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Egg freezing
Egg freezing involves collecting eggs from your ovaries and freezing them so they can be stored for future use. We can't press pause on life, but freezing your eggs offers you the gift of time. By freezing your eggs, you can focus on what matters now without sacrificing the chance of having a family later on.
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What is egg freezing?
Egg freezing allows you to preserve your fertility by retrieving your eggs from the ovaries and safely storing them for future use. Whilst egg freezing doesn't guarantee a future pregnancy, it can give you more options when trying for a family when the time is right for you.
To freeze your eggs, you'll need to undergo a partial IVF cycle. This includes a short course of hormone medication to stimulate egg growth as well as an egg retrieval procedure performed under sedation. Healthy eggs are rapidly frozen using a method known as vitrification and stored safely in liquid nitrogen until you're ready to use them.
Who should consider egg freezing?
Preserving your fertility by freezing your eggs can be a reassuring option if you’re looking to have a family further down the line. Depending on your personal circumstances there are many reasons why you might decide that egg freezing is right for you.
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You're not ready to start a family yet
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You're a non-binary or transgender person
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You have a condition that may affect your fertility
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You're in the Armed Forces or at risk of injury
When should I freeze my eggs?
We recommend freezing your eggs between the ages of 25 and 35, when egg quality is generally higher. Egg quality declines with age, so you will have a greater chance of success with future fertility treatment the earlier you decide to freeze your eggs. Higher-quality eggs are more likely to develop into an embryo, implant in the uterus, and result in a pregnancy.
Age 20 - 35
This is the best age to freeze your eggs, as egg quality is generally higher. The earlier you freeze your eggs, the better chances of pregnancy when you decide it's time to start your family.
If you have a health condition
Certain conditions, including endometriosis and PMOS, can affect fertility earlier in life.
Age 30 - 35
For most women, fertility starts to decline gradually from the age of 30. Most women also experience an accelerated decrease in egg quality and quantity in their mid-thirties, continuing until menopause.
Age 35 +
If you’re over 35, a fertility assessment will give you a better understanding of your individual circumstances and health to determine if egg freezing is an option for you. Most UK fertility clinics will have an age limit of 45 for egg freezing.
The egg freezing process
The egg freezing process includes undergoing a partial IVF cycle and can take up to three weeks. Here is a step-by-step guide on what to expect when freezing your eggs:
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Fertility assessment and consultation
Your egg freezing journey will start with a fertility assessment to provide a clear picture of your fertility health and likely response to the medication used in fertility treatments. This includes an anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH) blood test followed by an antral follicle count (AFC) transvaginal scan.
Consent
Before treatment, you'll need to complete consent forms about how you want your eggs to be used. This includes:
Whether your all eggs are for your own treatment or can be donated for treatment (also known as egg sharing) or for training purposes
How long you want to store your eggs for
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Step one
Control and stimulation of the ovaries
The appropriate stimulation protocol is determined by a woman’s AMH level, but it generally involves a 7 to 14-day course of hormone injections to stimulate the ovaries to produce several good-sized follicles.
Step two
Monitoring progress
Pelvic scans will be performed to check the development and growth of the follicles in the ovaries. This will determine when the eggs are collected from the follicles.
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Step three
Egg retrieval
Once the follicles have reached the correct size, an injection will be given to mature the eggs for collection.
A needle will be gently guided through the vaginal wall to aspirate the eggs one by one from the follicles. Don’t worry, you’ll be sedated for this part of the procedure to make sure there’s no pain or discomfort.
Step four
Freezing
Healthy eggs are cooled using a method known as vitrification, which involves much more rapid cooling compared to other less advanced methods of freezing. This preserves the quality of the cells, prevents ice crystals from forming, and improves the chances of surviving when they are thawed.
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Step five
Storage
After vitrification, the eggs are safely stored in a cryopreservation chamber until you're ready to use them. UK law allows eggs to be stored for use in fertility treatment for up to 55 years from the date they are first placed in storage. You must renew your consent every ten years, and we’ll reach out when this renewal date approaches.
