Egg freezing: all you need to know
How can I freeze my eggs?
When the eggs are to be used at a later date, they will be thawed, the woman will resume the second half of an IVF cycle: adding sperm to the eggs, embryo transfer, and freezing any spare embryos.
- you might really want to have a baby, but you haven't met the right partner yet and don't want to leave things to chance
- you might be concerned that your fertility is in decline, but you're not ready to have children quite yet
- you might need to preserve your fertility before cancer treatment or other treatments that might impact your fertility
- you might be starting gender-affirming hormone treatment (GAHT), but want to keep your options open.
Note that even in younger age groups, (under 37 years), it's important to understand that not all eggs may survive the freezing and thawing process. Additionally, some thawed mature eggs might not fertilize or develop into the blastocyst stage. Moreover, not all transferred embryos may lead to pregnancy. Rest assured, our team is dedicated to providing the best care and support to optimize your chances for a successful outcome.
Here, we take you through some options so you can find out what might be right for you...
When is the right time?
The right time to try to have a baby depends on your unique circumstances - it's an incredibly personal decision. You may be single, with a partner, or in a LGBTQI+ relationship. If you're not in a position to try for a baby now, egg freezing may be an option to help preserve your fertility.
It's easy to take the first step
To get started, we recommend you make an appointment to talk with a fertility specialist. At this consultation, the specialist will explain options and help you form an initial plan. He or she will also arrange some initial screening tests to assess your fertility.
If you'd like an informal chat to explore your options, book a free, no obligation chat with one of our experienced fertility nurses.
We have egg freezing packages that include medication - so you know what the price is before you start.
Typical timeline for egg freezing
Egg freezing FAQs
When is the right time?
The right time to try to have a baby depends on your unique circumstances. It's an incredibly personal decision. You may be single, married, or in a LGBTQI+ relationship. If you're not in a position to try for a baby now, egg freezing may be an option to help preserve your fertility.
What are the chances of conception using stored sperm, eggs or embryos?
If you have frozen sperm, the type of treatment to use depends on the number and quality of the sperm stored. IVF and IUI pregnancy rates are the same using frozen sperm and fresh sperm. If you have embryos frozen, the chance of pregnancy is similar to that from using fresh embryos. About 95% of embryos survive freezing and thawing. Eggs are more prone to damage from freezing and thawing than embryos, and there is more variation in egg survival between individual women than there is for embryo survival.
For some women 90% or more of their eggs survive, while for others the rate may be closer to 50-70%. It may be 0% in very rare cases.
If an egg survives most people have normal embryo development but for a few embryos development may be poor. Unfortunately, there is no way to predict this. The most important factors influencing the chance of having a child is your age when the eggs were frozen and the number of eggs or embryos available. Beyond IVF has a discounted fee for women who want to do a second or third egg freezing cycle.
