'We're better than Superwoman': Ase Wang shares her emotional IVF success story
Ase Wang and her baby.
PHOTO: Instagram/fertilitysupport.sg
PUBLISHED ONJuly 27, 2021 8:18 AMByAlly Villar
Singaporean actress and model Ase Wang recently became a first-time mum. While it was a delightfully joyous moment for her to be able to experience motherhood, it wasn’t an easy journey.
It took Ase many attempts and a long-drawn IVF process to finally become a mother.
But hers is an inspiring fertility success story and one that she has finally decided to share with the world.
In two Instagram posts, the famous model shared her IVF journey to raise more awareness about infertility and how it isn’t the end for women.
You may recall that the actress had also previously opened up about freezing her eggs after being told by doctors that it would be difficult for her to conceive with her low reserve of eggs.
Then in 2020, Ase announced that she was pregnant after undergoing IVF treatment on the first try!
Ase Wang froze her eggs to get a chance at motherhood
In the first post, Ase shared that her story began when she was 35 and was told that she wouldn’t be able to have a baby naturally.
“It came as a total surprise – I was healthy, in good shape, so I really didn’t understand why,” Ase shared.
“At that point in time, I was single and had no immediate plans to have a baby. But I knew that I would want kids in the future. To me, being a mother and having kids is the greatest achievement of all,” added Ase.
This lead her to freeze her eggs for “the best chance of becoming a mother later on”. However, Ase notes that she had to freeze her eggs in Bangkok since Singapore only allowed it for medical reasons and not for social reasons.
“Each day, I had to be injected with hormones to stimulate the production of eggs. People always want to know if the process is painful – I’m not going to lie, it’s a bit painful. And I hate injections! But it was bearable and I made it through,” she shared.
“I cried a lot and I passed out with the anaesthesia. When I woke up, they told me I had five eggs. It was an amazing result, so much better than what I expected,” recalled Wang.
As the goal was to reach 10 eggs, Ase shares they had to do it again and again. But despite all of this, she ended up not using any of the eggs she had frozen.
Ase Wang opens up about her IVF experience and how she aced it
Before starting the IVF process, Ase and her husband made the decision to use a fresh batch of eggs.
This meant that she had to go undergo a fourth round of egg retrieval even if “having gone through it three times before didn’t make it any easier”.
“But the pandemic was ongoing when I was doing my fourth retrieval. It was a crazy time. I had to avoid falling sick, so I really focused on protecting myself, eating healthy, relaxing and resting,” shares the actress in the second post.
The model and new mum also talked about the changes she made during her IVF journey:
1. A fresh new diet
In an effort to stay healthy and “eat clean”, Ase adopted a new diet.
“I ate lots of protein, so fish, avocado and salad greens. I made a smoothie for myself every morning (banana, avocado, spinach, or kale, coconut milk, honey and a shot of wheatgrass powder). I also had fresh pressed juice delivered to my house daily,” she shared.
“And I took ginger shots, turmeric shots, fish oil, bumped up my CoQ10 to 400mg, and I took folic acid. But I did have some carbs here and there – what can I say, I love cookies,” she added.
ALSO READ: Against all odds: Singapore mum shares her inspiring IVF journey
2. Taking the time to relax
Emphasising the importance of a well-rested body and its impact on the the IVF process, Ase stated, “I stopped working out and I relaxed. I slept seven to eight hours a day. I took naps during the day too!”
“Don’t feel guilty about napping. The more your body rests, the better it is for your IVF process,” she also wrote.
3. Being on bed rest
Ase’s efforts seemed to have helped as she ended up with three top grade embryos.
“After the transfer, I spent two entire days on bed rest. I felt a little bloated, and a lot of nerves,” she added.
“Thankfully, a few days later, my pregnancy test came back positive. And today, I am so blessed to be holding Baby Kaya in my arms,” shared Ase.
'We’re better than Superwoman'
Through her IVF journey, Ase has come to realise just how much women have to go through with their bodies.
After her experience with egg freezing, the actress says that while it does buy “you time,” it’s not a solution because there’s a chance that it might not work.
The celeb mum concluded her post by writing, “And this whole process has made me realise that we women are all Superwomen. The stuff we go through, and the stuff our bodies have to go through, to have a baby. I mean, we’re better than Superwoman.”
Hats off to all the mamas!
This article was first published in theAsianparent.