Answers with Elizabeth Higgins Clark

Answer 1

When you were 29, you decided to have your eggs frozen to take control of your biological clock. What was your thought process like in making the decision to freeze your eggs?

About a year ago I read a brief article about a woman giving birth to her first child at the age of 49. I thought, "how does that work?" So, I started doing some research. Given the woman's advanced age, she most likely used a donor egg. After learning that the cutoff to be an egg donor in the US is 32, I thought "it would be great if I could be my own egg donor".

I had consultations with two doctors before I selected Dr. Michael Drews at RMANJ. I was 29 during our initial meeting. He told me that he often sees women who are a decade older, and he can't help them. He highlighted the benefits of taking a step like this at a younger age.

Answer 2

Call me naive, but I'm a 26-year-old woman and I had never even heard of egg freezing until your article. When did you first hear about it?

You know, that's a great question because I really don't remember when I first heard about it. It's one of those things that I'd heard of, but had no idea what it actually entailed. This might seriously diminish my credibility, but I do remember watching an episode of The Kardashian's (I can't help it) in which Kim was thinking about freezing her eggs. I can't remember if she ended up going through with it. Anyway, the answer to your question is, I'm not sure when exactly I heard about it, but I've been aware of it for a while.

Answer 3

Why did you make the decision to move to LA and pursue your dream of acting?

I never thought I'd live in LA. I moved to New York right after college and I was doing theatre there, got to play my first nurse on "All My Children" and was waiting tables at the Sidecar above P.J. Clarke's at night. I was pretty happy living in New York. And then I was doing this play at a downtown theatre called La MaMa e.t.c. and I got the opportunity to go to LA and work on a TV movie. It was a really exciting prospect because I would get my SAG card at the end of it. I'd been to LA before, but this time I was here for two weeks and rented a car so it was the first time I really got to know LA. I started thinking, if I'm ever going to try it here, I should do it sooner rather than later. That was February of 2009. I went back East, did some summer stock on Cape Cod that I was already committed to, and then moved here in October of 2009. I can't believe it's been five years, but I'm really grateful for the opportunities I've had here.

Answer 4

You've had roles in a wide variety of shows, including ABC's "All My Children", CBS's "Criminal Minds", and FOX's "The Mindy Project". Do you prefer recurring roles or do you hope to land a series regular role in the near future?

Please. I'm hoping to earn health insurance through SAG. I just want to work. A lot.

Answer 5

Is freezing your eggs expensive?

Yes. It typically runs between $10,000 - $12,000. Efforts are being made to lower the cost with some clinics even offering payment plans. My hope is that as the demand for egg freezing grows, the price will go down. It's never going to be cheap, but hopefully with time it will arrive at a price that is much more accessible for women in their 20's.

Answer 6

Is the medical procedure of freezing your eggs time-consuming? Is there a demanding recovery process?

The whole thing takes about a month. I made some lifestyle changes the month before I started the injections. Besides cutting back on exercise and alcohol, I also made sure I was eating really well. Then during the injections and the two weeks after the procedure, I abstained from both alcohol and exercise. Basically you're treating your body as you would during a stressful pregnancy. I gave myself 20 injections over the course of nine nights. It was uncomfortable because the injections make you feel incredibly bloated. Then the few days after the procedure were very painful for me. But, this varies from woman to woman.

Answer 7

For those of us who think in pro/con lists...what are the pros of freezing your eggs? What are the cons?

You know, I'm not one for pro/con lists and I'm afraid I'd leave something off...

Answer 8

Do you believe women should consult with their partners before making the choice to freeze their eggs or do you believe this is a decision between a woman and her doctor?

As I was making this decision, I took great comfort in talking about it with the people closest to me. So hopefully a partner would fall into that category. I'm really grateful to have had the support I did as I made this decision and I would wish that for any woman who is considering egg freezing.

Answer 9

The American Society for Reproductive Medicine does not endorse elective egg freezing, saying: "it may give women false hope and encourage women to delay childbearing." How do you feel about this?

Here is the thing: I'm not a success story yet. My frozen eggs are just that. But I feel confident that because I made this decision at a young age the chances of one of those frozen eggs becoming a baby one day is much higher than if I had made this decision at a later age. So, I don't think my hope is false.

Answer 10

Why do you choose to have a baby when your life is ready instead of having a baby when your body is ready?

The answer is in the question on that one. I'm not ready for a baby. And I'm not taking the decision to become a mother lightly. I want to do it well. Now just isn't the best time for me to commit to motherhood.