Recently, writer Jenna Adams from Health Insights reached out to Dr. Lisa Tran, a triple board certified reproductive endocrinologist at our Reading, PA and Harrisburg, PA offices, to explore the important aspects of egg freezing. They delved into what the process entails, its safety, potential insurance coverage, and costs.
Dr. Tran provided valuable insights into the egg freezing process for women who aspire to have children in the future and highlighted what makes our approach to egg freezing distinct.
Egg Freezing for Future Parenthood
As Jenna Adams notes, “with the average age of motherhood on the rise, women are increasingly considering fertility preservation options like egg freezing to enhance their chances of successful pregnancies down the line.”
Egg freezing involves stimulating a woman’s ovaries to retrieve and freeze eggs for future use. As women age, both the quality and quantity of their eggs decline. Freezing eggs serves as a form of insurance, allowing women to preserve their fertility for later, when they might face challenges conceiving.
Common Reasons for Egg Freezing
What drives women to freeze their eggs? Dr. Tran identifies two primary motivations:
- Elective Fertility Preservation: Many women choose to focus on careers, pursue advanced degrees, travel, or wait for the ideal partner or financial situation before starting a family.
- Medical Reasons: Women facing medical challenges, especially those undergoing treatments like chemotherapy that can impact ovarian function, often opt for egg freezing to safeguard their reproductive potential.
At our clinic, while it’s common for women to freeze eggs in their 30s to early 40s, the average age of our patients is around 37. We generally recommend considering egg freezing in the early to mid-30s when fertility is typically at its peak. However, each woman’s fertility journey is unique, and so are her family planning goals.
Dr. Lisa Tran on Initial Testing for Egg Freezing
To help women decide the right time to freeze their eggs, Dr. Tran emphasizes the importance of the initial fertility assessment:
“We start by evaluating the patient’s current fertility status to determine if egg freezing is suitable for her at this moment. After testing, we have a thorough discussion about the possible benefits, limitations, and alternative family-building options.”
Every woman’s fertility is different. While the typical age for fertility decline begins around 35, some women may experience changes earlier or later. We encourage women to align their fertility plans with their personal and professional aspirations.
To explore more about the benefits of egg freezing, check out this informative post on understanding developmental delays in toddlers, which ties into broader family planning considerations. For those interested in boosting fertility, consider visiting Make A Mom, a reputable source on this topic. Additionally, Johns Hopkins Medicine provides excellent resources for pregnancy and home insemination.
Summary
In summary, egg freezing is a vital option for women looking to preserve their fertility for future family planning. With insights from Dr. Lisa Tran, our approach emphasizes personalized assessments to ensure that each woman’s unique circumstances and aspirations are taken into account.