Aniston May Be Freezing Eggs

Brad Pitt's ex-wife may be starting her own brood, someday. This week rumors surfaced on the blog "A Socialites Life" that Jennifer Aniston, 39, is freezing some of her eggs, which may prolong her ability to conceive until she is 45, and perhaps even longer. According to her pals, the single Friends star is not worried about being an older mom. “She has loads of energy," a friend of Aniston's recently told Star magazine. "And she’s so rich that she could just hire five nannies."

That's good because the star of the upcoming romantic comedy He's Just Not That Into You is rumored back-up baby-making plan will not be cheap. The process can cost around $20,000, not including an annual $440 egg storage fee, and, eventually, $5,000, or so more to defrost and implant an egg. Of course Aniston did get a reported $8 million for her last comedy hit, The Break Up. She can clearly afford to keep some eggs on ice. But for other women who want to be mothers, paying for fertility treatments can be daunting. Superovulation is not cheap. But according to professionals, understanding the costs involved can make the process easier to navigate. 

“The cost is similar to IVF. If you come to a clinic through a referral the procedure will cost you $5,000 to $8,000. If you use an agency it can be $5,000 [or] more,” says Dr. Barry Behr, the director of the IVF Program and Laboratory at Stanford University. The bulk of the costs are from the medications and hormones used to stimulate the eggs. Egg stimulation is necessary in order to take them out. Depending on the individual it may take several rounds of hormone medication to prepare the ovaries for egg extraction. Prices vary depending on the patient.