When Should I Consider Egg Freezing?
There are many reasons (or times of life) that you might consider freezing your eggs.
EGG FREEZING IN MELBOURNE
Women are born with all the eggs they will ever have, and as we age our egg quantity and egg quality both deteriorate.
Tests are available to estimate your egg quantity - just like being tall or short, some women are born with lots of eggs, others not so many. Some women have conditions which mean they are more likely to ‘run out’ of eggs sooner than average.
There is no test for egg quality - the only test of whether an egg is healthy is if it leads to a successful pregnancy. Did you know that in your 20’s, generally about 90% of your eggs are healthy and could potentially become a baby? By 35yo only 50% of your eggs are healthy, and at 40yo it’s down to 10%.
Eggs which are frozen are virtually as good as ‘fresh’ eggs at the same age. When you freeze eggs, they are frozen in time. If they are used in the future they have the potential of the age at which they are frozen, not the age at which they are used. For example, this means that a 40yo woman using her eggs frozen when she was 32 will have a much greater chance of pregnancy using her frozen (and thawed) eggs than fresh eggs.
If your life circumstances mean you aren’t ready for a baby right now, egg-freezing may give you the chance to conceive a baby later, even if your fertility has declined. Egg freezing is also common for women who have conditions which are known to reduce their fertility, such as starting chemotherapy, surgery for endometriosis and genetic conditions.
EGG FREEZING - FAQs
How long does the egg freezing process take? Most women start on day 2 of their cycle and have about 8-12 days of injections.We do a scan and blood test around day 8 to assess your response and you will usually get 2-4 days notice of when your egg collection will be scheduled.
What if I don’t have a regular cycle, or it’s urgent? We can do an ‘any day’ start if you have a Mirena, Implanon, don’t get a regular period or the egg freezing is urgent such as starting chemo.
Is there pain during the cycle? Most women don’t notice anything much. Women who seem to get 15 or more eggs will often notice bloating/swelling of their tummy, and maybe a few stabs of soreness.
How long does the procedure take and will I feel pain? Most egg collections just take a few minutes; if someone has a lot of eggs (what a great ‘problem’!) it may take 10-15 minutes. You will have a light sedation and be looked after by an anaesthetist, and not feel any pain during the procedure.
What is the recovery like? Generally you wake up quite quickly. Most women have very minor lower abdominal soreness, which is managed by panadol and a heat pack, and can be back at work the next day (but I usually give you a work certificate for 2 days to be sure). About 1:30 women have a more severe pain and we can give you stronger painkillers, and a bit more time off work if required. A bit of spotting is common. If you have a regular cycle you usually get your period early, in about a week.
I’m scared of injections - what can I do? At your assessment consultation I will show you the needles - they are truly tiny and most women can easily be taught to use them. If you’re really not up for it then we can teach your friend/partner/mum to do them for you, or even arrange for you to attend a nurse daily to have them done. Unfortunately there are no tablet options, only injections.
Will I be a hormonal psycho during egg freezing? I find most women don’t have many hormonal symptoms at all! Even if you do, the drugs are quite quickly cleared from your system and you will go back to normal within a few days.
If I egg freeze am I using up my eggs for the future? NO! Every single day of our lives women start to develop eggs, and most of them die (in a natural cycle just one of those eggs goes on to fully mature and could become a baby). We can only stimulate and collect those eggs that were naturally developing on the day we start your cycle. Your reserve of eggs (invisible deep inside your ovaries) is not accessed/reduced. We are ‘rescuing’ and saving the eggs which were going to die anyway that month.
Is egg collection risky? There ARE some risks. Although rare, it is possible to have serious complications such as internal bleeding, damage to organs, infection. It is estimated the chance of a serious complication is about 1:1000. Just to give a bit of perspective - the chance a women will be involuntarily childless in Australia is about 20%.
Are there other risks of egg freezing? There is the risk that in the future the eggs don’t work/don’t become a baby. There is the risk of a disorder called ‘OHSS’, which can lead to fluid accumulation in the tummy and lungs and potentially be serious - for technical reasons it is quite uncommon with egg freezing (and seen more in IVF).
How do I use the eggs in the future? Usually we say try naturally first, but if that isn’t working or not appropriate to your situation, then we will plan to thaw and use your eggs in IVF.
Can you put my eggs back into my body to conceive naturally? No, they can only be used in IVF. There is a technique where ovarian tissue, rather than eggs, is removed and reimplanted back into the body and hopefully will start producing eggs. This is less successful than egg freezing and only used in urgent situations such as women and girls about to start cancer treatment.
How successful is egg freezing? This really depends on the age you freeze your eggs, how many eggs you are able to produce in your cycle and other factors such as genetic diseases and sperm quality. This can be estimated and discussed at your consultation.
How much does egg freezing cost? This will depend on whether you have a medical indication or if it is completely elective, if you have a Medicare card and if you have health insurance. We can give you a clearer idea at your consultation. You can click this link for more information on fees.
How long can my eggs be stored? Technically, forever. If you wish to store them longer than 10 years you have to apply to the Victorian Government.
What happens to my eggs if I never need/want to use them? This is the ideal scenario! Just like you hope your house won’t burn down and you have to claim on your house insurance, if you have been able to have your family without needing them or have decided children are not for you, then you have 2 options. The first is to simply discard them. They are tiny cells and die as soon as they are thawed and not used. The other option is to donate them, either to the clinic (we have a waiting list of women who need donor eggs) or to a friend or family member. If you are considering donating your eggs we have a donor management team and counselors who would thoroughly advise you on the process.
If I decide to donate my eggs can I get my costs back? Unfortunately this is considered illegal by the Victorian Government, so no.
Being an egg donor
Many women are unable to have a baby without the help of an egg donor.
It can be an amazing gift if you can provide an egg donation to someone else.
If you think you would like to help another woman achieve her dreams of a family, let us know at Number 1 Fertility.
We’ll let you know what’s involved and you’ll have independent counselling sessions to be sure this is the right step for you (of course, at no financial cost).