Unlike sperm, which can be produced throughout the life span, a finite numbers of eggs already exist from birth. At birth, a woman has approximately two million eggs, and the number will have reduced to about 300,000 eggs by puberty. Consequently, a woman’s chance of being able to conceive also decreases as her age increases, particularly after the age of 35. With egg freezing, a woman will be able to preserve her eggs for future fertility and use them later if the decision is made to pursue parenthood.
There are many reasons why a woman may choose to freeze their eggs (gametes). These reasons can either be medical or social in nature.
Some examples include:
Egg freezing is a good option for women that are not yet ready to conceive. As previously mentioned, physiological changes reduce the capacity to conceive with advanced age, hence making it more difficult to conceive later in life. Even with the many advancements in the field of reproductive technologies, the fundamentals remain the same: a healthy egg is needed to create a healthy embryo. Freezing eggs at a younger age, prior to natural decline, means oocyte quality is likely to be higher.
The treatments utilised to combat cancer, such as chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy, can result in infertility due to collateral cell damage. By freezing eggs prior to cancer treatment, fertility may be preserved.
Fertility preservation via gamete freezing is an excellent option for those affirming their gender identity. Although fertility may not be a current consideration when going through the process of affirmation; gamete freezing is a simple way to ensure that options are still available to you.
The first step of the egg freezing process involves stimulating the growth of multiple eggs. While typically done by taking hormone medication for 8 to 14 days, your specialist will discuss the best medications and stimulation techniques for you.
The egg collection process takes around 30 minutes, you will be asleep for the procedure. Afterwards, you will wake up in our comfortable recovery room where you will rest for an hour or two before going home.
During the egg collection process, the eggs are generally collected vaginally so there will be no cuts or scars. On occasions this procedure is done laparoscopically (key hole) for certain patients.
Once the eggs have been collected, they are frozen the same day. Only mature eggs are frozen using a method known as vitrification. Refer to Embryo Freezing.
When pregnancy is desired, the eggs are thawed and inseminated via ICSI. If a suitable embryo is created, it can be transferred to the uterus, and any remaining embryos that are suitable for freezing can be stored using vitrification’
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