Is egg freezing the right choice for me?
Egg freezing provides a degree of insurance that having a baby will be possible once you enter into your late 30’s and 40’s. There are a lot of different factors to consider, and it is important to discuss these with your fertility specialist. Understanding the process and talking it over with a qualified professional, who knows your body & lifestyle is the best way to understand if egg freezing if the right choice for you.
What age should I consider egg freezing?
Whilst various there are various factors that play into the efficacy of egg freezing, studies and data show that both egg quality and quantity decline from the age of 35. Essentially, if you want to have children, but aren’t ready right now – egg freezing could be a good option for you.
What is the process of egg freezing?
Egg freezing is a relatively simple procedure and one of our most common. Once the decision to freeze your eggs has been made, you will begin a relatively short process to ready your eggs for retrieval. First off, you will inject a series of medication under the skin for around ten days, depending on your cycle. During this process you will attend our clinic between two and three times to have blood tests and ultrasounds to monitor your progress.
When the eggs are almost ready, a “trigger” injection will be given to mature your eggs. You will then go into one of our day surgeries, where the procedure only takes around 20 minutes. The eggs are collected with a needle, guided by an ultrasound into both of your ovaries, you will be under light anaesthetic – so you hardly feel a thing. You will be able to return to work the day after egg collection!
The eggs are then taken to our labs, where they are examined and frozen, those eggs are then able to be stored until you feel ready to use them. Overall, egg freezing is a relatively short, straightforward process and gives you peace of mind about your future.
What is the success rate and benefits of egg freezing?
The success rate of egg freezing is age dependent, however other factors come in to play; for example, you may have low ovarian reserves in which case you may be encouraged to explore other alternatives or freeze at a younger age than 35 – of course that will all be covered with your fertility specialist before you commence any treatment!
Statistics have shown that up to the age of 35, the chances of one egg producing a baby is between 6-8%. This means in order to have a 50% chance of getting pregnant, you need around 10 viable eggs. There are of course things you can do to encourage egg health, however there isn’t much you able to do to increase your ovarian reserve (number of eggs). Egg freezing is a wonderful option for many women, however if you choose to undergo it and it isn’t right for you – there is countless other avenues that you can explore.
Where can I get it done?
Egg freezing is one of our most common procedures, modern life has us wanting to wait later into life to have children and that means more women are turning to egg freezing. If you have any questions regarding egg freezing or your options, don’t hesitate to contact us!