Hormone injections are administered for 10-14 days in order to stimulate the ovaries, so you release more eggs. Normally our bodies release just one egg each month but with cryopreservation the goal is to retrieve as many healthy eggs as possible.
A transvaginal ultrasound aspiration is used to retrieve eggs from the ovaries. The procedure is a minimally invasive, non-surgical and always conducted under sedation. The procedure itself lasts 10-20 minutes.
A reliable way to safeguard your future fertility.
Who should consider freezing egg?
Women with the desire to pursue education, career, or other personal goals.
Women over the age of 30 who are yet to meet their right partner.
e.g. loss of ovaries, autoimmune diseases, family history of early menopause
Women diagnosed with cancer and need cancer treatment (such as chemotherapy).
Women who take medication that affects fertility or considering gender transition surgery.
Birth control pills prevent ovulation. Therefore you will have to stop taking them before you begin the egg freezing process. You can start using them again after your egg retrieval. However, if you are using an IUD (intrauterine device), you will not need to remove it during the egg freezing process.
If you have been using birth control patches or pills for a long time, we usually suggest thatyou stop using them for a month before commencing the egg freezing process. This is because these pills make your ovaries go to sleep. So, in order to increase your ovaries’ response to fertility drugs, we give them one month extra to “wake up.” It’s not wrong or bad if you don’t want to stop the pill, but doing so can make the egg freezing cycle longer, as you may need extra days of medication to get your ovaries into full swing.
Now is the best time to freeze your eggs. If you come to us at 38, do it at that very moment – instead of thinking about it for a year and then doing it when you turn 39. The same applies to a woman who contacts us at 30. Your eggs are more viable at 30 than they are at 34. So if you are considering egg freezing, now is the time to go for it. Although you can freeze your eggs at any reproductive age, there is an age (typically 42 and above) wherethe ability of yourovaries to produce chromosomally normal eggs is greatly reduced,and you may not get the result you’re hoping for.
Sadly, we cannot. We can only tell you whether your eggs are mature or not. While a mature egg doesn’t ensure it is of good quality, it does mean that it is ready to be fertilized. Although there are some parameters that indicate good egg quality, we are unable to say anything about the health of an egg until it has been fertilized by a sperm.
Although it is good to live a healthy life, your eggs have been with you your whole life. Therefore, making changes to your lifestyle won’t change the quality of your eggs. Smoking is the only exception here – smoking is bad for your eggs! The earlier you stop smoking, the better.
There is no exact number or rule when it comes to the number of eggs to freeze. It depends on your age, family history, previous gynecological/medical history and especially the quality of eggs. The number is individualized and must be determined by your fertility doctor, depending on your circumstances.
Some patients experience discomfort and bloating during ovarian stimulation. The egg retrieval process is carried out under mild sedation and is pain-free. After the egg retrieval, you may have some mild pain that can be relieved with over-the-counter pain medications.
In very rare cases (1 to 5%), OHSS (ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome) may occur during ovarian stimulation. This condition is characterized by swollen ovaries and the accumulation of fluid in the peritoneal cavity. You may also experience nausea, spotting, and cramping for a few days after the egg retrieval similar to the side effects you have during your monthly menstrual cycle.
Although the timeline depends on the individual’s situation, the egg freezing process typically takes six weeks for most patients. This includes initial consultation, screening, and treatment planning.
The egg freezing process involves three main steps. First, you will require a fertility assessment, which involves blood tests and an ultrasound, so that the doctor can know your present fertility status. Next, you are going to inject yourself with medication that will encourage your ovaries to produce as many viable eggs as possible. The last step is the egg retrieval process, where your eggs will be collected and then frozen.
You can freeze eggs for as long as you want since frozen eggs don’t have an expiration date.
The best way to freeze your eggs is through a method known as vitrification. In this case, the eggs are quickly frozen in liquid nitrogen. This quick-freezing method prevents fluid in the eggs from turning to ice, which can cause damage during thawing.
The other method of freezing eggs is known as controlled or slow freezing, in which the eggs are frozen more slowly. Since eggs frozen using the slow-freezing method are more likely to form ice crystals and have lower survival rates, nearly all major clinics now perform vitrification.
Your eggs can be shipped to any clinic after they are frozen. However, we prefer shipping frozen eggs within the CCRM network in order to be sure of the thawing methods. An advantage of this is that CCRM is a big network with fertility clinics all across the country, so it shouldn’t be an issue.
Yes, there are. That is why you need to share your gynecological/surgical/ medical history, as well as your sister’s, mom’s, and even grandmother’s. When it comes to fertility, women tend to mimic the female members of their family. Additionally, if you have had gynecological conditions like PCOS or endometriosis in the past, you will want to talk to a doctor sooner than later.
You lose the eggs if you don’t use them. This means that every single month, a group of eggs competes to be the one that is ovulated. The losers in the “the ovulation race” die off and are removed by the body. In a few words, freezing your eggs will not affect your future fertility, it will help you preserve some of your eggs that would’ve otherwise “died” for the future.
The doctor can perform an ovarian reserve and AMH test to have an idea of a woman’s fertility. At RSMC, we include a free ultrasound in our Fertility consultation.
Your levels of AMH (Anti-Mullerian hormone) can help us determine how many eggs you have left in your ovaries. For a fertile woman, the typical AMH level is between 1.5 to 4.0 ng/ml. Having a low AMH may indicate that your ovarian reserve is low. However, it does notimply that your egg quality is low.
If the decision to freeze your eggs is elective and there is no medical necessity, many insurance plans do not offer coverage for the procedure. Prior to your consultation, we will check your specific plan for available benefits and review your coverage during the consultation.
Egg freezing, if not a covered insurance benefit, generally costs between $7,000 – $12.000, plus the cost of the medications. Our pricing is significantly lower than similar clinics in Southern California and we offer egg freezing specials throughout the year. If you would like an exact quotation, please fill out a consultation request with the comment that you would like to get a price quotation or chat with us to find out more about our specials.
In 2019 California passed SB-600, a fertility preservation coverage bill that requires commercial insurance companies to cover egg freezing due to a cancer diagnosis requiring treatment. In these situations, your IVF coordinator will also provide you with additional financial support resources, including non-income-based resources for fertility medications.
While many insurance carriers do not include fertility preservation as a covered benefit, our Future Fertility program helps employers make elective fertility preservation affordable for their employees. Please contact us to find out.
Yes, FSA’s and HSA’s are a great way to reduce the expense of egg freezing and allows you to take advantage of funds that are not subject to federal income tax at the time of deposit.
Medical expenses are also generally tax-deductible. If you don’t have or are unable to use your FSA/HSA, you will likely be able to receive a deduction for costs related to egg freezing. Speak with your tax professional for details.
More companies, such as Apple, Google, Facebook, Microsoft, Yahoo, CitiGroup, and JP Morgan Chase are now offering egg freezing benefits. We recommend consulting your employer’s HR/Benefits department to find out available benefits and programs.
If egg freezing is deemed to be medically necessary by a physician, your condition or circumstances may qualify you for coverage. Please be aware that insurance plans may require precertification and/or preauthorization prior to treatment. Our financial coordinator will review your plan benefits and explain any requirements that may apply to your specific plan.
