AOC, 36, issues update after successful completion of freezing her eggs

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has completed the egg-freezing process she began earlier this month.

The 36-year-old New York congresswoman documented the final stage of the two-week process on Instagram, including the morning of her egg retrieval.

She said she intends to keep sharing updates about her recovery and answer questions from followers.

Ocasio-Cortez said she had previously been told she would be under anesthesia and asleep throughout the retrieval, but admitted she experienced an 'intrusive fear-based thought' about waking up alone.

Instead, she said, she woke up surrounded by close friends.

She described the experience as reinforcing her belief that 'a family is always what you make it', while not mentioning her longtime fiancé, Riley Roberts.

The congresswoman has been documenting the process since announcing on August 8 that she had decided to freeze her eggs, saying the decision helped her feel 'more in control' of her life.

Her latest update came after she previously addressed the criticism and scrutiny surrounding her decision to discuss the process publicly.

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez announced on August 8 that she was freezing her eggs. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

Why is Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez freezing her eggs?

In earlier Instagram posts, Ocasio-Cortez explained that people choose egg freezing for many different reasons, including medical diagnoses, wanting to delay having children, hoping to preserve options for future family planning or being uncertain about whether they want children.

She also argued that conversations about fertility should be based on individual medical advice rather than generalized fears.

The congresswoman has described egg freezing as a political issue, criticizing what she sees as rhetoric that can make women feel fearful or insecure about fertility and family planning.

She encouraged people to learn about their own reproductive health and said fertility testing can be an accessible first step, with a cost she estimated at between $100 and $400.

According to Ocasio-Cortez, the financial side of the procedure was one of the most stressful parts for her because her insurance did not cover any of the cost.

She said her overall treatment was expected to cost around $8,000 to $9,000, including medication and the procedure itself, while annual storage for the frozen eggs would cost about $1,200.

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said her egg-freezing process was expected to cost between $8,000 and $9,000. (Photo by James Devaney/GC Images)

She also said she found significant differences between pharmacy prices, claiming one pharmacy quoted her around $7,000 when she provided insurance information but approximately $3,000 when she paid out of pocket.

Ocasio-Cortez said some people she knows have traveled outside the US for egg freezing, including to Spain and Mexico, because of the cost of fertility care in America.

She said people had shared prices of around $4,000 for treatment in Spain.

The congresswoman has also been asked whether her egg-freezing decision is connected to a possible 2028 presidential campaign.

She said she is currently focused on the midterm elections and running for Congress, while adding that she has not ruled out a future presidential bid.

Following her retrieval, Ocasio-Cortez said she would post more videos about her recovery and respond to remaining questions from followers.