"Motherhood begins the moment you decide."
Mila Levchuk candidly on 17 eggs, fear, and the unexpected miracle.
Mila Levchuk is one of the few public figures who decided to openly share her difficult path to motherhood: freezing eggs, protocol failures, finding a donor, and the unexpected finale of this story. This conversation was recorded to normalize a topic that still remains taboo.
"I thought I had paused my biological clock"
The story began when Mila was 39 years old. Meeting her future husband, she understood: time is running out, and she needs insurance.
I went to freeze my eggs because I understood time was passing. In the first protocol, I was unlucky with the doctor—they extracted only three cells. I lost heart... I went to another specialist, and we got 14. Total—17. I calculated it and thought: 'Well, 17 is normal, that's great.'
The Funnel of 17
However, reality turned out to be more complex than mathematics. After organizing a complex transport of biomaterial from St. Petersburg to Malaysia, the results were devastating.
The result was this: out of 17 cells, we got only three embryos that could be tested for genetics (PGT). And only one turned out to be healthy. For me, it was a blow... All these 17 turned into a funnel: not all thawed, not all fertilized... And this single embryo did not attach.
The conclusion Mila made for herself and advises all women to remember:
Girls, don't stop. If you got 17—no, please, let it be 30, be 50. Forget that it's 'a lot'. Better to save 85% of your cells at 30 than have 0% because you waited for the perfect man to freeze embryos immediately.
On Hate and Myths
When Mila started sharing her story on her blog, she faced a wave of criticism and superstition.
I got hit with comparisons to Zavorotnyuk and Zhanna Friske... People often perceive rumors as facts. Never believe the 'ladies on the bench'. Only a reproductive specialist can tell the truth. We already have 13 million children born after IVF in the world. It is a super-proven method.
Why not "Just Try Naturally"?
People often asked her why she didn't just try naturally. Mila explains:
Because I opened the research on the risks of developmental defects due to my age... My age-related eggs are no longer 'magnificent'. I don't want to play this roulette. And those who advise it... If I miss the time, will they take responsibility that I will never become a mother? They disappear immediately.
The Donor Decision
After another failed attempt in Greece where 4 excellent embryos had genetic faults, doctors said bluntly: quantity does not translate to quality. The question of a donor egg arose.
I realized that motherhood for me is not genes... It is a specific child whom I carried, into whom I put my love. Since when do genetic chains cause automatic love? ... Motherhood begins the moment this seed sprouts in you.
The Miracle
Finding a donor was difficult, but eventually, a friend offered her eggs. While preparing for the protocol with the donor cell, and after a stressful flight, a miracle occurred.
I flew in after the worst flight of my life... and then thought: 'Where is my period?' ... I do a test — and there is a shadow of a shadow of a second strip. I thought: 'Come on, it can't be!'
Despite diagnoses, age (42 years), and preparation for IVF, pregnancy occurred naturally.
Mila's Final Advice
"Your motherhood begins the moment you make the decision... The child may have different roads to you. He stands there and says: 'Mom, open the door.' ... Stop delaying. The most ideal moment is today."