Thinking about freezing your eggs? Here’s what you need to know

Egg freezing has become an increasingly common option for women who want to preserve the possibility of having children in the future.

Some women consider egg freezing because they’re not ready to start a family yet. Others may be facing medical treatment that could affect their fertility, or simply want to understand what options are available to them.

Whatever the reason, one of the most important things to understand is that egg freezing isn’t a guarantee of having a baby later. It’s a way of preserving eggs at the age you are now, potentially giving you another option in the future.

Why does age matter when freezing your eggs?

Age is one of the most important factors when considering egg freezing.

Women are born with all the eggs they will have, and both the number and quality of those eggs decline with age. This decline becomes more significant as women move through their 30s.

When eggs are frozen, they retain the biological age they were when they were collected. So, for example, eggs frozen at 32 remain 32-year-old eggs if you decide to use them several years later.

This is why having a conversation about egg freezing earlier can be helpful, even if you're not yet sure whether it's something you want to pursue.

What age should you freeze your eggs?

There isn't one perfect age that applies to everyone.

Generally, egg freezing is more likely to provide useful options when eggs are frozen at a younger age, when egg quantity and quality are typically higher.

But age is only part of the picture.

Your ovarian reserve, medical history, family plans and individual circumstances all need to be considered when deciding whether egg freezing is appropriate for you.

A fertility assessment can help provide some of that information.

What happens before you freeze your eggs?

The first step is a fertility consultation.

We'll discuss your medical history, menstrual cycle, family plans and reasons for considering fertility preservation.

You may then have investigations including blood tests and an ultrasound to assess your ovarian reserve and help us understand how your ovaries may respond to treatment.

From there, we can discuss whether egg freezing is appropriate and what you can realistically expect from the process.

What does the egg freezing process involve?

Egg freezing uses the first part of an IVF treatment cycle.

You'll usually have hormone injections for around 10–14 days to encourage several follicles in the ovaries to develop at the same time.

During this period, you'll have monitoring with blood tests and ultrasounds.

When the follicles are ready, the eggs are collected during a short procedure. Mature eggs suitable for freezing are then rapidly frozen using a process called vitrification and stored for potential future use.

If you decide to use your frozen eggs later, they are thawed and fertilised with sperm to create embryos.

How many eggs should I freeze?

This is one of the most common questions I’m asked — and unfortunately, there isn't a magic number.

Not every egg collected will be mature. Not every frozen egg will survive thawing, fertilise successfully or develop into an embryo, and not every embryo will result in a pregnancy.

Your age at the time your eggs are frozen is also an important factor.

For some women, one egg collection may provide a reasonable number of eggs to store. Others may choose to undergo more than one cycle.

Before treatment, we'll discuss your individual circumstances and what the numbers may mean for you.

Does freezing your eggs guarantee a baby later?

No.

Egg freezing can provide another reproductive option for the future, but it cannot guarantee a pregnancy or baby.

I think this is an important part of the conversation.

The aim is to give you realistic information about your fertility and the potential benefits and limitations of egg freezing so you can decide whether it's right for you.

Is egg freezing right for me?

There are many reasons someone might consider freezing their eggs.

You may know you want children one day but aren't ready now. You may not have met the right partner. You might want to focus on other parts of your life first. Or you may have a medical reason for considering fertility preservation.

There's no single “right” reason.

If egg freezing is something you're thinking about, a fertility consultation doesn't commit you to treatment. It's simply an opportunity to understand your fertility, ask questions and find out what your options are.

Dr Michael Allen is a Specialist Obstetrician, Gynaecologist and Fertility Specialist consulting in Subiaco, Perth, and Clinical Director of IVF Australia WA.

To make an appointment, contact Dr Allen's rooms on (08) 9381 2400 or please fill in a contact form.