Egg freezing or oocyte cryopreservation removes some of the stress from family planning and allows you and your partner to decide the right time for a baby. The reasons a female may opt for egg freezing vary. In the case of a cancer patient undergoing treatment that threatens their ovarian reserve or reproductive system egg freezing helps preserve fertility for the future.
Some females with chronic conditions such as an auto-immune disorder may anticipate premature menopause that threatens their eggs’ viability and those with severe endometriosis or other fertility-threatening conditions always have the option of egg freezing for a future pregnancy.
Those are some of the medical reasons for egg freezing, but there are other reasons as well. For instance, you may decide postponing pregnancy until you’re run a committed relationship or on firmer ground insofar as your career. Some couples wait until they’ve achieved a financial footing that supports family. These reasons lead to what doctors call “social egg freezing”. Whatever the reason, the power of egg freezing for future family planning is nothing short of miraculous.
What About the “Biological Clock”?
We hear so much about the biological clock and how it determines when you have a family. Why is that? Females have all of their eggs at birth. When puberty arrives the ovaries mature and release one egg (typically) per month. If fertilization doesn’t happen the egg and the lining of the uterus shed through the menstrual period. This continues for the next 40 years, give or take a few, until menopause at which point the menstrual cycle ceases.
While four decades sounds like ample time for family planning there are additional considerations. As you age so do your eggs. In fact, your 20s and early 30s are the optimum time for pregnancy. As you draw closer to menopause (the average age is 51) your body begins changing. Your fertility hormones wane, ovulation isn’t predictable and your ovarian reserve (egg supply) diminishes in number and quality. These peri-menopausal affects may actually begin around age 35.
That’s why doctors suggest egg freezing as a means for preserving your fertility. When you preserve the most viable eggs, your odds for successful IVF go up. Meaning your chance for a healthy pregnancy increases when you use young, healthy eggs. Egg freezing extends your biological clock and allows you to set the time.
Egg Freezing Gives You The Power to Decide
As you age and move closer to menopause your fertility declines because your egg quality diminishes. When you delay starting a family, you put yourself at risk for fertility issues and trying to conceive becomes difficult. Egg freezing gives you the power when planning your family. It’s the wise decision when you just aren’t ready yet.
The Egg Freezing Process
Once you’ve made the egg freezing decision you’ll meet with your fertility specialist who assesses the health of your ovaries. A blood test checks your hormone levels and predicts the viability, health and overall condition of your ovaries. The doctor usually performs an ultrasound as well.
Next you begin preparation for egg retrieval. This lasts roughly two weeks. You inject fertility medication that encourages your ovaries in maturing moire than just one egg. During this time your doctor monitors your progress so they may determine the optimum time for retrieval.
When the time arrives you’re sedated while the doctor retrieves your eggs using a transvaginal ultrasound and cannula/needle inserted through your vagina. The ultrasound guides your doctor as they draw out all the mature eggs. Once collected the eggs the lab freezes your eggs and places them in a cryopreservation tank. The tank contains liquid nitrogen. This keeps your eggs frozen until you use them.
Future Pregnancy
When you decide it’s the right time, your doctor thaws the eggs. At this point the lab fertilizes your eggs for IVF. The fertilized eggs develop into embryos in a 3-5 day period. You may decide on preimplantation genetic testing before the embryo transfer. When the transfer occurs, your doctor inserts a cannula through your vagina and past your cervix into your uterus. There the embryo implants and grows for the duration of your pregnancy.
Typically women under 35 should expect anywhere between five and 14 eggs. The average number, according to a study published by the NIH is about 10 eggs with females under 35 producing more than older participants. The majority of eggs survived the freezing for successful fertilization.
Find Out More About The Egg Freezing Process
Egg freezing empowers couples and individuals as they decide when to pursue pregnancy. Knowing eggs are safely stored and frozen for future use provides peace of mind and quiets the ticking of the biological clock. For more on the power of egg freezing for future family planning contact LA IVF today.