Comedy powerhouse Ronny Chieng has recently opened up about deciding with his wife to freeze embryos.
Chieng, known for his appearances on The Daily Show, the Netflix special Asian Comedian Destroys America! and his role in Crazy Rich Asians, said the in vitro fertilization (IVF) process felt like the most logical decision for him and his wife, Hannah Pham.
In his new Netflix stand-up special, Love to Hate It, the 39-year-old comedian and actor finds the funny in fertility, turning a very personal experience into comedy.
Chieng spoke to Newsweek about the experience, why he incorporated it into his comedy and how partners can best support each other through fertility challenges.
"I don't know if it's technically IVF because we froze embryos, but we got really lucky. We got 26 viable eggs and then from there we got eight embryos," he said.
For Chieng and Pham, 37, it was about timing. The couple knew they wanted children but weren't sure if now was the right time, so the decision to freeze embryos made sense for them.
"Freezing seemed to be the most logical choice, and as soon as we did it, I think the anxiety around it went down. There are still biological constraints, but it definitely helped," he told Newsweek.
Chieng made it clear that the embryo freezing process isn't their last chance to have children. "For us, it bought us more time to not have kids right now. We were just being kind of selfish," he said.
"[After the show], I did notice more people telling me that they went through the same thing or they went through IVF. So I definitely had a lot of people tell me that to the point where I feel like almost it feels like everyone in America is doing it," he said
As the supporting partner through the embryo freezing process, Chieng recognized that, compared with what women go through, the man's role is pretty minimal in heterosexual relationships.
"I wouldn't pretend to teach anyone anything about it because I barely understood what was going on, but I would say just be present, know what your responsibilities are, ask your partner what she wants you to do and make sure you do it. That might involve performing the injections for her or supporting her through it and then going with her to checkups," he said.
The couple did the embryo freezing at a New York hospital, and Chieng said it was a streamlined and efficient process.
"They did a decent job of explaining what's happening and the biochemistry. I don't think I became an expert in fertility coming out of it. I just kind of focused on the practical steps," he said.
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