Freezing your eggs can make you feel more proactive about starting a family at the right time for you. It can be something you do because of an upcoming medical treatment, perhaps for chemotherapy or severe endometriosis. In some cases, the male partner may not be able to give sperm at the time of treatment, and freezing your eggs gives them the option to do so later. It can be an emotional rollercoaster or just something that makes you feel you’ve given yourself more options where pregnancy is concerned. As with everything Unii produces, this article aims to empower you with evidence-based information so that you can understand whether egg freezing is right for you.

What is egg freezing for conception?

Freezing eggs for conception, or oocyte cryotherapy, is the the collection, freezing, and storage of eggs with the intention of using them for fertility treatments later. It involves drug-based egg stimulation, egg retrieval through surgery, cryopreservation, and egg storage. While egg freezing doesn’t guarantee a successful pregnancy in the future, in general, the greater the number of eggs collected, the better your chances.

Why do women freeze their eggs?

Freezing your eggs is done for either social or medical reasons. “Social reasons” refers to a woman’s decision to freeze her eggs because she feels it’s not the right time for her to have a baby. Medical reasons may include upcoming cancer treatment or surgery that might affect your ability to conceive naturally.

What is the best age to freeze your eggs for conception?

Every woman is different, but ideally you’d freeze your eggs in your 20s. Egg quality starts to decline at age 37.

How does egg freezing for conception happen?

After an initial consultation with your fertility doctor, they’ll send you for a blood test to check your anti-mullerian hormone (AMH) levels, a marker of the ovarian reserve, and how your body might respond to hormones used during IVF. You’ll also likely have a transvaginal ultrasound scan to check your antral follicle count (AFC), and combining these tests will give your doctor a good idea of how the number of eggs you have compares with the range for your age. It’s important to remember that even if the results compare poorly, it doesn’t mean you can’t have a baby. They’ll also need some understanding of your menstrual cycle. You may hear your treatment plan referred to as your protocol.

After all the consent forms and other paperwork is completed and signed, you take a two-week course of medication that essentially keeps your brain from telling your ovaries to function as they normally would. This is so that later, when you begin a course of hormone injections that stimulate egg growth, you don’t release them. After you begin these injections, you’ll have regular blood tests and scans to check your progress. Thirty-six hours before your egg collection surgery, you’ll have a final trigger injection that tells your ovaries to release the eggs so that your doctor can draw them into a needle and they can be frozen.

How long is egg collection surgery?

The egg retrieval surgery, which you may hear healthcare professionals call your egg "pick-up,” takes just 20-30 minutes. You will be under general anaesthesia and advised to rest following the procedure.

How much does egg freezing for conception cost?

Prices vary depending on your provider and where you are in the world. At the time of writing, it’s common for a cycle to cost around £3,500 in London, though with the cost of the drugs, consultations, and storage, it’s closer to £5,000 overall. Some women need more than one cycle. There’s also the storage costs over time to consider, and you’ll need to factor in time off to attend appointments and recover when necessary.

How can I prepare my physical health for freezing my eggs for conception?

Cutting out alcohol and smoking, moderating your caffeine intake (some doctors may recommend you cut it out completely), managing any chronic conditions, eating well, supplementing if necessary, and staying active are all recommended when you’re planning to freeze your eggs.

How can I prepare my mental and emotional health for freezing my eggs for conception?

Every woman going through this process needs support, but the way you get this may be shaped by your cultural or religious background. Egg freezing was developed in the 1980s but has only been relatively widely available since the 1990s, and some people are more accepting of it than others. You really don’t need any negative communication or energy when you’re trying to cope with the procedure and its aftermath, so either confide in friends and relatives you trust or seek counselling. Many women who freeze their eggs for social reasons report feeling forced to self-reflect when going through the process, examining personal relationships and potentially becoming quite upset.

What should I tell my employer about freezing my eggs for conception?

Your decision to freeze your eggs is deeply personal, and you’re under no obligation to tell anyone at work what you’re going through. As long as you’ve given the appropriate notice for any leave you need to take, there’s really no need to tell your employer anything.

How long will my eggs be stored?

In the UK, you’ll need to sign consent forms before extraction about how you want your frozen eggs to be used. These will include how long you want them to be stored, which can currently be up to 55 years if you renew consent.

What are the success rates?

It won’t suprise you to learn that, in general, the earlier you freeze your eggs the more likely you are to successfully conceive through IVF using them. However, every patient and pregnancy is unique and it’s important to be very honest about your age, health and medical history with your provider to get the most accurate assessment in your case.

What are the risks?

Risks include pelvic inflammation and ovaring hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS). Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome (OHSS) is a rare and painful complication that happens when your body responds excessively to IVF medication and produces too many eggs. Symptoms can range from mild to severe. OHSS may require specialist or hospital care.

In some cases, a woman’s body may fail to respond to the medication or respond poorly, and have no eggs to freeze.

Will my baby be healthy if conceived using thawed eggs?

Egg freezing hasn’t been an option for long enough to draw evidence-based conclusions about how it affects a child’s health. We do know that conceiving via IVF increases your risk of giving birth prematurely, which can come with health complications for a baby. IVF also increases your risk of having a baby with birth defects.

For more information to support you on your fertility journey, watch Unii's Preconception Journey with Dr. Shree Datta.

What's it like to freeze your eggs for conception?

Unii looks at this increasingly popular way to potentially delay pregnancy until you're ready to start your family.