Egg freezing has become a trend among modern women nowadays, as society has changed significantly from the past. Today’s women increasingly focus on their careers and independent lifestyles, often overlooking traditional paths such as starting a family or having children. By the time they feel ready to build a family, they may have already passed the ideal age for pregnancy. The most suitable age for pregnancy is considered to be before 35, and conceiving naturally after that may involve several risks. However, many women don’t want to lose the chance of having children in the future, so they consider freezing their eggs in advance. But if a woman wants to freeze her eggs at the age of 40, is that too old? Is it still possible to freeze eggs at that age?
Can you still freeze your eggs at age 40?
When it comes to egg freezing, doctors primarily assess the Anti-Müllerian Hormone (AMH) levels. If a woman still has a regular menstrual cycle each month, it means her ovaries are still capable of producing eggs. However, the number of eggs produced depends on the ovarian reserve in each ovary. A woman has two ovaries, and each ovary may produce a different number of eggs. This also depends on the dosage of medication used to stimulate the ovaries, which varies from clinic to clinic.
In some cases, younger women may have ovarian function equivalent to that of a 50-year-old—this is called premature ovarian aging. On the other hand, some women at the age of 40 may still have ovaries that respond well to stimulation and can produce eggs. Therefore, age is not the most critical factor in egg freezing. However, the quality of eggs in women aged 40 may not be as high as those in women under 35, especially if the eggs are later used for IVF (in vitro fertilization), because egg quality tends to decline with age.
If eggs are frozen at age 40, doctors usually recommend undergoing IVF within 3 years after freezing, as the implantation rate of embryos declines after age 40. The chance of natural pregnancy also drops to just 2.5% per menstrual cycle after this age.
Why is it necessary to undergo IVF within 3 years after freezing eggs at the age of 40?
Even if eggs are frozen after the age of 35, it does not guarantee 100% success in achieving pregnancy in the future. When the patient is ready and undergoes IVF, there is no certainty that the frozen eggs will successfully develop into embryos and lead to a pregnancy after being transferred to the uterus. This is because women over the age of 35 are more likely to face health-related challenges compared to younger women, such as uterine deterioration, hormonal imbalance, and age-related pregnancy complications, which increase risks for both the mother and the baby, including the risk of miscarriage.
In some cases, if a woman freezes her eggs at age 40, doctors may recommend proceeding with IVF within 3 years. This is because, within this time frame, she may still have a chance of getting pregnant using her own uterus, and hormone levels can still be adjusted with medical treatment. However, if a woman who freezes her eggs at 40 postpones IVF until she is around 45–50 years old, the passage of time may cause her uterine quality and hormone levels to decline to the point where she can no longer carry a pregnancy.
Egg freezing thus becomes an option to preserve the possibility of having a child in the future. In such cases, legal surrogacy may be used. The woman can still use her own eggs and her husband’s sperm, so the child will be genetically related to both parents, sharing their chromosomes and likely resembling them. The only difference is that another woman will carry the pregnancy on her behalf.
Advantages of Freezing Eggs at the Age of 40
- Egg cells can be preserved for a long time, allowing women to undergo IVF whenever they are ready to have children.
- Babies born through IVF tend to be healthier and more robust than those conceived naturally, as they undergo chromosomal screening.
Disadvantages of Freezing Eggs at the Age of 40
- The quality of the eggs is lower compared to women under the age of 35 when undergoing IVF.
- The quantity of eggs retrieved may be fewer than that of women under 35 years old.
In summary, women at the age of 40 can still freeze their eggs if their hormones and ovaries are still capable of producing eggs. Egg freezing is like buying peace of mind or health insurance — “it doesn’t hurt to have it just in case… when you’re ready to have children, you can start treatment.”
If any women have concerns, they can add the LINE account @beyondivf to ask for more information.