Ready to start? Book your consultation today
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How much does egg freezing cost?
Explore the breakdown of a typical egg freezing cycle at each TFP Fertility clinic, as well as the cost of a fertility assessment to help provide you with the answers you need to plan for your future.
Any medication required throughout your treatment is charged separately.
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Egg freeze and share for £1000 - medication included
Looking for ways to spread the cost of egg freezing?
Make fertility preservation more manageable using our 0% interest repayment plan with Access Fertility, or fund your treatment with health insurance at Bupa or AXA Health. You can also receive your egg freezing treatment for just £1000 including medication when you join our egg sharing scheme.
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Get a 0% interest payment plan
Access Fertility allow you to spread the cost of IVF programmes, through their finance offering, including 0% interest on payment plans for up to 12 months.
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Egg freeze and share for £1000
If you choose to freeze your eggs and share your eggs, you'll receive a reduction in the cost of treatment.This also includes medication.
Our egg freezing success rates
We estimate that 90% of eggs survive the freeze-thaw process, which is a key factor when considering how effective egg freezing is as a fertility option.
The likelihood of getting pregnant with frozen eggs depends on several factors, including age. Women who freeze their eggs before the age of 35 generally have a higher chance of conceiving.
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Egg freezing or embryo freezing?
Egg freezing is a different process from embryo freezing. Embryo freezing is where eggs are fertilised with sperm in a laboratory and left to develop into embryos before being frozen and stored in liquid nitrogen for future use.
Whether you choose to freeze eggs or embryos is entirely up to you and will depend on your personal circumstances, for example whether you’re single, in a committed relationship, or have someone in your life that you'd like to co-parent with.
If you choose to freeze your eggs and share your eggs, you'll receive a reduction in the cost of treatment.This also includes medication.
What happens when you want to use your eggs?
Your eggs will remain safely stored until you decide that you’re ready to use them. When this time comes, you’ll need to contact your TFP clinic, and they’ll go through the process. This will involve carrying out ultrasound scans, a consultation and a treatment planning appointment.
Your eggs will be thawed and fertilised with sperm in a lab using a method called ICSI, where a single sperm is injected directly into the egg. This method is used because freezing can make the outer layer of the egg tougher, so introducing the sperm directly helps facilitate fertilisation.
The fertilised eggs are then left for five to six days to develop into mature embryos, known as a blastocysts. During this time, we monitor embryo development using an EmbryoScope™, which helps us select the strongest embryo(s) for transfer. We’ll then transfer the embryo to your womb using a catheter.
You can take your pregnancy test 13 to 15 days after embryo transfer. Your fertility clinic will give you the exact date to test. If you get a positive result, we'll organise a scan at the clinic between 6 and 8 weeks, and if everything looks good, we'll discharge you to your GP. If the result is negative, we'll schedule a follow-up consultation to talk through your options going forward.
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Our patient stories
Steph's journey to taking control of her fertility
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Nicola took the plunge and froze her eggs
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Ria's egg freezing journey
Egg freezing FAQs
Start your egg freezing journey
Book your fertility assessment to get started
We’re here to support you. Speak with our patient support team for expert advice and to book your first consultation.
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Dr Alex Swanton
Fertility Consultant, TFP Thames Valley Fertility · Reviewed 20 July 2026
Demonstrated Experience
- ·Over 25 years of IVF experience, both in practice and research.
- ·Specialist in PMOS, endometriosis, fibroids, recurrent miscarriage and advanced laparoscopic surgery.
- ·Developed expertise over several years in keyhole surgery for conditions including fibroids, hysterectomy and endometriosis.
Access Fertility Limited (FRN 1059979) has temporary FCA permission to provide regulated Deferred Payment Credit (0% interest finance). Customers benefit from applicable FCA protections and may be able to refer complaints to the Financial Ombudsman Service.
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Ready to start your fertility journey? We're here for you
Speak to our patient support team for advice about your options and to book your first consultation with a fertility expert.