Carla Abellana on getting her eggs frozen at 38: 'I feel very scared given my age and the challenges I've been facing'
Carla Abellana opened up about her decision to go on an egg freezing journey at 38 years old as well as the misconceptions and challenges she's faced so far.
"It's something I've always wanted to do since I first learned about it from Gretchen Fullido's social media post many years ago," she said in an interview with PhilSTAR L!fe. "Since then, I've also worked with other actresses who have had their eggs frozen already, as well as several other non-showbiz friends. Unlike me, they had theirs done in their late 20s to early 30s."
"If I had known about oocyte cryopreservation earlier, I would’ve had it done much earlier," she continued.
Abellana admitted feeling "very scared" at the moment "given my age and the challenges I've been facing since I started."
"Now is the time that I actually feel my biological clock ticking," she opened up. "My doctors said that at 38, my ovaries still produce eggs, but the eggs are housed inside follicles, which can rupture anytime. There’s no certainty if and when they can rupture, so it can get quite frustrating if you go through the entire process for weeks, only to find out that your follicles have ruptured so there wouldn’t be any eggs to harvest anymore, and you’d have to wait until your next menstrual cycle again."
According to the local star, the size of the follicles and the quality of her eggs are also factors to consider. "Unfortunately, the older you are, the less viable your follicles and eggs will be," she told L!fe.
Abellana confessed that it "takes a whole lot of patience, courage, strength, and faith to be able to overcome such challenges."
"That’s why it’s crucial that you have the right support system around you. It can be stressful, emotional and overwhelming, but you just have to trust the process and try your very best not to give up," she continued.
So far, Abellana has been able to get two of her eggs frozen last month. "I'm currently in my second round so that we can harvest more and have better chances," she said.
Abellana first revealed going on an egg freezing journey in March, describing it as a "transformative experience."
She started the process in 2024 with fertility clinic Conceive IVF Manila Inc. under Kato Repro Biotech Center.
According to KATO Medical Group Philippines, egg freezing, also known as oocyte cryopreservation, is a procedure where a woman's eggs (oocytes) are retrieved, frozen, and stored for later use. This allows them to preserve their fertility by potentially using the frozen eggs for "family building in the future, especially if they wish to delay childbearing due to personal, medical, or professional reasons."
Other local celebrities who have talked about their decision to freeze their eggs are Iza Calzado, Ice Seguerra, Vina Morales, Divine Lee, Sam Oh, Aiai delas Alas, Gretchen Fullido, and Alice Dixson.
