Life doesn’t always go as planned, and while we can’t hit pause, egg freezing gives you the precious gift of time. It allows you to concentrate on what’s important now without forgoing the opportunity to start a family later. By choosing to freeze your eggs, you’re taking a proactive step to protect your future fertility, giving you the flexibility to pursue parenthood on your own terms.
What is Egg Freezing?
So, what exactly is egg freezing? It’s a process that allows you to preserve your eggs for future use by retrieving them from your ovaries and storing them safely. To freeze your eggs, you’ll undergo a partial IVF cycle, which involves a brief course of hormone medication to stimulate egg growth and a minor procedure to retrieve the eggs, all done under mild sedation. The healthy eggs are then rapidly frozen using a technique called vitrification and stored in liquid nitrogen until you’re ready to use them. Keep in mind that while egg freezing doesn’t guarantee a future pregnancy, it does expand your options for family planning when the time feels right.
The Egg Freezing Process
If you’re considering this option, here’s a brief overview of the egg freezing process, which generally takes about three weeks:
- Stimulating the Ovaries: You will start with daily at-home injections to promote the growth of multiple eggs. This phase often lasts around 14 days.
- Suppressing the Menstrual Cycle: A second daily injection is introduced to halt natural hormone production and regulate when your eggs will be released.
- Monitoring Progress: Regular pelvic scans help track the development of your follicles, determining the right moment for egg retrieval.
- Egg Retrieval: Once the follicles are mature, you’ll receive an injection to prepare the eggs. A gentle needle is then guided through the vaginal wall to collect the eggs, and you’ll be sedated to ensure comfort.
- Freezing: The healthy eggs are quickly cooled using vitrification and kept in a cryopreservation chamber until you decide to use them.
Is Egg Freezing Right for You?
Is egg freezing the right choice for you? It can be a wise decision if you’re planning for the future but aren’t ready to have children just yet. There are many reasons to consider this option: you might want to focus on your career, you may not feel emotionally or financially ready, or you might not have found the right partner. Additionally, if you identify as non-binary or transgender and are starting hormone therapy, preserving your fertility could be important for your future family plans.
Costs and Considerations
The costs associated with egg freezing vary, starting with a fertility assessment and including medication expenses. If you’re interested, our egg sharing program offers a reduced treatment cost for those who donate some of their eggs to help others. Not everyone qualifies for this, as factors like age and health come into play, but your consultant can guide you on this.
Success Rates
Want to know more about the success rates of egg freezing? Studies show that around 90% of eggs survive the freezing and thawing process. However, your chances of conceiving with these frozen eggs depend on several factors, most notably your age at the time of freezing. Women who freeze their eggs before 35 generally have better odds of pregnancy later on.
Get Support
If you have questions about whether egg freezing is right for you, our Patient Support team is here to help. We’re dedicated to guiding you through your options and arranging your first consultation with a fertility expert.
Conclusion
In summary, egg freezing offers a valuable opportunity to preserve your fertility for the future. Whether you’re not ready to start a family, or facing health challenges that may impact your fertility, this option allows you to take control of your reproductive journey. For more information on related topics, check out this blog post, which offers insights into responsible summer travel.