There is a lot of information out there about the egg freezing process – some true, some are untrue. But if there is one egg freezing fact every woman should know, it is that the earlier her eggs are frozen, the better. At the same time, cost is probably the most important factor you are considering as you decide whether or not to freeze your eggs.
Importance of Freezing Your Eggs Earlier
Previously, fertility preservation specialists of our San Diego fertility center have explained the questions a woman should ask herself about freezing her eggs. As we know, women already possess all the eggs they are ever going to have at birth. The number of these eggs decreases as they grow older. Moreover, eggs are usually exposed to damaging forces of life, i.e., stress, infections, fevers, free radicals. All of these decrease the eggs’ quality or alter the state at which the eggs are genetically normal.
That’s why – even though there’s no particular age limit for opting the egg freezing process – the fact is that the best time for a woman to have her eggs frozen is before she clocks 35 when her eggs are healthier and more abundant. This will give her the chance to produce more eggs per cycle, increasing her chances of getting pregnant. In addition, freezing eggs when you are younger is more likely to result in a healthy pregnancy later in the future.
One good way to think about egg freezing is that you’re budgeting for a child. In this post, we will take a look at the cost of raising a baby compared to egg-freezing costs. We will also take into account the income for moms, as well as the cost of IVF treatment. This will help you to know how freezing your eggs now can affect your finances in the future.
It costs about $15,000 a year to raise a baby
Data from the Consumer Expenditure Survey shows the average cost of raising a child in 2015 is approximately $15000 a year. That is, including housing, food, and education or childcare. As you are budgeting for a baby, you need to remember that the child will get older. Moreover, the given sum of $15000 does not put inflation into consideration or include the cost of a college education.
Your baby budgets should even be higher if you reside in New York City. According to a 2014 study, middle-class parents spend upward of $30000 per year to raise a child in Manhattan. The higher the income of a family, the more they will spend on their kids. And, you will definitely spend more if you live in the Northeastern United States. It’s the most expensive place to raise a child in the US presently.
Women who delay motherhood earn more
While comparing the egg freezing option, you must remember one more thing aside from the costs of raising a baby. You need to consider the fact that women, particularly, earn less after they become mothers. It is called the “motherhood pay gap”. Women who are aged 25-40 and are working earn 92 % of what men earn. Whereas, those between 35 to 44 earn just 78 % of what their male colleagues earn. This payment gap widens a little when they have a child. The earnings of married mothers are around 76 percent of what men earn.
However, according to US consensus data, delaying motherhood can help women gain back some financial power. Studies show women who postpone having children for five years (e.g., becoming a mother at 35 instead of 30) made approximately $16000 more in a year. Additionally, women aged 40 to 45 with paid jobs and professional degrees who had their first child at 35 made up to $50000 more in a year as compared to those who had their first baby at age 20. That significant increase in earnings would make budgeting for a baby a lot easier.
Freezing eggs before 35 and using them to get pregnant in the future can save you a lot of money.
Here is one good thing budgeting for a child. For the women who delayed motherhood until they are 40, it is more effective and less expensive to use their previously frozen eggs to do IVF at age 40.
The average cost of freezing eggs before age 35 and using them at the age of 40, with the help of a fertility clinic in San Diego, is around $39,946. Also, a woman has a 62 % chance of getting pregnant when eggs frozen earlier are used. However, a large number of women who want to become pregnant at 40 without any previously frozen eggs will need to undergo IVF to conceive. Studies have revealed that the chances of getting pregnant after 40 naturally decrease gradually. Two cycles of IVF at age 40 cost $55,060, and the conception rate is about 42 %.
Clearly freezing your eggs before 35 and using them when you are 40, can save you close to $15,000. Moreover, you can also increase your likelihood of becoming a mother. If you are budgeting for a baby in the future, freezing your eggs before 35 is, therefore, the smartest decision you can make.
Conclusion
We believe that egg freezing process is an excellent option for women to preserve their fertility and have children at a later stage of life. Do you want to learn more about egg freezing and other fertility preservation options? Interested to see how RSMC fertility clinic, San Diego, CA can help you with egg freezing? Call us at 858-436-7186 to schedule a consultation to find out. You can also visit our website for more information.
