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When Should You Freeze Your Eggs? A Complete Guide to Choosing When to Preserve Fertility
Social egg freezing is a method of fertility preservation that allows the postponement of family planning with the help of assisted reproductive technologies. Statistics show that the use of frozen eggs has a positive effect on overcoming fertility problems in adulthood. An affordable and effective way to maximize your fertility is to freeze your eggs and store the collected material in a cryobank. Women turn to fertility centers to prepare and then freeze their eggs if there are medical indications or they are actively planning to build a career and are not yet ready to start a full-fledged family. Having made such a decision, it is necessary to study the technique in detail and choose the best storage. You can get all the information you need from the NGC clinic. Well-trained, experienced staff will consult on any questions regarding the fight against infertility and treatment of declining fertility. Leave a request on the website or call. The administrator will call back within 24 hours.
Note. Freezing eggs in youth provides a guarantee that, if necessary and if fertility decreases sharply by the age of 40 years, you can use the IVF protocol to give birth to a healthy child.
What is egg freezing?
Modern techniques allow women to preserve their biomaterial until the time when they are ready to become pregnant, carry and give birth to a baby. To freeze your eggs, you need to contact experienced specialists with the necessary experience and the necessary equipment. The NGC Clinic will help you cope with the problem.
- Consult a specialist before freezing your eggs. You need to undergo a thorough examination and prepare for a difficult process. A fertility specialist will determine your ovarian reserves and prescribe, if necessary, ovarian stimulation or special hormonal therapy. Then the time for egg retrieval is set.
- Eggs are retrieved through the vaginal wall (transvaginally). Anesthesia is administered to eliminate pain and discomfort.
- Egg freezing is performed by an embryologist, after which the obtained and tested material is placed in a cryostorage facility.
- The eggs are stored until the woman wants to become a mother. A full examination is carried out, all necessary tests are taken, anamnesis is collected. The reproductive doctor sets the start date for the IVF cycle. The eggs are defrosted and fertilized with the partner's or donor's sperm.
- The zygotes are placed in a special environment for five days and embryologists monitor the development of the embryo.
- The most viable embryo is selected and transferred to the uterine cavity, which has undergone preliminary preparation for achieving proper lining.
Important. The procedure is completely safe and ensures the preservation of fertility when the biological clock is ready to stop. Using your frozen eggs helps women with fertility problems.
The method does not guarantee 100% pregnancy, but significantly increases the chances of becoming a mother after 35 years.
- After freezing eggs, up to 97% of eggs survive.
- 71-79% are successfully fertilized after defrosting.
- 17-41% or one or two pairs out of ten take root.
According to research, if a woman has frozen more than 15 of her eggs between the ages of 20 and 35, the probability of success of an IVF cycle is at least 90%. This is an excellent result in the fight against infertility.
Many large corporations pay their leading employees for cryobank services so that they can devote as much time as possible to work. Statistics show a sharp increase in the popularity of cryopreservation.
- 2013 - 4000 freezes.
- 2019 - 16,000.
- 2020 - 17,000.
Each country keeps its own statistics, but everywhere the use of cryostorage is steadily growing.
Declining female fertility over time
Each woman has her own timing of the onset of fertility. After the first menstruation, ovulation occurs and the woman is ready for fertilization. Gradually, reproductive abilities decline. The reasons may be different. Diseases, poor ecology, stress, and poor nutrition have a negative impact on the ability of the female body to conceive, bear and give birth.
Unlike men, whose bodies produce sperm throughout their lives, girls have a certain number of follicles.
- Each woman receives about a million.
- By puberty, their number is within 300,000.
- No more than 300 can be used during the period when a woman is able to give birth.
- The remaining follicles are not used.
Fertility decreases every year, and by the age of 30-40, cycles are noticeably shortened. If there has been no menstruation for a year, reproductive specialists talk about the onset of menopause and the cessation of the reproductive system.
- The optimal reproductive age for women is 20-30 years.
- After 35, fertility begins to decline sharply.
- After 40, the probability of getting pregnant naturally is close to zero.
A healthy 20-30 year old woman can get pregnant in 20% of cases the first time within a month. The rest may need several attempts. Everything depends on the characteristics of the partners' bodies and other factors.
After 40, pregnancy can occur in only 5%, and by 50, no more than 1%, even with IVF methods.
Each person has their own peak reproductive age. Improving the quality of life, modern medicine allows women to give birth after 40-50 years without complications. However, if you cannot get pregnant in the standard way within six months after 35, consult a reproductive doctor. The NGC Clinic offers a wide range of services to combat infertility and low fertility. You can make an appointment for a consultation by leaving a request on the website or by calling the office.
