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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.
Preserving your eggs can be a reassuring option if you’re looking to have a family further down the line.
Find out what it is and how it works so you can make the best 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, so do your eggs, so preserving them can give you more options for starting 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.
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.
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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.
How long can I store my eggs for?
UK law permits you to store your eggs for use in treatment for up to 55 years from the date they are first placed in storage, however, you must renew your consent every ten years.
We’ll reach out when this renewal date approaches so you don’t need to worry about missing it.
How safe is it?
The IVF treatment you will undergo to collect your eggs for freezing is mostly very safe, however, some women do experience side effects from their fertility drugs.
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What can I expect in the egg freezing process?
If you’re interested in freezing your eggs, get in touch with TFP Fertility today and we’ll guide you through the process step by step.
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 screen 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 the 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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