Egg freezing, or oocyte cryopreservation, is a process in which a woman's eggs (oocytes) are extracted, frozen and stored as a method to preserve reproductive potential in women of reproductive age. The first human birth from a frozen oocyte was reported in 1986. Oocyte cryopreservation has advanced greatly over the past few years, with improved overall success of eggs surviving the freezing process. It is no longer considered an experimental procedure by the American Society for Reproductive Medicine. The techniques leading to enhanced gamete survival, potential fertilization and live birth rates allow women a much greater degree of autonomy than was possible even in the past 5 years.
If you want to have a baby but want to put it off for a few years, egg freezing may be a safe option. Women who choose to delay childbirth owing to cancer treatment, advanced age without a male partner, or a desire to have a child till they are over 35 years old should explore egg freezing as a fertility preservation strategy.
Egg Freezing Risks
Risks are similar to those associated with ovarian stimulation for IVF, which include small risks of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (enlargement of the ovaries and fluid accumulation in the pelvis and abdomen), infection, and bleeding related to the egg retrieval procedure.
How Long Can the Eggs be Stored?
Storing the eggs for longer durations does not appear to have negative effects. However, data are only available for up to 4 years of storage. It must remembered that older maternal age when carrying a pregnancy is associated with higher risks of pregnancy complications, such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and cesarean section. Most clinics have an upper age limit on when these gametes can be used to achieve pregnancy.
How Much Does Egg Freezing Cost?
The cost of the process depends if there is any insurance coverage, and that is related to the individual plan. A lot of insurance plans may cover the initial assessment and may cover a portion of the treatment.
Best age for oocyte freezing
Thanks to evolving technology, that biological clock most women are warned to fear is ticking less loudly these days. If you’d like to stop that dreaded tick-tock, you can freeze your healthy eggs until you’re ready for parenthood.
As a woman, you’re born with a finite number of eggs, about 1 million. By puberty, however, this number drops to around 300,000. That sounds like a lot, but only 300-400 of those eggs will ovulate during your reproductive years.
And because it takes the average woman six months to a year to conceive, you can assume that many of these ovulated eggs don’t lead to a viable pregnancy. Typically, the more eggs remaining in your ovaries, the better your odds of becoming pregnant.
It’s true that your fertility declines as you age. That’s directly related to the number of eggs remaining in your ovaries as well as the quality of those eggs. Not every egg can partner with sperm to produce a baby.
Generally, fertility begins to drop as early as your late 20s or early 30s. It tends to fall more rapidly after age 35 as your egg reserves become even more depleted. Thus, the best age for freezing your eggs likely falls somewhere between 27 and 34.
It’s important to note, however, that if you’ve already passed the ideal age range, you likely still have time to undergo egg freezing. Your specialist at Rocky Mountain Fertility Center can discuss your options in detail at the time of your evaluation.
When a woman is in her 20s and early 30s, her eggs are of higher quality and the quantity is high. Women's eggs decline rapidly in quantity and quality around the age of 35. So, if you are in your early 30s and not ready to start a family, egg freezing may help you have a baby even if you are over 40.
Once you've made the decision to freeze your eggs, you'll undergo the following steps as the egg freezing process.
When you're ready to conceive (in the future), your frozen eggs will be liquefied and injected with a single sperm for the production of embryos. Then these fresh embryos will be transported to your uterus after a few days. This is done similarly to IVF, with a long, thin tube passed via the vaginal canal, through the cervix, and into the uterus, where they will ideally attach, implant, and grow. If you are planning for egg freezing, consider visiting a highly reputed IVF clinic for a flawless experience.