- At 27, the first peak of declining fertility.
- The next dangerous period is 35 years.
- After 40, even innovative IVF methods do not guarantee pregnancy.
- By 50, no more than 1% of women are able to get pregnant.
Therefore, the optimal age to become a parent is 20-35 years. It may not always be possible to get pregnant after reaching the top of your career, even with the use of modern methods of artificial insemination, problems may arise. Therefore, take your eggs in advance and place them in a cryostorage. Specialists at the NGC reproductive center will help resolve this issue.
Reproductive specialists claim that by the age of 35, a woman has an average of 25-70 thousand eggs. At first glance, this is a lot, but it should be taken into account that, due to various reasons, many of them lose their ability to be fertilized. Therefore, it is more difficult for women who have crossed the threshold of 35 years to get pregnant and give birth.
Each girl is given a certain number of follicles and it is impossible to increase this reserve. During each cycle, 1-2 follicles mature and reach ovulation. In addition to them, up to 15 follicles die during the cycle. The earlier menstruation begins and the shorter the cycles, the more follicles die. When the ovary exhausts its supply of eggs, menopause begins. The average age of onset of menopause is 45 years. Early 40-45 years. With rapid depletion of the egg supply, menopause can begin before 40. Ovarian depletion is accelerated by several reasons.
- Surgeries on ovaries.
- Negative genetic factors
- Use of alcohol, tobacco, drugs.
- Sexually transmitted diseases.
- Abortions, which can result in damage to the ovaries.
- Chronic diseases of the genitourinary system.
- Excessive stress, intense training, uncontrolled use of dietary supplements.
- Deterioration of the immune system.
- Treatment of malignant tumors.
- Depression, mental disorders.
- Poor ecology.
- Working in a hazardous industry.
A combination of several factors significantly increases the rate of decline in fertility.
The ideal age for conception and birth of a baby is 20-35 years. Therefore, experts believe that the optimal age for egg extraction and freezing is 20-30 years.
- Numerous studies show that a healthy woman under 30 produces the healthiest eggs, which are ideal for cryopreservation and long-term storage.
- Ideally, the number of eggs for freezing should be at least 15. So that the best ones can be selected and fertilized.
- Egg quality is ensured by modern methods of cryopreservation and storage.
- Today, fast and slow freezing methods are used. They are selected by a specialist after checking the collected eggs.
- The longer the eggs are stored, the lower the chances of successful use after defrosting.
- If there are genetic abnormalities, the woman undergoes a special test, and the healthiest follicles are selected.
Reminder. The time for egg collection is determined by the doctor together with the woman. The specialist gives recommendations after a comprehensive examination of the patient's body, and the woman makes a decision.
The middle age is perfect for having children. The body is fully mature and works like a clock, tuned to procreation. At this time, success in your career has already begun to emerge and you can make a small stock of frozen eggs as a guarantee of creating a full-fledged family. These eggs will not be stored for long before they need to be used, so the chances of a successful IVF cycle increase.
Note. If you do not need frozen eggs, help those who cannot give birth. Offer your follicles so that a woman suffering from low fertility can give birth.
Very often, the decision to collect oocytes and freeze them is made for personal reasons, health problems or the desire to reach certain heights in a career. In youth, everyone thinks that old age will never come, it is somewhere far away and will not appear soon. However, the biological clock runs fast. Before you know it, you will not be able to get pregnant without an IVF cycle. Therefore, it is better to play it safe and freeze your oocytes than to frantically search for donor ones later. You can be sure that the reserve will not be wasted even if you do not need it.
When you are young, everyone thinks that there is nothing more important than studying, career, financial independence. Therefore, solving family issues is postponed for later. But even if you strive for success, clearly formulate your goals and timeframes for achieving them. Remember that career growth can put an end to the normal functioning of the reproductive system. It may turn out that having climbed to the top, you will have no one to leave everything that you have accumulated over the years of intensive work. Be prudent. Take care of the reserve.
- If you decide to study, undergo an examination at 20 years old and put the necessary reserve of frozen eggs in a cryostorage.
- At 25, you are convinced that your career is on the rise, there is no time to give birth. Create a new reserve of oocytes by putting them in a cryobank.
- At 30, there is little left to achieve your goals. There is no time for pregnancy, childbirth. Make a new reserve of eggs.
This approach is the most correct, pragmatic and guarantees that after 35-40 you will not have problems finding donor eggs to undergo a cycle of artificial insemination.
