Egg freezing started out as a type of fertility preservation for women who were suffering from a terminal disease like cancer or needed to undergo a medical treatment that can pose risks to their fertility. The procedure is now available for the entire female population and is being used more and more by women, especially those who worry they will not be able to get pregnant during their most fertile years.

Both women who choose to undergo egg freezing and those who opt for IVF treatments go through the same protocol at the initial stage. You will have to do some fertility tests — in particular, those that check egg reserves and levels of hormones in your body. This will help ensure that retrieving the eggs now will have no significant effect on your future egg pool should you change your mind and choose to get pregnant much sooner.

When you are ready for freezing your eggs, you will have to take the same types of medications that those considering IVF treatment take, which stimulate the release of many eggs all at once. Following retrieval, these eggs are then vitrified (fast-freezing) and stored in a “glass-like” state until you need them for your IVF procedure.

You Are An Ideal Candidate for Egg Freezing if...

Generally, as long as you are healthy, have normal hormone levels and not more than 39 years old, you a good fit for egg freezing. There are many situations that can drive women to freeze their eggs in order to optimize their chances of getting pregnant in the future.

You have had cancer or medical diagnosis that poses risks to future fertility

Some types of cancers and cancer treatments are capable of compromising fertility. As a matter of fact, this was what motivated doctors to conduct research on female fertility preservation (including vitrification) in the first place. Schedule a consultation with a fertility expert to talk about the available options if you’ve had a recent cancer diagnosis or any medical treatment that can raise your chances of becoming infertile later on.

You are on the career and/or academic path

Although some wonderful women pursue a physically and emotionally demanding career and/or academic paths while nursing a baby, it is not an easy thing to do. Egg freezing may be a go-to option for you if you will need to postpone motherhood until age 37 or later due to your future trajectory. Note that higher IVF success rates are obtained before a woman turns 35 years old, after which they decline drastically.

The reason for this is that the quality of a woman's eggs is important, and eggs of women aged 35 and older quickly reduce in quality. If you think you won’t be ready for motherhood before age 35, opting for egg freezing when time is still on your side wouldn’t be a bad idea. In the absence of any other fertility issues, doing this will put the success rates of your IVF at the age when your eggs were frozen, instead of the age when you have the fertility treatment.

You have yet to find Mr. Right

A lot of women use IUI (intrauterine insemination) and donor sperm to raise their odds of getting pregnant without freezing their eggs – and with no partner in the equation. However, we know that not all women find this alternative option appealing. So, if you are 35 or older and have yet to find your knight in shiny armor, egg freezing can let you have peace of mind. It ensures that eggs are not only available but also abundant when Mr. Right finally appears and you are ready to embark on your family building journey.

Still, have questions about egg freezing? You can always reach out to Reproductive Sciences Medical Center at www.fertile.com or call (858) 436-7186 to schedule a free consultation.