With more and more women deciding to start a family later in life the question of egg freezing becomes more appealing. With the latest trends in fertility preservation, this is becoming more frequent, possible and convenient for couples to explore as a possible way to conceive.
The reasons for this are numerous. Whether you are single and waiting for the love of your life, becoming more financially and emotionally stable, prioritizing your career, or undergoing treatment for cancer, egg freezing might be a good option for you. With advancements in medicine being daily you are well supported to become a mother in your late 30’s,40’s and sometimes even after the age of 50. Let’s explore together how egg freezing can benefit you and help you achieve a healthy pregnancy.
How are eggs frozen?
The procedure of egg freezing takes only 8 to 14 days. In those two weeks, your doctor will start by doing tests to ensure your eggs are viable and available for retrieval. They will do some blood tests and ultrasound to find out how big your ovarian reserve is. They will also do tests for HIV and Hepatitis B. If everything looks good you will be given ovary stimulating injections. When your ovaries are ready you will undergo a 15 to 20 minutes outpatient procedure for egg retrieval during which you will be under general anesthesia and your doctor will retrieve the eggs with a needle while monitoring your ovaries on ultrasound. You can go home the same day. Then your eggs will be frozen. Frozen eggs can be kept indefinitely, but most patients use them after 3-10 years.
Success rates for egg freezing
The number of successful pregnancies after using a frozen egg depends on factors such as:
- The ovarian reserve or the number of available eggs
- Your age when you have your eggs frozen
- Your age when you decide to use your frozen eggs
- Your general and reproductive health
It is important for you to remember that even though freezing your eggs can extend your time to have a child of your own, it is not a guarantee that you will achieve a pregnancy. It might also help to contact Amelia Genesis, a service that offers support, guidance, and expert consultations for women exploring fertility preservation. Feeling the connection and support from other women can help you go through the process more confidently and have more success. This procedure has been proven to be very safe and effective for many women.
Risks of freezing your eggs
Each session of egg retrieval will give you 10 to 12 eggs, and each of these eggs has a 4.5% to 12% chance to result in a healthy pregnancy. Even though the procedure is safe there are some risks:
- The risk that comes with being under general anesthesia.
- Side effects from the hormone injections like bloating, breast tenderness, hot flashes, insomnia, headaches, bloating, mood swings, fatigue, etc.
- Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome in which your ovary can become swollen.
- Puncture from a needle. The needle can puncture an organ near the ovary like the uterus, bladder, or bowel.
- Mild bruising and soreness at the injection site.
How much does egg freezing cost?
There are some factors that influence the cost of egg freezing. Some of these are your location (cities like New York are more expensive than cities like Boston or San Francisco), the clinic and doctor that you choose and whether your insurance plan will cover some of the cost. The average costs without insurance coverage are from 10 000$ to 12 000$ and are broken down into:
- One cycle of freezing your eggs is between 4500$ to 8000$.
- The ovary stimulating injections are between 4000$ to 6000$.
- An annual storage fee from 500$ to 1000$.
For females in their late 30’s, it is important to note that they may need to undergo multiple egg retrieval cycles in order to achieve a successful result.
Will insurance cover your egg freezing procedure?
In 2024 approximately 20% of large US companies covered the procedure. But it differs from one policy to another as some will only cover the initial consultation with the fertility specialist, some diagnostic tests and medication. It also depends if you are doing it as an elective procedure or for medical reasons. Egg freezing procedures for medical reasons are more likely to be covered by your insurance company. If you have any questions about having the procedure being covered by your insurance plan it is best to contact your insurance company.
Conclusion
With medicine being more advanced as the years go by it is getting more achievable to start a family when you are older. Procedures like egg freezing are a good option for making your dream of having a family one day come true. With the procedure being safe and the coverage of fertility benefits growing, especially among larger companies, egg freezing is getting more within reach of women in the US.