It is impossible to accurately calculate the costs of artificial insemination. No one knows how many cycles are needed. According to statistics, after the first attempt, a woman aged 25-30 can get pregnant in 20% of cases. After the second cycle, the chances increase to 40-50%. The third attempt increases the chances to 90%. Therefore, consider a financial cushion for at least 4 attempts, taking into account additional costs for checks, analyses, and tests. It would not be superfluous to enlist the financial support of relatives or friends if something does not go according to plan. As a last resort, you can take out a loan from a bank. Many large corporations pay their leading employees for the costs of storing frozen eggs in a cryobank.
Women aged 20-35 are advised to collect and store their eggs in a cryobank if there are medical indications.
- Complex treatment is planned that can negatively affect the functioning of the ovaries.
- Before a complex operation of the pelvis or genitals.
- If a woman is not currently planning a pregnancy, but wants to preserve her reproductive abilities.
There may be other reasons. In any case, this is a good opportunity to cope with low fertility in adulthood.
If there is a need or desire to collect your eggs for freezing and subsequent storage, first consult a specialist. He will explain in detail the essence of the process, what preparation is needed and which precautions to take in the future. The modern rhythm and new challenges often force women to postpone having children. In this case, cryofreezing of oocytes comes to the rescue.
- After the consultation, the patient undergoes a comprehensive examination, which can take up to 2 weeks.
- During the cycle, the body grows 1-2 oocytes ready for fertilization.
- To increase the number of ready oocytes for collection, special therapy is prescribed. Ovarian stimulation sometimes lasts up to 12 days.
- Then, mature follicles are extracted using a puncture.
- The operation lasts 10-15 minutes and is performed under anesthesia.
Important information. The more mature follicles collected are sent to the cryobank, the higher the chances of successful IVF.
The freezing method that ensures long-term storage of oocytes is called vitrification. The method allows to achieve the maximum thawing survival rate.
Here is how it works:
- Mature eggs are placed in a special laboratory solution.
- The water contained in the eggs is removed.
- Due to that, no damage occurs during freezing (it does not lead to formation of crystals).
- The eggs are placed in straws and cooled with nitrogen (-196C).
- The straws can remain in cryopreservation tanks for an unlimited amount of time.
There are several main factors that have a positive effect on success after freezing.
- Optimal age is 20-30 years.
- Obtaining the maximum number of sexually mature eggs for freezing.
- When freezing, the accepted quality parameters must be strictly observed.The choice of egg freezing method. It is determined by a specialist based on the quality of the collected material.
- Preliminary genetic testing eliminates the risk of developing abnormalities after fertilization.
The higher the professional training of the staff and the better the equipment of the reproductive center, the greater the chances of success.
When planning to put your oocytes in a cryobank, study the financial side of the issue in detail so as not to run into a shortage of funds. Find out how much you need to pay for the examination, tests, and additional preparatory procedures. Find out what the cost of storage is. Set aside money for this and only then use the procedure.
Cost of egg freezing
NGC is one of the clinics where you can access high-quality fertility treatment at an affordable cost. Here you will find our current information on social egg freezing prices. Please contact us to discuss treatment and receive a detailed cost estimate. Submit your personal information using any of the forms on this page.
Discuss the ethical and emotional aspects of the upcoming procedure with your partner and relatives. No secrets are needed - this will save you from many troubles in the future. Understanding and trust of all parties involved is necessary.
Social pressure and personal choice
Only personal choice determines the appropriateness of the decision. It is not necessary for all friends and acquaintances to be aware that you have frozen your oocytes and are going to make a career or have other reasons for this. The main thing is to talk to your relatives and partner.
Psychological impact of preserving fertility
The possibility of preserving fertility after 35-45 years is an important motivating factor in making a decision to freeze eggs and store them in a cryobank. This will help you clearly devote all your efforts to studying and building a career. In any case, it will be possible to have a child using your oocytes using an IVF cycle.
When deciding to freeze your eggs, you should clearly understand the sequence of the upcoming steps.
- The examination gives an accurate picture of the state of the body and the capabilities of the reproductive system at the moment.
- After passing the tests, making sure that the woman is ready, injections of hormonal drugs are prescribed.
- Having stimulated superovulation, the doctor collects the biomaterial.
- After the examination and selection of the best eggs, they are frozen.
- After this, they are placed in special cryostorages.
The woman receives a special certificate confirming that she left her frozen eggs in the cryobank.
The procedure of egg freezing has brought the fight against infertility and low fertility to a new level. Modern women have the opportunity to control and distribute efforts to create a full-fledged family in the future. It does not matter what drives a woman - personal motives, medical indications or a desire to advance on the career ladder. The main thing is that she can no longer look back at the rapid timeless and ticking biological clock.
