An Olympic triathlete who has always dreamed of becoming a mother has revealed why she decided to freeze her eggs at the age of 28.
Emma Jeffcoat made the life-changing decision to visit an IVF clinic last year after a serious ankle injury left her unable to train.
The athlete first visited an IVF clinic at the age of 22 and was told her egg count was high and that she should return in five years.
However, when she returned to the clinic last year, the diagnosis was not so positive.
“The number and quality of my eggs had drastically reduced,” she said 7Life.
“The best I could do was take action every now and then.”
Emma Jeffcoat, (pictured) 29, decided to freeze her eggs after an injury left her unable to train
The athlete was told her egg count was ‘dramatically reduced’ during a visit to an IVF clinic in 2023
Ms. Jeffcoat underwent two egg collection procedures and began injecting herself with hormones that she soon realized had a number of unpleasant side effects.
“I was anxious, upset and it was confronting,” she said of the experience.
‘I’m a top athlete, so I rely on my body to perform. I gained weight and my hormones were out of whack.”
Fortunately, both egg harvesting procedures were a success.
The triathlete – who represented Australia at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics – wasn’t always so sure she would be able to have children.
When she was just three years old, her appendix ruptured and she was rushed to hospital.
The following year, Mrs Jeffcoat was hospitalized with blood poisoning – with a mortality rate of up to 50 percent – and an intestinal obstruction.
She spent a year in the hospital recovering and left with severe scar tissue on her ovaries and damage to her fallopian tubes.
Ms Jeffcoat said she was not surprised she started her menstrual cycle as a teenager before it disappeared for a decade.
At age 22, she became curious about her reproductive system and made the life-changing decision to visit an IVF clinic.
Emma Jeffcoat made the life-changing decision to visit an IVF clinic last year after a serious ankle injury left her unable to train (pictured)
With her eggs safely in the freezer, the triathlete has encouraged other women not to just assume they will conceive naturally.
She has encouraged women to take their reproductive options into their own hands and not assume that they can conceive naturally.
“Women can focus on their careers now, but the truth is we do have a body clock,” she said.
“As we pursue career goals and career aspirations, we can explore our own fertility and have the power to act when necessary.”
Ms Jeffcoat is currently focusing on selection for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.