5 Surprising Facts About Egg Freezing

Egg freezing is one of the safest and helpful procedures for all women planning to get pregnant during the later years of life. Egg freezing facts are important to ponder over. Unlike embryo cryopreservation, the egg freezing procedure eliminates the need for a male partner or any sperm donor. The egg freezing procedure stores unfertilized eggs from women. However, women require inducing the ovulation process by using fertility drugs to produce enough eggs during the egg retrieval procedure. 

Cases when Egg Freezing is Preferable 

Women may go with egg freezing procedure in the following significant cases-

Women Detected with Cancer and Need Proper Treatment

A few women diagnosed or detected with cancer have to undergo chemotherapy cancer treatment, affecting their fertility. In this situation, doctors recommend for egg freezing procedure before their cancer treatment so that women can bear their biological babies in the later years of life. 

When a Woman Undergoes IVF Treatment

If any woman undergoes IVF treatment and if her male partner fails to produce sperms in enough amounts on the day of egg retrieval, IVF specialists recommend egg freezing. 

Cost Involved in Egg Freezing

Egg freezing cost involves considerable amount, as it an innovative technology in the field of fertility medicine. The total cost of egg freezing consists of two different types of expenses: egg retrieval cost, where the process is almost similar to an IVF treatment procedure, and egg retention cost. Here, egg retrieval cost ranges from a minimum of Rs. 50,000 to a maximum of Rs. 1 lakhs. On the other side, the cost associated with retaining frozen eggs is a recurring annual cost, and it may be between Rs. 15,000 and Rs. 30,000 in one year.  

Facts Related to Egg Freezing Procedure

Egg freezing is an effective way to improve the chance of women conceiving at old ages. However, the procedure is entirely different from a permanent solution. So, whether it is about egg freezing success rates by age or anything else, here you will come to know five surprising facts related to freezing your eggs. 

Egg Freezing Facts 1 – It is not Effective for Women who Want to Delay Pregnancies.

Many women today often ask how long you can freeze your eggs. In other words, there is a consistent increase in the interest in the egg freezing procedure. However, it is still a non-recommendable among fertility specialists as an effective way for women who want to postpone their pregnancies or have children. According to the study conducted in 2012 under ASRM, i.e., the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, there is no relevant data to justify that women can freeze their eggs to meet the prime objective of delaying childbearing. 

The reason is that studies lack enough support about the efficacy, support, emotional risks, ethics, and cost-effectiveness related to the egg freezing process. However, ASRM recommends egg freezing for many other women, including those who have cancer and are prone to lose their fertility at the time of chemotherapy treatment. 

Egg Freezing Facts 2 – Only a Few Women Use their Freeze Eggs in the Future.

Many fertility centers have reported a very low percentage of women who use their freeze eggs for pregnancy. However, according to the latest research study, approximately 230 women froze their eggs in a California-based fertility clinic from 2007 to 2012 to delay their pregnancy and childbearing. 

However, only 95 percent of the total number of women have used their freeze eggs by the year 2015. Another survey conducted on 49 women has revealed that only 16 percent have succeeded in getting pregnant by other alternatives. After this, 30 percent of the women were ready to bear children, and 53 percent of them kept their eggs unused because they were unmarried. 

Egg Freezing Facts 3 – It does not Guarantee Pregnancy. 

Many ladies who wish to freeze their eggs perceive the procedure as a type of insurance policy if they fail to become pregnant at their old age. However, freezing eggs does not guarantee a successful pregnancy. Studies conducted on various frozen eggs from egg donors below 30 years of age highlighted the pregnancy rate of women between 36 percent and 61 percent. 

The probability of bearing a child or pregnancy depends on the age of a woman while she freezes her egg and the total number of eggs she freezes. Statistics have highlighted that any woman who can freeze 15 eggs at about 30 years of age has only a 30 percent chance to give birth to a baby if she uses her frozen eggs. On the other side, if a woman freezes 25 eggs at 30 years, she has a 40 percent chance to give birth to a child. 

Egg Freezing Facts 4 – It Works Well for Young Aged Women.

Many women often ask, “Should I freeze my eggs at 35?” For this, we should say that yes, one can freeze eggs at 35 years, but her chance to get pregnant becomes relatively low. The reason is that egg freezing works the best if you choose to do it in your 20s to early 30s. According to research studies, women who choose to freeze their eggs at 35 years or more have obtained 10 percent pregnancy rates. 

Egg Freezing Facts 5 – Babies born from Egg Freezing are Unclear.

The number of babies born from egg freezing procedure is until now unknown in front of us. However, based on estimates, it is only a few thousand. 

FAQs

How much pain I have to bear while undergoing the egg freezing process?

The pain involved in the egg freezing process depends on your sensitivity. Injecting the medication is more painful, as the needles are thin, which doctors inject in the fatty tissue across the belly. 

How many numbers of eggs should I choose to freeze at one time?

According to IVF specialists, women up to 34 years of age may freeze a maximum of 10 eggs to bear a child in the future. In contrast, women from 35 years to 38 years of age must freeze 15 eggs at one time to get pregnant in later years of life. 

Is it possible to undergo multiple cycles of egg freezing one after the other?

Yes, you may quickly start a new egg freezing cycle after completing your previous one. For this, you must have a standard baseline test. However, a few women take a break of at least one month between cycles due to personal reasons.  

How much time will my eggs stay frozen?

In most cases, eggs stay frozen for a maximum of 10 years, and IVF specialists are confident enough that frozen eggs stored for a long time do not cause any reduction in their qualities. However, clinics have to maintain 196 degrees Celsius as the freezing temperature. 

Can I choose egg freezing even when I am a PCOS patient?

Yes, PCOS patients may opt for egg freezing, but they must intimate in advance. This is because; PCOS women remain at a high risk of discomfort and overstimulation. 

References

https://www.livescience.com

https://parenting.firstcry.com/articles

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/314815#who-would-benefit