Why Freeze
Why Freeze Your Eggs?
Egg freezing allows you to use your own eggs (frozen when they are strong and healthy) to achieve a future pregnancy when the timing is right for you. In a nutshell, freezing your eggs prevents them from ageing as they normally would. So, if you have fertility challenges when you are ready to conceive, you always have your frozen eggs as part of your backup plan.
Egg Quality: How it Affects Fertility
Egg quality and fertility go hand-in-hand. Why? When you are in your 20s and early 30s, your eggs are more likely to be genetically healthy. Over time, various factors can affect the DNA inside those eggs — including infections, toxins, free radicals, stress and more. The better your egg quality, the more likely it will successfully implant and result in a healthy pregnancy. That’s why if someone freezes their eggs at 30 and uses them 10 years later, they would have the same likelihood of getting pregnant using an IVF cycle as when the eggs were frozen — essentially pausing their biological clock.Egg Quantity: How Many Eggs are Left?
You’re born with between one and two million eggs, known as your ovarian reserve. These eggs are stored in your ovaries at different developmental stages until they are ready for use. As we age, our eggs decrease in quality and, of course, numbers. Once puberty comes around, our reserves have roughly 300,000 potential eggs — and only a few hundred of those go through ovulation. But it only takes one healthy egg and sperm to conceive when you’re ready! Before freezing your eggs, we test your ovarian reserves using specific blood tests and an ultrasound.
Preserving Your Fertility — What it Really Means
Timing is everything. Freezing your eggs captures their quality (and quantity) at the age of collection. The best time to freeze your eggs is when you’re in your 20s or early 30s and your ovarian reserves are high. However, some people can freeze their eggs in their late 30s if their ovarian function is still good. Why does it matter? The age at which you freeze your eggs can affect success rates. For example, those who froze their eggs between 30 to 35 years of age were 61 to 77% likely to have a successful pregnancy using in vitro fertilization (IVF). These averages decline with advancing age. For example, at age 40, the best IVF success rate is around 20%. That’s why it’s helpful to freeze your eggs early, then leave them until you’re ready.Common Reasons to Freeze
Below are a few of the more common reasons that have inspired others to explore egg freezing at Evolve.Time to find the right partner
Besides medical reasons, egg freezing gives you time to find the person you want to start a family with. It removes the stress that can rush us into the wrong relationship, lending you the freedom and flexibility to find the best partner for you.
Endometriosis
Endometriosis is a condition that can require surgical removal of the ovaries. Freezing your eggs before surgery can preserve the opportunity for you to have biological children at a later date.
Educational, career or personal goals
To prevent age-related decline in egg quality, freezing your eggs now can make it easier to get pregnant when it’s right for you. Unlike our eggs, our uterus doesn’t decline with age and can carry a healthy pregnancy through our 40s (and sometimes 50s).
Family history of early menopause
Although rare, premature or early menopause affects between 1% to 5% of assigned females at birth. Egg freezing offers hope for those with a family history of early menopause by preserving high-quality eggs.
Chronic or genetic conditions
Certain autoimmune conditions or procedures that require immunosuppressants can affect egg quality. By preserving egg quality before taking immunosuppressant medications, patients can increase their chances of having a successful pregnancy when it is medically possible for them to start their family.
Medical Reasons for Egg Freezing
Below are the most common medical reasons for egg freezing, which can be done at our sister clinic, Trio.Chemotherapy
Medical treatments that include radiation – like chemotherapy – can damage your eggs. If you will undergo chemotherapy, then freezing your eggs before treatment can give you the flexibility to plan your future family.
Gender Transition
Transgender men who start hormone replacement therapy (HRT) may want to preserve the option of having biological children in the future. Since extraneous testosterone impacts ovulation and egg quality, trans men can consider egg freezing either before or early into hormone therapy.
Testing Your Fertility Health
The first step to determining if egg freezing is right for you begins with understanding where your fertility is today.
Before embarking on your egg freezing journey, we recommend scheduling an appointment with the Evolve team to learn more about your current fertility. During your first appointment, we’ll discuss your medical history and schedule a few pre-screening tests. We’ll work together to help determine if egg freezing is a great fit for you. If so, we’ll walk you through the egg freezing process and outline your treatment plan.
Ready to get started? Chat with our Evolve Egg Freezing Specialist today.
