Preserving Fertility
WHAT IS OOCTYE CRYOPRESERVATION?
In an increasingly modern world more women than ever have the freedom to pursue their careers, goals, travels, and passions as they shape their lives however they see fit.
It is an empowering time for progress and feminism as we are able to set our sights on what fulfills us and make our lives worthwhile. The beauty of this is our freedom of choice.
Egg Freezing Overview
For many women, this means a child free life, while for others it means starting a family. Both are equally valid and worth celebration as each provides their own value to the world and to each person’s individual life.
But for countless women, a desire to have a balance of both career and family can be achieved. There is the option to pursue a path that still allows room for a child free life while they first establish themselves in their own career or gain experiences as independent individuals before becoming parents later on.
Why Freeze My Eggs?
This is the direction many women are taking. Whether it’s due to personal choice or to ensure that their children and they themselves have stable circumstances when their family begins.
The majority of young people recognize the financial strain that often coincides with raising a family in this day and age. Many women and couples are choosing to wait to have children until they are fully established both financially and emotionally before taking the leap into parenthood.
However, even as the world progresses, our biological clock still carries on a countdown that has been ticking since the dawn of humanity.
Unlike men, women do not have an endless supply of eggs. When we are born, we carry all the eggs we will ever have in our lifetime with us in our ovaries.
While the age in which we run out of eggs varies for each woman, on average our fertility begins to decrease significantly after we turn 35.
How it Works and What I Can Expect?
This does not mean you can’t still get pregnant, but for many women it may become a bit more difficult and some may even face infertility after or around this age.
In the grand scheme of life, 35 is still very young, and most women this age still have vibrant goals ahead of them before wanting to start the equally exciting goal of raising a family.
For many other women, fertility is jeopardized if they get sick or have a condition and have to pursue treatment. Diseases like cancer or conditions that require invasive surgery can sometimes jeopardize a woman’s fertility health.
So how do women balance their goals and desires to have a biological family all while navigating mother nature’s clock or unforeseen health circumstances?
Thankfully, modernity and science has provided a solution that more and more women are seeking out.
How it Works and What I Can Expect?
This does not mean you can’t still get pregnant, but for many women it may become a bit more difficult and some may even face infertility after or around this age.
In the grand scheme of life, 35 is still very young, and most women this age still have vibrant goals ahead of them before wanting to start the equally exciting goal of raising a family.
For many other women, fertility is jeopardized if they get sick or have a condition and have to pursue treatment. Diseases like cancer or conditions that require invasive surgery can sometimes jeopardize a woman’s fertility health.
So how do women balance their goals and desires to have a biological family all while navigating mother nature’s clock or unforeseen health circumstances?
Thankfully, modernity and science has provided a solution that more and more women are seeking out
Often, trans men (men that were born with biologically female reproductive organs) will also use egg freezing to ensure that they can have a future biological family after they transition as sometimes taking testosterone and other drugs to help with transitioning may affect fertility health.
Often, trans men (men that were born with biologically female reproductive organs) will also use egg freezing to ensure that they can have a future biological family after they transition as sometimes taking testosterone and other drugs to help with transitioning may affect fertility health.
Egg Retrieval
It’s a surprisingly simple procedure that mirrors the first steps of IVF. If a woman decides to freeze her eggs, she must first see a fertility specialist doctor for an examination to understand her and her eggs health.
Once it is determined that she is healthy and her eggs can be frozen her doctor and her will devise a plan that works with her schedule and cycle.
Fertility drugs are prescribed to induce ovarian stimulation or “hyper ovulation”, allowing the ovaries to produce multiple eggs during an ovulation cycle instead of just one.
Egg Retrieval
It’s a surprisingly simple procedure that mirrors the first steps of IVF. If a woman decides to freeze her eggs, she must first see a fertility specialist doctor for an examination to understand her and her eggs health.
Once it is determined that she is healthy and her eggs can be frozen her doctor and her will devise a plan that works with her schedule and cycle.
Fertility drugs are prescribed to induce ovarian stimulation or “hyper ovulation”, allowing the ovaries to produce multiple eggs during an ovulation cycle instead of just one.
