Freezing Eggs: Benefits of Preserving Fertility for the Future
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Most working women, even those who are in their mid-30s, don’t want to plan a baby unless they get settled financially and career-wise. Such women can think of utilising the benefits of egg freezing. Egg freezing, also known as oocyte cryopreservation, is a technique of freezing the eggs immediately after retrieving them. Women who want to delay their pregnancy or cannot get pregnant due to certain medical conditions can also opt for the egg-freezing process.
What is Egg Freezing and How Does It Work?
Egg freezing is an advanced medical service used to protect a woman’s ability to become pregnant even after she is no longer able to produce fertile eggs. The egg freezing process involves careful retrieval of eggs and several other methods that require an advanced facility or medical centre. These steps will help you understand how to freeze eggs in an advanced medical facility:
Tracking The Ovulation Cycle
The first step is to observe the ovulation cycle of the women who have opted for the egg freeze process. Usually, the left or right ovary of a woman releases an egg or two 14 days before the next menstrual cycle.
However, this period can vary between women, especially for the women diagnosed with PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome). Therefore, it becomes necessary for the doctor to examine the precise egg release date. A radiologist conducts an ultrasound test to determine the health of the ovaries.
The women who are not able to release quality eggs naturally may be asked to undergo a hormone treatment.
Retrieving The Egg
When the eggs are ready for ovulation, they are carefully retrieved from the ovary. Anaesthesia is administered to make the egg harvestation easy for the surgeons and painless for the woman.
Freezing Via Vitrification
Once the eggs are removed, they are immediately frozen using a method called vitrification. Cryoprotectants are used to extract water from the eggs so that it doesn’t crystallise during the egg freezing process.
Storage
The frozen eggs are then stored carefully in a facility. When the woman is ready to conceive, the eggs are thawed and then fertilised with a male sperm. As the embryo forms, it is implanted in the uterus using another surgical procedure.
The entire process is handled by fertility experts and surgeons. Due to the precision and advanced medical technologies used in this process, 9 out of 10 eggs get fertilised and develop into an embryo that is suitable for pregnancy.
Egg Freezing: Is It the Right Choice for You?
Whether to freeze your eggs or not is a personal decision. However, some conditions or situations can make it the right choice for you, including:
Personal & Professional Requirements
Many women like to wait for the right partner even after crossing a certain age limit. Such women can prefer the egg-freezing process to preserve their eggs to start a family after meeting their ideal match!
Some women don’t prefer to start a family immediately after getting married. They want to complete their education or drive their career to the right path before making this life-changing decision.
Career-driven women often prefer planning a baby in their late thirties. Such women can avail of the egg-freezing benefits after discussing their requirements with a fertility specialist.
Medical Restrictions
A woman may have to undergo medical procedures and treatments during her peak fertility period.
For instance, a woman diagnosed with cancer may not be able to get pregnant for a couple of years due to the chemotherapy sessions that will kick in at some point during the treatment. So, ideally, such women can avail the benefits of egg-freezing before their egg quality begins to deteriorate.
The best age to freeze eggs is either in the late twenties or early thirties. However, some women are also advised to undergo the egg freeze process before turning thirty five.
Age-Related Worries
Women often feel worried about their increasing age and wonder if it would affect their ability to produce fertile eggs. Such women can prefer the egg freezing technique. It would allow them to start a family in the future if they are unable to conceive naturally.
There is no reason to worry about the viability of frozen eggs. There have been many instances when the frozen eggs were successfully thawed and used for pregnancy even after 10 years of storing them.
What are the Benefits of Freezing Your Eggs?
Egg freezing process is usually preferred by women who postpone their pregnancy due to personal, professional, or medical reasons. These are the benefits of freezing your eggs at the right age:
You Can Postpone Parenthood Safely
The couples who want to become parents at a later age can make the decision of freezing eggs. Suppose, a couple already has a kid but wants their another kid at a certain age due to financial or other reasons. The fertility of eggs would be questionable after a certain age or period. So, it would be the right decision to freeze the eggs when they are still healthy.
Reduces Stress
Freezing eggs allows the couples to stop worrying about their parenthood. The couples who worry a lot about their future fertility can also prefer the egg freeze process early in their lives and lead a stress-free life!
Women who don’t have a partner yet but want to secure their motherhood for the future can also decide to freeze their eggs.
Improves Chances of Getting Pregnant
The chances of getting pregnant are better when the eggs are young and fertile. Freezing eggs improves your chances of getting pregnant at a later stage of your life. It also negates the genetic anomalies linked with older eggs.
What are the Risks and Limitations of Egg Freezing?
Some risks and limitations associated with the egg freeze process are highlighted below:
Beware Of the OHSS
Some women might have to undergo ovarian stimulation so that the eggs mature at the right time. However, overdoing this can lead to OHSS (Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome). This condition fills up your ovaries with excess fluid that can make you nauseated, or cause breathing issues or sharp abdominal pain.
The side effects of ovarian stimulation include fatigue, mood swings, bloating, indigestion, and more.
Don’t Neglect the Complications
If egg retrieval is not done carefully, it may damage the internal organs and lead to an infection or bleeding. If proper care is not taken thereafter, it may also damage the organs permanently.
Chances of Egg Survival are Questionable
Though egg freezing technique is handled by professionals, one cannot be certain that the frozen eggs will be suitable for embryo development after thawing.
It’s an Expensive Process
The egg freezing process is a complicated one and involves several expenses. All these expenses may not be covered even in an insurance policy that contains extensive coverage for pregnancy.
Risk of Multiple pregnancies
If more than one embryo gets transferred into the uterus, it may lead to multiple pregnancies that itself involves several complications.
Emotional & Psychological Considerations
Egg freezing is relatively safe when handled by experts. However, the process can be emotionally and psychologically draining for the women who opt for it. They might have to navigate different feelings like uncertainty, fear, hope, and anxiety. Some women also need counselling before undergoing this process.
The families might not always support this decision or may even force them to undergo the egg freeze process. In either case, it adds an additional burden on the woman’s mind.
Conclusion
We hope that you have understood the pros and cons of egg freezing procedure. Making the right decisions before starting a family can be overwhelming. Evaluate your gynaecological health and get help from experts to go through the entire process safely. Get help from an expert gynaecologist at your nearest super-specialty hospital as soon as possible!
FAQs
Which things should I avoid while undergoing the egg freezing process?
Don’t indulge in intensive physical activities or workout that might put a strain on your body. For instance, avoid kickboxing, jumping, running, and intense physical workouts during the egg freezing treatment.
Which hormone is tested before the egg freezing process?
The anti mullerian hormone is tested to determine if the egg freezing procedure is right for you or not. It also provides you with the details regarding the best time to freeze your eggs.
Which women should avoid egg freezing?
Women over 37 years of age must avoid this process as the egg quality may get affected at this age. The women who have a history of early menopause, ovarian failure, and other pregnancy related issues may also not be recommended for this process.
What is the best age to freeze eggs?
Freezing eggs can be a good option if you are running in your late twenties or early thirties.
Does the normal menstrual cycle continue after freezing eggs?
Yes, your normal menstrual cycle would continue after freezing eggs. You may get your next period between 10 and 14 days after undergoing this procedure.
Citations:
Kumar, Pratap, et al. “Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome.” Journal of Human Reproductive Sciences, vol. 4, no. 2, 2011, p. 70, https://doi.org/10.4103/0974-1208.86080.
“Anti-Müllerian Hormone Test: MedlinePlus Medical Test.” Medlineplus.gov, medlineplus.gov/lab-tests/anti-mullerian-hormone-test/.
