All you need to know about freezing your eggs
If you are a single woman in the 30+ age bracket, no doubt the hot topic of conversation at your last catch up with the girls was about freezing your eggs. It may seem that everyone around you is freezing their eggs, but what exactly does the egg freezing process entail and is it something that you should do?
We spoke with three of IVFAustralia’s fertility specialists at their Sydney Northern Beaches clinic to find out all you need to know about egg freezing.
What is egg freezing?
Egg freezing is a method of storing a woman’s unfertilised eggs to allow her to try to conceive at a later date when natural conception would be unlikely.
Dr Cheryl Phua summaries the egg freezing process as ‘when we stimulate your ovaries with hormone injections with the aim to retrieve eggs and subsequently freeze any suitable ones’.
It may be seen as a way of preserving the possibility of fertility for women whose fertility is at risk for medical reasons such as cancer treatment. It is also an option for those who aren't ready to get pregnant yet - whether you have career aspirations, or want to travel, or you simply haven’t met ‘the one’.
Why is egg freezing so popular now?
Egg freezing has increased in popularity due to advancements in reproductive technology and the increase in success rates.
Dr Michele Kwik also believes that societal change has led to the increased egg freezing rate. ‘It's important to give women choices and alternatives because I think families are changing. Women are having children later for a variety of reasons.’
Egg freezing is now a much more viable option for women, compared to when Dr Kwik started specialising in fertility treatments when ‘you'd get around 60% survival rate, and now it's about an 85% survival rate.’
How does the egg freezing process work?
The process begins with a thorough consultation by your fertility specialist, where they will get to know your personal medical history and you can work through any questions you may have about the process of egg freezing. It’s also an opportunity to do a fertility health check, which may include a blood test and an ultrasound to assess your ovarian reserve.
If you decide to proceed, your specialist will tailor a personalised treatment plan to freeze your eggs. As Dr Phua explains, ‘once you are ready to start the journey, you will then need approximately two weeks of hormone injections in order to stimulate the ovaries. Once your follicles are of adequate size, you will then proceed to an egg collection. Your specialist and embryologists will then inform you of how many eggs were collected and of those, how many can be frozen. You should expect your period about 10-14 days later.’
Frozen eggs may be stored for many years without significant deterioration. When the woman is ready to use her eggs, they are warmed, and then fertilised with sperm. The aim is for the fertilised egg to develop into an embryo, which can then be transferred to the woman’s uterus giving a chance of pregnancy.
What are the egg freezing success rates?
A 2017 study showed that a woman who freezes 10 eggs under the age of 35 has about a 70 per cent chance of having a baby, and a woman who freezes 10 eggs at the age of 44 has about an 8 per cent chance of having a baby.1
To help improve the egg freezing success rate, Dr Kath Whitton emphasises; ‘I would always encourage a woman to seek out a reputable clinic when considering egg freezing, as the quality of the laboratory who does the freezing (vitrification) can impact the eggs' likelihood to survive the thawing process when it comes time to use the eggs in the future.’
What age is best for egg freezing?
The main factor for success in the egg freezing process is the age of the woman when her eggs are frozen. This determines the quality and the quantity of eggs.
Dr Phua says, ‘We know that women are born with a finite number of eggs and as we age, both egg quality and quantity reduce. Studies have shown that the younger women who freeze their eggs will require less eggs to achieve a live birth. I would definitely recommend chatting to your GP or fertility specialist to discuss your individual circumstance and to see when and if it would be advisable to proceed with egg freezing.’
How much does egg freezing cost?
For a full breakdown of egg freezing costs, visit the IVF Australia website here.
Dr Whitton explains the different cost levels are dependent on individual circumstance: ‘If a person has a medical reason to freeze her eggs, such as requiring chemotherapy, or surgery for severe endometriosis, which may impact her egg count, then Medicare may cover some of the cost. For many women without a medical indication, who wish to electively freeze her eggs, Medicare does not provide a rebate. The cost of egg freezing may be anywhere between $6000-$10000 for one round, and there will be an ongoing storage fee to keep them in the freezer, usually around $500-$600 per year.’
Should I freeze my eggs?
Dr Kwik likes that egg freezing can provide women with choice. “Women who are trying to forge their careers or travel before they settle down. They want to buy a house before they have a family. That makes it difficult for women, because the egg quality continues to drop as they're getting older, and so I think being able to offer women options is good.’
Dr Whitton agrees. ‘Some of us just aren’t where we thought we’d be at this age. We may not be ready to start a family yet, for one reason or another. Freezing younger eggs provides an opportunity to put off this part of life until we’re ready.’
Deciding to freeze your eggs is a deeply personal choice based on your unique situation. You don't need to have everything figured out. Our specialists are here to help you regain some control by discussing your individual circumstances and determining if egg freezing is right for you.
Dr Kath Whitton, Dr Michele Kwik & Dr Cheryl Phua are available for consultation in our two Northern Beaches clinics found in Dee Why and Frenchs Forest.
If you would like to learn more about egg freezing and your fertility options, we would be happy to have a chat. Call us on 1800 316 457.