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Egg freezing
Like IVF, preserving your fertility by freezing your eggs is more common now than it once was. Yet, what can be expected of the procedure and how to get started are not as common knowledge despite being a key component of the decision-making process.
Find out what it is and how it works so you can make the right choice for you.
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What is egg freezing?
Egg freezing is where we collect, freeze and safely store your eggs for use in future fertility treatment.
As you age, your eggs do too. This means that not only does the number of eggs you have remaining (ovarian reserve) decline, but their quality does too.
Preserving your eggs can be a reassuring option if you’re looking to have a family further down the line.
It’s important to know that this doesn’t guarantee a future pregnancy. But it does let you try treatment at the right time for you.
How does egg freezing work?
To freeze your eggs, you’ll need to go through a partial IVF cycle, taking you right up to the egg collection step.
The egg freezing process can take up to three weeks and looks something like this:
Suppressing the natural menstrual cycle. Medication will be administered at home via an injection to stop natural hormone production and control when your eggs are released.
Stimulating the ovaries. Further medication will be given to stimulate egg production. This increases the chance of more eggs being collected.
Monitoring progress. A scan will be performed to check the development of the follicles that produce the eggs. This will determine when the eggs are collected.
Egg retrieval. Once the follicles have reached the correct size, an injection will be given to mature the eggs for collection. A needle is then gently guided through the vaginal wall to capture the eggs one by one. Don’t worry, you will be sedated for this part of the procedure to ensure no pain or discomfort.
Once collected, we use a flash freezing technique called vitrification for the preservation of your eggs.
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Who can benefit from egg freezing?
Preserving your fertility can be a reassuring option if you’re looking to have a family further down the line.
There are many reasons why you may wish to preserve your fertility. Some of the most common reasons are:
You’re not ready to start a family yet
Lots of individuals come to us knowing that one day they wish to start a family, however, their circumstances mean they are either not financially or emotionally ready, there are other things they want to achieve beforehand, or they simply haven’t met the right partner.
You’re a transgender or non-binary person
If you’re starting hormone therapy or planning to have reconstructive surgery, both can lead to some or complete loss of your fertility.
You’re about to have treatment for cancer
Cancer treatments such as chemotherapy, radiotherapy and hormone therapy can affect a person’s fertility, particularly when receiving high doses.
You have a condition that may affect your fertility
Polycystic ovary syndrome, endometriosis, uterine fibroids, as well as other health problems, can affect fertility in women.
You’re in the Armed Forces or have a hazardous job
If you’re working a job deemed as “hazardous” you may wish to preserve your fertility due to the increased risk of injury or exposure to harmful chemicals or illnesses.
We're here to help
Whatever your situation, we’re here to answer your questions and guide you through your fertility preservation options. Please use our contact form to book an appointment at your local TFP Fertility clinic to find out more.
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What can I expect from the egg freezing process?
If you'd like to know about freezing your eggs, get in touch and we'll talk you through your options and the next steps.
We’ll book you in for a consultation, during which a fertility specialist will assess the condition of your ovaries. An AMH (Anti Mullerian Hormone) blood test will be carried out to predict how likely you are to produce viable eggs from your ovarian reserve.
You’ll also be screened for infectious diseases, such as HIV and hepatitis C. The results of these tests will have no bearing on whether you can freeze your eggs or not, but it will help us to ensure other patient’s genetic material are not put at risk when your eggs are stored.
Most patients under the age of 38 can expect to have between 7-14 eggs collected, although this isn’t always possible for patients with low ovarian reserves (low numbers of eggs).
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Egg freezing resources
Here's everything you need to know about egg freezing - from how much it costs to how successful it is - so you feel empowered to make the right choice for you.
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Egg freezing costs
Choosing to freeze your eggs is a significant financial decision. Our transparent pricing ensures you have all the information you need to move forward.
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Success rates
It's important to understand how likely your eggs to survive the freeze-thaw process as well as success rates for frozen treatment cycles.
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How old do you have to be to freeze your eggs?
Here's everything our experts say about the optimal age for freezing your eggs for your best chance of success later on.
Egg freezing FAQs
How long can I freeze my eggs for?
Your eggs can now be stored for up to 55 years from the date they were first placed in storage. You must renew your consent every 10 years.
We’ll reach out when your renewal date is approaching so you don't need to worry about missing it.
How long will it take to freeze my eggs?
To freeze your eggs, you must undergo a partial IVF cycle. The egg freezing part of this process can typically take up to three weeks. This includes the time you will need to take hormone medication to stimulate your egg growth and the monitoring scans you will have to determine when your egg retrieval is carried out.
What decisions do I need to make about my eggs?
Before treatment commences, you'll need to complete consent forms that specify how you want your eggs or sperm to be used.
This includes:
- How long you want your eggs or sperm to be stored for (you can store them for a maximum of 55 years. You'll need to renew your consent to storage every 10 years)
- What should happen to your sperm or eggs if you were to die or become unable to make decisions for yourself
- Whether the eggs or sperm are to be used in your treatment only or whether they can be donated to someone else for treatment or training purposes
Should I freeze eggs or embryos?
Ultimately, the decision is yours. If you're a single individual preserving your fertility, freezing your eggs is the best option.
However, if you're in a committed relationship or have someone in you're life you'd like to co-parent with, we would recommend having embryos created and frozen. This is because embryos survive the thawing process better than eggs.
What happens when I want to use my eggs?
When you're ready to use your eggs they will be thawed and prepared for treatment.
Eggs that have been frozen must be fertilised using a procedure called ICSI (intracytoplasmic injection) where a single sperm is injected directly into the egg.
This is necessary because the freezing process makes the outer coating around the egg harder, and sperm may not be able to penetrate it using the conventional IVF method.
How safe is it?
The treatment you will undergo to collect your eggs for freezing is mostly very safe, however, some people do experience side effects from the hormone medication you must take.
Our fertility experts will monitor you closely to ensure it is as safe as possible for you.
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