Egg Preservation
Once the eggs are ready to be collected an in office appointment will be scheduled to extract them. The process is relatively quick, usually taking no more than 30 minutes.
A fertility doctor will use a small needle attached to a suction device to collect the eggs. Most of the time, women are able to go back to their normal routines within a few hours, although there may be some cramping, feelings of pressure or fullness afterwards.
Egg Preservation
Once the eggs are ready to be collected an in office appointment will be scheduled to extract them. The process is relatively quick, usually taking no more than 30 minutes.
A fertility doctor will use a small needle attached to a suction device to collect the eggs. Most of the time, women are able to go back to their normal routines within a few hours, although there may be some cramping, feelings of pressure or fullness afterwards.
Using the Eggs
Ideally, about 10-15 eggs will be harvested during one cycle. However, the amount of eggs produced during hyperovulation can vary quite a bit from woman to woman depending on their age and health.
Once collected, the eggs are then carefully checked to determine how healthy they are. Only the healthiest eggs are frozen to give them the best chance of growing into a baby in the future.
Frozen eggs can be stored for up to ten years, allowing for plenty of time to make big life decisions and set up a family environment.
If too few eggs are collected during the first egg freezing cycle, or if the eggs are not healthy enough to be frozen, your fertility doctor may ask you to come in again for another cycle to try and increase your chance of successful pregnancy down the road.
Using the Eggs
Ideally, about 10-15 eggs will be harvested during one cycle. However, the amount of eggs produced during hyperovulation can vary quite a bit from woman to woman depending on their age and health.
Once collected, the eggs are then carefully checked to determine how healthy they are. Only the healthiest eggs are frozen to give them the best chance of growing into a baby in the future.
Frozen eggs can be stored for up to ten years, allowing for plenty of time to make big life decisions and set up a family environment.
If too few eggs are collected during the first egg freezing cycle, or if the eggs are not healthy enough to be frozen, your fertility doctor may ask you to come in again for another cycle to try and increase your chance of successful pregnancy down the road.
Egg Freezing Success Rates
For many driven, career oriented or entrepreneurial women freezing their eggs is a fantastic way to ensure they can get pregnant fast later on while not having to worry about time pressuring them to start a family before they are ready.
They have full control and autonomy over their decision to be a parent and get pregnant, which provides them with the opportunity to create a stable life for themselves so they and their family can thrive down the line.
As we grow, we slowly begin losing them until we reach menopause, at which point we have none left and are no longer able to have our own biological children.
Usually though, only one or two egg freezing cycles are needed to have enough for successful future pregnancy.
Egg Freezing Success Rates
For many driven, career oriented or entrepreneurial women freezing their eggs is a fantastic way to ensure they can get pregnant fast later on while not having to worry about time pressuring them to start a family before they are ready.
They have full control and autonomy over their decision to be a parent and get pregnant, which provides them with the opportunity to create a stable life for themselves so they and their family can thrive down the line.
As we grow, we slowly begin losing them until we reach menopause, at which point we have none left and are no longer able to have our own biological children.
Usually though, only one or two egg freezing cycles are needed to have enough for successful future pregnancy.
When Should I Freeze My Eggs?
The procedure overall is quick with minimal risks and while there may be some side effects from the fertility medication taken leading up to the procedure, patients usually say they are mild and disappear quickly after medication is no longer being taken.
How Many Eggs to Freeze?
Here at Fertility Finders we celebrate the marriage of science and autonomy in helping people to shape their own free and healthy lives. With egg freezing, we are seeing more women than ever have the freedom to live how they choose and still achieve all their goals in life without having to compromise on building a family of their own.
We believe in empowering them to continue to do so, which is why we’re here to provide all the help we can to set you up with all the information, advice, and tools for all your fertility needs.
Whether it’s help with financial planning for fertility services, finding the right egg freezing facility or fertility clinic near you, or simply answering questions you might have, simply contact our friendly staff to start building your fertility team today!
Speak with a
Fertility Specialist
What questions can we help answer today?