Freezing your eggs is a personal choice that many females in Beverly Hills make every day. There are several reasons for freezing eggs that remain instrumental in making that decision. Here we offer insights from fertility experts in Beverly Hills that may help you make your choice.
Who Opts for Freezing Eggs in Beverly Hills?
For many women, freezing eggs offers a lifeline for their future fertility. If you’re uncertain about having a child but can’t seem to quiet the ticking of your biological clock, freezing eggs may give you the best chance for conception when you feel ready. It’s not unusual to postpone parenthood for things like furthering your education, achieving work or life goals, or finding the right partner with whom you want to create a family.
Other women opt for egg freezing because of a health condition that may compromise their future fertility such as an autoimmune disease. Surgeries for issues like endometriosis or treatment for some cancers may also disrupt your reproductive future. In many health-related cases, freezing eggs provides the opportunity for future pregnancy.
What’s The Best Time for Freezing Eggs?
At birth, females have all of the eggs they will ever have. The eggs number in the millions but the egg supply diminishes over the years, through menstruation, age, and life events. Fertility begins dropping as you enter your 30s and continues dropping until menopause, picking up speed after age 35.
That means the best time for freezing eggs in Beverly Hills generally occurs between 25 and 35. However, this depends on you and your body as everyone is different. According to a publication by the NIH, some doctors find 37 the most beneficial age for egg freezing, and freezing eggs after the age of 40 may not prove successful for some women. Deciding on freezing eggs is ultimately up to you and your doctor.
What is the Egg Freezing Process?
Egg freezing involves multiple steps, but all in all, is pretty straightforward. Much like when you undergo in vitro fertilization, you begin with a consultation with your doctor and determine if freezing eggs is right for you.
- You’ll schedule a series of appointments for blood tests and ultrasounds.
- Your doctor prescribes hormonal injections to mature multiple eggs at one time. They may also prescribe hormone pills like birth control pills to ensure the timing is just right.
- A final shot, the trigger shot, ensures eggs mature before retrieval.
- Your doctor performs the egg retrieval, an outpatient procedure, while you’re under sedation. The doctor uses a very small needle, guided by ultrasound. The needle goes directly into the ovaries through the vaginal wall and extracts your eggs.
- The lab examines the eggs for viability and freezes the healthy eggs using a rapid freezing process called vitrification. This process prevents ice crystals from forming and keeps your eggs viable.
- When you’re ready the lab thaws your eggs and fertilizes them with your partner’s sperm.
- The doctor transfers the embryo created through in vitro fertilization into your uterus where it implants and develops.
Side Effects of Freezing Eggs
You’ll likely experience some common side effects, but typically, they are not too severe. These side effects are not unlike PMS and occur because of the hormonal stimulation of the ovaries, including:
- Headaches
- Hot flashes
- Nausea
- Mood swings
- Breast tenderness
- Pain or bruising at the injection site
After your egg retrieval, you may experience the following:
- Pain or soreness in the pelvic region
- Cramping
- Bloating
Many women rest for a few days following egg retrieval, but resume normal activities shortly thereafter.
Where Are The Eggs Stored?
After freezing, the lab places your frozen eggs into a deeper freezer in tanks filled with liquid nitrogen. Your stored frozen eggs remain at the embryology lab until you’re ready for in vitro fertilization. The embryology lab maintains around-the-clock monitoring, manual temperature checks and security. All labs must maintain certification by a government agency that oversees and regulates all laboratory activities.
Does Insurance Cover Freezing Eggs?
Some states require insurers to provide for at least a portion of the costs of egg freezing. In Beverly Hills, you may be aware of the new legislation that expands fertility coverage starting next July. Talk with your insurer for further clarification.
Where Should You Go for Answers in Beverly Hills?
Looking for more insights from fertility experts in Beverly Hills? Please contact LA IVF today and schedule a consultation. We’re here to help you realize your goals for growing your family and we look forward to partnering with you on your journey.
