Egg Freezing Success Rates by Age
Whether you’re focused on your career or travel — or simply haven’t found the right person yet — egg freezing provides you with freedom and empowerment. It allows you to make a decision about having children later on down the line. In turn, you can focus on what’s most important to you right now.
However, you might wonder when to freeze your eggs. How do you know it’s the right time? What is the ideal age? Is it possible to freeze your eggs after 35? In this article, we explore egg freezing success rates by age — helping you make an informed choice.
Freezing Your Eggs – The Process
Egg freezing offers ample opportunity for those who want to invest in future family planning or are undecided about children. The truth is that biology only grants assigned females at birth a brief fertility window. However, we’re living longer than ever before.
Luckily, Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) helps fill in these gaps. By freezing your eggs, you can have the option of a family in the future. So, how does egg freezing work exactly?
Freezing Methods
For egg freezing, vitrification is the preferred method. At EVOLVE, we solely rely on vitrification. During this process, rapid freezing is used to bring the eggs to a set temperature. This produces far less damage or crystallization compared to the traditional “slow freezing” method. In fact, it’s rare for eggs not to survive this process.
How Many Eggs Should You Freeze?
The rule of thumb is the more, the better. For example, individuals aged 30-34 who freeze over 18 eggs have an 80% chance or higher of a live birth later on. In contrast, freezing between two and eight eggs results in a 20-52% chance of a live birth.
At the same time, with increasing age, research shows it may take more frozen eggs to achieve a successful pregnancy. This is something to keep in mind as time goes on.
What Factors Affect Success Rates?
Two major factors impact success rate. These include egg quality and the number of eggs produced.
Egg quality is primarily impacted by age. Individuals who freeze their eggs in their early to mid-30s tend to have a higher chance of success. Egg quantity is also impacted by age and one’s health status. Yet, it’s important to note that everyone is different. For some individuals in their late 30s, egg freezing may still be an option.
Egg Freezing Under 35
Egg freezing under 35 years of age tends to lead to increased positive outcomes. Between 30 and 34, the average chance of having one child is 82%, two children is 50%, and three children is 22% (based on 20 frozen eggs).
Yet, again, egg freezing quantity and quality will impact these statistics. Fewer eggs collected will mean a lower chance of success. In contrast, more eggs collected will have a higher chance of success.
Success Rates Between 35 – 40
Success rates between 35 and 40 begin to decline. However, there is still hope. Individuals between 35 and 37 years of age may have a higher success rate than those between 38 and 40 years of age. Yet, these numbers only slightly vary.
When freezing your eggs between 35-40 years of age, the chances of having one child range between 60-80%. The chances of having two children range from 22-45%. The chances of having three children range from three to 20%. The likelihood of each outcome is influenced by the number of eggs frozen.
Egg Freezing Success Over 40
What about freezing your eggs at 40? We’ll often hear this isn’t recommended, and it’s true the chances of a successful outcome are significantly reduced.
If an individual freezes 20 eggs between 41 and 42 years of age, they have a 40% chance of having one child. There is a 10% chance of having two children and there is a 1% chance of having three children.
Note: EVOLVE works with patients between 25-39 years of age. If you are over 39, please reach out our sister clinic, TRIO to speak with a Care Navigator.
Effects of Age on Egg Health and Freezing Success
One of the biggest impacts of age on egg freezing success is egg quality and quantity. Each person is born with a set number of oocytes or eggs. During a person’s lifetime, the number of eggs declines. Research indicates that this may significantly increase after age 37.
This means that after age 37, there is a rapid decline in the number and potential quality of eggs. This is why it’s usually not recommended to wait to freeze your eggs until this time or after 40. With that said, it’s not impossible. We recommend reaching out to our egg freezing experts today for more info.
The Best Age to Freeze Your Eggs
The best age to freeze your eggs is as soon as you can. Ideally, we recommend doing this before the age of 35, in your 20s or early 30s. The younger a person is, the healthier eggs they have.
How to Improve Egg Freezing Success
There are many factors involved in egg freezing success. Despite age, you have other variables within your control, such as diet and lifestyle.
Overall, leading a balanced and healthy lifestyle can go a long way. This includes:
- Not smoking
- Limiting alcohol consumption
- Eating a healthy and whole foods diet
- Limiting processed foods
- Exercising regularly
- Reducing stress
- Maintaining a healthy weight
Considering egg freezing? Wondering about the optimal number of eggs to freeze and success rates? Check out our EVOLVE egg freezing calculator for insights and guidance: https://evolveeggfreeze.com/egg-freezing-calculator/
