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Questions to Ask At Each Stage of the Egg Freezing Process

Diagnosis & Treatment, Health & Lifestyle January 3, 2022

Freezing your eggs enables you to delay parenthood until you’re ready. At the very least, it offers you the option further down the road, so that you can currently focus on other important parts of your life. Yet, if you’ve never frozen your eggs before, it’s only natural to have questions. 

In this blog, we’re going to outline what questions you should ask during the egg freezing process to ensure you’re getting a top-quality service that you can rely on.

Selecting an egg freezing clinic

The first step is determining your clinic of choice. Ideally, you want to select a reputable and credible facility and medical team that you trust. Consider using the following questions as a guide to help narrow down your decision and make the best choice for you. 

Possible questions to ask

  • What is the staff’s previous experience in freezing eggs and thawing eggs?
  • Does the staff have thaw rates for frozen eggs, pregnancy rates, and live birth rates from previous patients?
  • How does the clinic determine if you’re a suitable candidate for egg freezing?
  • What medications are involved in the process?
  • What is the average number of eggs retrieved per procedure??
  • Will you require more than one cycle of egg freezing to ensure enough frozen eggs?
  • How much does it cost for egg freezing and what does it include?
  • Is there a cost-saving if more than one cycle is required?
  • Will you have a direct clinic contact for questions you might have during the egg freezing process?
  • Where are the eggs stored?
  • Are cycles batched? (This would mean designated days for egg freezing in the clinic and less flexibility for starting your stimulation cycle.)

Cycle monitoring and stimulation

After you vet clinics, you’ll want to know how the process works. Since this varies from clinic to clinic, the following list of questions is worth asking so that you can plan accordingly and feel confident to get started. 

Possible questions to ask

  • When does morning monitoring start? 
  • What injections are involved?
  • Who completes your scans? (This varies at clinics and may involve your doctor, the on-call doctor that day, a nurse, or an ultrasound technician.)
  • For injections, how many days are necessary?

Egg retrieval

The egg retrieval process involves removing your eggs and preparing them for freezing. Some questions to ask beforehand include the following.

Possible questions to ask

  • Who performs the egg retrieval? (Will it be your doctor or the doctor that day?)
  • What happens during the egg retrieval?
  • How soon after this process can you resume your regular activities?
  • Based on your ovarian reserve and the number of eggs expected to be retrieved, what side effects can you expect?
  • How soon after this procedure can you return to work or school?

After your egg retrieval

Following your egg retrieval, your team will freeze your eggs via flash-freezing, also known as vitrification or cryopreservation. From there, the clinic will store your eggs for a set amount of time or until you’re ready to use them. Below, you’ll find some helpful questions to ask. 

Possible questions to ask

  • Is there annual storage? How much does it cost?
  • What happens to the frozen eggs during a power outage?
  • How are the eggs identified? 
  • Are the eggs monitored at all times?
  • What is the max duration that the eggs can be stored?

When you’re ready to conceive

When you’re ready to conceive, your doctor will probably recommend that you try naturally before using your eggs. If you’re ready to use your eggs, then you will begin the process of In Vitro Fertilization (IVF). In this procedure, one or multiple eggs are thawed and assessed. The eggs that are deemed fit for the fertilization process are then injected with sperm (your partner or pre-arranged sperm donor). The resulting embryo is then transferred to your uterus with the goal that implantation (and, of course, pregnancy) will take place.

Possible questions to ask

  • How long should we try to conceive naturally before IVF?
  • What tests do I need to do before IVF?
  • What are your clinic’s success rates (live births and pregnancy rates?) 
  • What are my personal chances of success in IVF?
  • Is the IVF done in batches? 
  • Do you have an in-house or visiting embryologist?
  • What side-effects or considerations should I be prepared for?
  • Where do I go if I face any issues outside of business hours?
  • What is the cost, and what is included?

Overall, it’s important to take your time to determine the clinic/staff and service that is right for you, especially when and if you decide to use your frozen eggs. Asking the right questions can help you make a confident decision, ensuring you have options when you need them.

Speak with an EVOLVE nurse today to learn more and get the information you need to make the best decision for you.

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