For women approaching their mid-30s concerned with their fertility, egg freezing is the answer. While the biological clock is absolutely moving forward, there’s no need to panic. If you’re under the age of 35 and still not ready to have children, but you do want the option when the time is right, consider egg freezing.
Egg freezing, or cryopreservation, is the process by which your doctor retrieves your eggs and preserves them for future fertilization. The benefit of freezing your eggs at 32, or anytime under the age of 35, is that the eggs are likely healthier and more viable than they are the closer you get to menopause.
After the age of 35, there I a significant reduction in the quality of your eggs. The decline speeds up as you near 40, and your chances for a healthy, naturally occurring pregnancy go down as well. As you eggs age, there is an increased risk for chromosomal abnormalities that could result in serious birth defects, miscarriage, and stillbirth.
When you preserve your eggs for future use while they’re still young, your chances of chromosomal abnormalities go down, even if you’re over 35 when you conceive. By using the eggs you froze when you were 32, your odds for successful IVF resulting in a healthy pregnancy and birth are significantly higher. In fact, one study at NYU found that women who froze their eggs at 35 or younger experienced a 70% live birth rate.
Why Freeze Your Eggs at 32?
32 is a great age to consider freezing your eggs, as it’s within the age span considered optimal for healthy eggs. Doctors confirm they retrieve the most viable eggs from women who are in their mid-20s to mid-30s. There are many other reasons you should consider egg freezing at 32.
Biological Reasons to Freeze Your Eggs at 32
By freezing your eggs at 32, you’ll know you’re at peak fertility. That means the quantity, as well as the quality, of your eggs is at its highest. When you do decide the time is right, you can use your frozen eggs with confidence, knowing your odds are greatly improved over eggs frozen later on.
Reasons Concerning Your Lifestyle
At 32 years of age, many women are just hitting their career stride and aren’t ready to interrupt their progress by starting a family. Maybe you want to achieve financial stability so you can better provide for your future child. Perhaps you’d like to realize other goals as well: travel to new places, train for a marathon, or even find the right partner with whom you want a family.
Freezing your eggs at 32 allows you he freedom to pursue all that you wish before becoming a parent. You shouldn’t need to follow your biological clock and hope everything works out. Egg freezing when you’re at peak fertility gives you peace of mind.
Medical Reasons for Egg Freezing
So far, we’ve discussed egg freezing in terms of what’s recognized as social egg freezing. That means you opt to freeze your eggs, knowing you’ll use them at a future date, preserving your fertility while you realize your own goals. Doing so helps ease your mind and quiet that biological clock. And, for all of the reasons above, along with your personal reasons, egg freezing under 35 will likely make you a better parent in the future.
But there are some medical reasons for egg freezing, too. Women who are facing a medical crisis that may impact their fertility can preserve their ability to have a child in the future through egg freezing. Here are some of the more common medical reasons for egg freezing at a younger age:
- A cancer diagnosis and treatment that impacts fertility. In many cases, chemotherapy and even targeted radiation destroy fertility. Your doctor should speak with you about egg freezing prior to starting treatment.
- A medical condition that affects fertility. For those women diagnosed with conditions that directly impact fertility, like PCOS or endometriosis, treatment for those conditions may or may not restore their fertility. Freezing your eggs after receiving a diagnosis means you’ll have the option for IVF later on.
- Egg freezing for same sex female couples allows future family planning and IVF using donor sperm.
Egg Freezing Now is A Great Idea
Ultimately, freezing your eggs at 32 or anytime under the age of 35 is a good idea. The timing is right to preserve your fertility, and you can determine on your own when you’re ready to start a family. For more on how you can preserve your fertility, please schedule your consultation with LA IVF today.
