my chance at motherhood? Would I have to be OK with ‘just being a stepmom’ and never carrying my own children? It was heartbreaking to realize that nothing was guaranteed,” Quinn said.

A year later, she decided to freeze her eggs, but, even then, it wasn’t smooth sailing.

“I was told I needed to freeze about 18 eggs to have a good chance at one successful live birth,” Quinn said. “I only got seven from my cycle; I was devastated when they suggested doing another round or two to reach that number. Emotionally and physically, I wasn’t ready.”

Quinn decided to “be OK” with her seven eggs. “At least I had taken some step that might help my chances in the future, but it didn’t give me the peace of mind I was hoping for,” she said. “It wasn’t the insurance policy people talk about—it was just one action I could take in a situation full of unknowns.”

By taking this chance, Quinn ended up with three viable embryos, and one became her daughter. She wrote in her caption that not everyone is this lucky, but that sharing her story with others offer hope for those who are unsure.

Quinn’s reel, which has been viewed over 660,000 times, was met with a positive response from other Instagram users.

Quinn told Newsweek that she has received a number of messages from other women saying she has given them hope.

“The process [of egg freezing] is so emotionally and physically taxing, and incredibly expensive,” she said. “What if you go through all of that and nothing comes of it? That’s a terrifying thought. So, for me, it came down to accepting that I had done something, even if it wasn’t a guarantee.”