What 7 Things should I know before freezing my eggs?
Written by
Arva Health Team
31-Jan-2024
Egg Freezing suddenly seems all the rage, doesn’t it? Everyone from celebrities to friends are talking about it and it’s impossible to escape the hype.
And we get it- it's a way to preserve your fertility at your age, for you to focus on your priorities and get back to your family planning at a later date.
So if egg freezing is something you’re considering, or just researching about, here are a few things you need to know:
🕢 You’ll get time!
Women are having kids later than ever. It's not about the scare of the biological clock, but rather about how these options help is prioritize our health, education, career, travel, and so on.
With egg freezing, you get the option to detail out your family planning, whether you currently have a partner or not.
Egg Freezing allows you to preserve your fertility so you can have kids when you’re physically, emotionally, and financially ready for it. Not when society tells you to 🙄
👩🏻💼It’s like insurance
Reproductive conditions like premature ovarian failure, PCOS and even thyroid issues can cause issues when you’re trying to conceive naturally. These issues can also lead to prolonged treatment and longer duration of medications as well.
Freezing your eggs can help you avoid those conversations later.
PS. If you’re unsure of your egg reserve, take a Fertility Test! It can give you essential insights into your egg count and quality.
It’s an investment 💸
While people like us are trying to make egg freezing more affordable (we’ll keep you posted, sign up here), it is still a sizeable financial and time investment to make.
Freezing eggs, in a way, is like having half the IVF process done. The time and effort invested in freezing your eggs isn’t really lost and can be rewarding later when you decide to use the frozen eggs.
___th time’s the charm!🌟
Depending on your age and medical history, it can take anywhere from one to a couple of cycles to get the right quality and quantity of eggs to freeze.
There’s no magic number or a set “number of cycles” either. Everyone’s egg-freezing journey is unique.
Each cycle takes 1-2 weeks each. So make sure you're mentally prepared before you commit.
The sooner you do it, the better🥚
We’re all born with 1-2 million eggs but as you age, that number reduces. Your ovarian reserve depletes as your menstrual cycle assigns a group of eggs to grow each month, with only one emerging as the “egg of the month”.
As this happens over the years, the egg number and quality declines. When you freeze your eggs when you are younger, you have the chance to preserve the genetics of your egg. AKA, The younger you are when you freeze your eggs, the more number and better quality you’ll have access to.
It’s not a guarantee, though🪄
While the procedure of freezing eggs is now largely standardized and is a routine procedure worldwide, success rates vary across the world. The number and quality of eggs that you may freeze as well, is unique to your situation.
But does freezing eggs guarantee a baby? Not really. The next process, which is IVF depends on donor or partner sperm, the quality and the entire procedure, medication and timeline. Hence, it’s never a 100% guarantee, just like natural conception. But opting for egg freezing can nevertheless be a positive on your side when you’re finally ready to start a family.
You can’t do it on a whim
Egg freezing takes a lot of preparation — mental, medical, physical, and financial. It’s a labour of your effort and time, so it’s okay to sit back, check resources and finalize the clinics, and the doctors you want to approach and have a say in the medications and protocol that you think is best for you.
Don’t feel pressured to make the decision RIGHT NOW! If having kids is something you want someday, or if you wish to preserve your fertility, it’s important to sit and think about how you want to do it and commit to the process.
🧊 What Does Freezing Eggs Mean?
Egg freezing, or oocyte cryopreservation, is a process where a woman's eggs are extracted, frozen, and stored for future use. It's like pressing pause on your fertility, allowing you to potentially have biological children later in life. Think of it as creating a time capsule for your future family! 🕰️
💉 Egg Freezing Process
Ovarian stimulation: You'll take hormone injections for about 10-12 days to boost egg production.
Monitoring: Regular blood tests and ultrasounds to track follicle growth.
Trigger shot: A final injection to mature the eggs.
Egg retrieval: A quick procedure (about 15 minutes) under light sedation.
Freezing: Viable eggs are frozen using vitrification, a flash-freezing technique.
It's a bit of a rollercoaster, but hey, you've got this! 💪
🩺 Freezing Eggs Consultation
Before diving in, you'll have a consultation with a fertility specialist. They'll assess your ovarian reserve, discuss your medical history, and explain the process in detail. It's your chance to ask all those burning questions! Don't be shy – knowledge is power, especially when it comes to your fertility. 🧠
👩👧 Who Should Consider Freezing Their Eggs?
Women focusing on career or education
Those not ready for parenthood but want to keep options open
Women with medical conditions that might affect fertility
Anyone wanting to take control of their reproductive future
Remember, there's no one-size-fits-all answer. It's a personal decision based on your unique circumstances and goals. 🎯
⏳ Duration of Egg Freezing: How Long Can Eggs Be Frozen?
Good news! Frozen eggs can be stored indefinitely. There's no expiration date on your fertility dreams. Whether you use them in 2 years or 20, they'll be waiting for you. It's like having a fertility savings account that never loses interest! 💰
The last thing you need to know: We’re making egg-freezing affordable, and accessible
At Arva, we’re striving to have the right resources reach Indian women and make egg freezing affordable and accessible.
From finding the right gynaecologist who listens to you, to accessing a fertility test a click away to know your hormonal levels, we’re working to remove the taboo that surrounds infertility, one day at a time!
If egg freezing is something you’re exploring and set out to you, head over to our egg freezing guide to understand how to move ahead with your decision, and the first steps to take!
FAQs
1. What is the biggest risk of egg freezing?
The biggest risk of egg freezing is a very rare condition known as Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome or OHSS. This is where the ovaries overreact to the hormonal medication leading to more eggs being produced, swelling up of the ovaries, and pain.
2. What not to do before freezing eggs?
Avoid alcohol, smoking, recreational drugs, and even hot tubs and saunas! Higher temperatures can have a negative effect on your egg-freezing process. Apart from that, one can also try to reduce stress levels, exercise moderately, and have a nutritionally healthy diet.
3. Can you get pregnant naturally after freezing eggs?
Yes, freezing eggs doesn’t really affect your natural fertility. If you’re planning to conceive naturally, then freezing eggs can be a backup option. Egg freezing merely tries to extract all the eggs that would’ve been selected to grow, in a particular menstrual cycle. The rest of the eggs in your ovaries stay dormant, and undisturbed.
4. What is the best age to freeze your eggs?
Generally freezing your eggs between the ages of 27-35 can be beneficial. The ovarian reserve begins to deplete in the late 20s and accelerates in decline during the 30s. Hence to preserve egg quality, it is best to freeze your eggs and their genetics, around the ages of 27-35.
How many eggs should I freeze?
On average, 10-15 eggs are needed to produce one child. The number may increase if you're freezing eggs after age 35.
How long does the egg-freezing process take?
The entire process, including hormone stimulation and egg retrieval, takes about 2-3 weeks. The actual egg retrieval procedure is a quick 15-30 minute process.
Stay in the know
Receive email updates on stuff you’ll probably want to know about, including products, launches, and events.
Unsubscribe anytime.
