Everything to know about freezing your eggs or embryos
On this page:
How it works
Success rates
Starting the process
What to expect
More and more women are waiting to have children, with around 20% having their first child after the age of 35. Unfortunately, maternal age is also a cause of fertility problems. Freezing eggs or embryos allows you to preserve your fertility at its present state, so you can plan for a family in the future—when you’re ready.
You may want to consider freezing your eggs or embryos if you are:
Undecided about future children
Currently focused on other life events
Still searching for the right partner
Undergoing surgery, radiation, or chemotherapy
Showing signs of early menopause
Being deployed overseas in the US military
Surgically transitioning from female to male
How it works
To freeze eggs or embryos—called cryopreservation—you’ll go through a process called controlled ovarian stimulation (COS), during which your body will be stimulated to produce multiple eggs. After the eggs are retrieved, they will either be frozen right away, or fertilized with sperm to create embryos before being frozen, in a process called in-vitro fertilization (IVF).
When you’re ready to become pregnant in the future, your eggs or embryos will be thawed. If you’ve frozen eggs, they will be fertilized in a lab with sperm from your male partner or donor before being transferred into your uterus. If you’ve frozen embryos, they will be transferred right away.
FERTILITY PRESERVATION AT A GLANCE
Length of cycle:
14-16 days
Total doctor's visits:
5-7
Medications needed:
5-6
In-office procedures for female:
1
Blood workup:
5-6
Medication type:
Tablet, injection
Length of time medications may be taken:
8-14 days
Ultrasounds:
5-6
Labs required:
Endocrinology (blood), cryopreservation (freezing), embryology (embryo), if needed
Ranges in this chart are estimated and may vary depending on each patient’s medical history and physician’s recommendations.
Success rates
The success of IVF using frozen eggs and embryos depends on many factors, including:
Your age and reproductive health at the time of cryopreservation
How well the eggs or embryos survive the thawing process
Variables during the IVF process, such as the quality of sperm used to fertilize the egg and the health of your uterus at transfer
It’s important to note that while the egg freezing process has seen many improvements over the past decade, pregnancy rates are still higher with frozen embryos than with frozen eggs.
Starting the process
Your first step is to make an appointment with a reproductive endocrinologist (REI). These specialists have special training in fertility preservation care to help maintain a person’s ability to have children.
An REI will help you understand your fertility potential, the possible risks of delayed childbearing, and the egg freezing process, including cycle risks and side effects. Creating a discussion guide before your appointment can help you organize your thoughts and remind you of the topics you want to discuss.
What women can expect in a cycle
STEP 1
Testing and assessments
A thorough assessment of your reproductive health is necessary before you begin your cycle. Your REI may conduct ultrasounds and blood work to assess your current fertility, including egg quantity and quality.
STEP 2
Ovarian stimulation
Your doctor will start you on injectable fertility medications. These medications will be used for 8 to 14 days to stimulate your ovaries to produce multiple eggs. Regular ultrasounds or blood tests will be conducted during this time to monitor the growth of your follicles (the fluid-filled sacs containing eggs) and your hormone levels.
Your doctor may also prescribe other medications during this time, such as drugs to prevent you from ovulating early.
STEP 3
Egg retrieval
When the follicles reach a certain size, you’ll receive a single injection of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) trigger shot, which mimics the natural luteinizing hormone (LH) surge your body experiences before ovulation This will trigger your ovaries to fully mature and prepare to release eggs.
Within around 36 hours of this injection, your doctor will retrieve your mature eggs using a long needle and ultrasound guidance. Anesthesia will be used during the procedure to minimize discomfort.
On average, 8 to 15 eggs are retrieved. Some women may have spotting or discomfort for a few days after the procedure.
STEP 4
Fertilization
If you’re undergoing embryo cryopreservation, your eggs will be fertilized in the lab using sperm from your male partner or a sperm donor.
STEP 5
Freezing and storage
Your eggs or embryos will be frozen for future use and stored in tubes in a liquid nitrogen storage tank. The length of time a clinic will store your eggs or embryos varies. You and your doctor will discuss storage time and plans should you elect not to use them.
The entire process can take less than a month to complete. Some women may need to undergo more than one ovarian stimulation cycle to retrieve an adequate number of eggs for freezing. Your doctor can help determine the exact number needed.
EXPLORE MORE ABOUT EGG FREEZING
Joyce’s advice: Egg freezing
The executive director at the Alliance for Fertility Preservation talks about planning for the future.
Managing expectations when freezing your eggs
Egg freezing is a complex but empowering option for preserving fertility, and managing expectations is key to navigating the process successfully.
Want to learn more about fertility medications from EMD Serono? Patients can learn more here. For healthcare professionals, click here.
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