Egg freezing is a fertility preservation procedure that was first performed successfully in 1986. This process allows a woman to have some of her healthy eggs extracted from her ovaries in order to be frozen and preserved for an indefinite time. This allows her to hold off on having a baby until she is ready. Women decide to freeze eggs for various reasons. Read on to see why in addition to a description of what to expect from the egg freezing procedure.
Why Women Choose Egg Freezing
Personal and Social Reasons
The egg freezing process is great for a number of reasons. Women use this procedure to preserve their fertility until they are ready to get pregnant. For instance, many women freeze their eggs if they do not yet have a partner they want to have a baby with. Women also freeze their eggs if they want to delay their family building for other reason such as taking time to focus on their career.
Because fertility decreases with age, women may want to have their eggs frozen by a fertility doctor before they turn 35. This egg freezing provides a sense of security to women who want to become a mother one day but may not be ready right now.
Medical Reasons
Women may also choose to freeze their eggs for medical reasons. If a woman has been diagnosed with cancer, for example, she may want to freeze her eggs prior to initiating chemotherapy or radiation treatment. Cancer and cancer treatment can negatively affect a person’s reproductive organs and their fertility.
Embryo Freezing is Also an Option
In addition to egg freezing, couples can choose to preserve frozen embryos. They may choose this option if they want kids later in their relationship. Embryo cryopreservation happens when a woman’s egg is removed from her ovaries and then fertilized with her partner’s sperm through in vitro fertilization. Once formed, the embryo will be preserved at a temperature below zero until the couple is ready to have a baby.
How the Egg Freezing Process Works
Once you have decided that egg freezing is right for you, you’ll want to consult a board certified reproductive endocrinologist at a fertility clinic that has a successful freezing program. The process starts with certain fertility drugs to create ovarian stimulation. This is when the ovaries are prompted to release more than one mature egg. The more eggs released and collected by your doctor, the better chances you have to get pregnant once the eggs are thawed.
After you receive these treatments to stimulate your ovaries, your doctor will put you under gentle anesthesia to retrieve your eggs for freezing. The specialist will then use an ultrasound probe to collect mature eggs from each ovary. This process does not make you run out of eggs sooner.
Sometimes, egg freezing costs can be pretty high for our patients. That’s why we offer certain discount programs here at The Fertility Center. Contact us to see if you qualify.
How Long Do the Eggs Last?
Once your eggs are frozen, they can last for an indefinite amount of time as long as they are maintained at cryogenic temperatures. Current freezing technology allows good success for women that preserve their eggs for future use.
Consult The Fertility Center
The Fertility Center of Las Vegas has been offering successful fertility treatments for over thirty years. We have countless resources for egg freezing, fertility preservation, and variety of other medical fertility treatments. Learn more about our egg freezing and fertility preservation.
