Raise your hand if at some point during your (Zoom) happy hours, you have one friend who brings up egg freezing. We know women are out there wondering, “Should I be doing that, too?” Or maybe you’re just curious what all the hype is about. With so much conflicting information out there, we wanted to learn more about the facts so we partnered with our friends at Spring Fertility to discuss some important considerations related to egg freezing.
We know if you're reading this then you're like us here at Three Day Rule, and you believe knowledge is power. So we hope this info helps you as you make informed decisions about your reproductive health and family planning options going forward.
Three Day Rule: So, why would someone freeze their eggs?
In short, options.
Even if you’re not sure when or if you’ll feel ready to have kids in the future, freezing your eggs can provide peace of mind today. Many people with ovaries choose to freeze their eggs for different reasons.
Some people already know that they will likely have trouble getting pregnant down the road, some are focusing on other opportunities at the present, while others are looking for the right partner to raise children with. If you want biological kids at some point, egg freezing helps relieve some of the pressures time can present. Truly, there are no wrong reasons for deciding to freeze your eggs.
Three Day Rule: Do you have to use frozen eggs to get pregnant in the future?
Nope! If you get pregnant naturally, your eggs become a backup plan or insurance policy.
People also may want to use them for a second or third child; they're ready when you are!
Three Day Rule: What does it cost to freeze your eggs?
It can vary from clinic to clinic, but you should expect to budget anywhere from $7,000-$10,000 in the United States, not including medication costs if you are paying out of pocket.
At Spring, we believe in making egg freezing more accessible and offer a $0 down, zero-interest payment plan which ends up being $244/month over three years.
If you are fortunate enough to have fertility benefits through your employer, you can speak with your Human Resources department to learn more about your coverage.
Three Day Rule: Does egg freezing affect future fertility?
Nope! Just like being on birth control does not prolong your fertility, freezing your eggs does not decrease your future fertility.
During any given ovulation cycle, multiple follicles in your ovaries are activated. Ultimately, only one follicle begins to mature and the egg inside is released into the fallopian tube. All of the other follicles that were stimulated but did not mature die off.
By freezing your eggs, you are actually saving eggs that would otherwise have “died” during this natural process.
Three Day Rule: What is the best age or time to freeze your eggs?
Everyone has different goals and there is no ‘right time’ that is best for everyone. We do know however that eggs are healthiest when women are in their mid 20's. This is when women have the most follicles and eggs are more likely to be chromosomally ‘normal’.
It is important to note that while the "quantity" of eggs that we can expect to retrieve in a given egg freezing cycle declines linearly over time, egg quality (or the likelihood that a future embryo will be chromosomally normal) begins to decline more rapidly in a woman’s mid-to late-30’s.
Because there is no "one size fits all" and everyone’s biology is different, we recommend visiting a fertility specialist to get a better understanding of your unique situation.
We also recommend you work with your physician to create a plan that works with your individual goals.
Three Day Rule: What happens when someone is ready to use their eggs?
When you’re ready, your eggs are thawed, fertilized with sperm, and ultimately transferred back to your uterus as embryos.
Three Day Rule: What is the egg freezing process like?
Protocols can vary but egg freezing is typically a two-week process.
- 10-14 days of hormone stimulation, culminating in a final “trigger shot” 36 hours before the egg retrieval
- Usually 5 monitoring appointments
- The egg retrieval: a 20-minute procedure under sedation (you are asleep with an anesthesiologist present but you are not intubated or paralyzed)
Three Day Rule: Does it hurt?
For the most part, no!
Injections can cause minor irritation and discomfort. During the retrieval, you'll be under anesthesia for ~20 minutes. Most patients wake up with minimal discomfort or cramping that does not require additional medication. For the few patients who experience more severe cramping, rarely do they need more than Tylenol or ibuprofen (Advil).
Three Day Rule: If our readers have more questions, where can they get answers?
