5 Ways egg freezing can change your life

Thanks to modern technology, women do not always have to accept Mother Nature’s schedule to start a family. You now have a choice and control over when you have a baby. For many women, egg freezing gives them the opportunity to become a mother later in life.

It is important for women to fully understand the cost of freezing your eggs, the expectations involved with the procedure, and the emotional and physical challenges that go hand-in-hand with the vitrification process.

Information is knowledge and knowledge is power; by researching how egg freezing can change your life, you are stepping through a door to an amazing opportunity.

Nobody knows what is around that next corner or what curve balls life may throw your way. When it comes to ensuring that you can have a baby when you are ready, keeping that door open is paramount. It is best to start with the facts of the egg freezing process before making any decisions, but once you feel knowledgeable enough, try to figure out what is important to you in life and determine if preserving your fertility is the right choice for you.

The Process

Frozen egg bank experts define vitrification as the high-tech process of flash-freezing women’s eggs in hopes of future fertilization. This amazing scientific breakthrough removes the most common problem reported in egg freezing: freezer burn.

Eggs are mostly comprised of water, which means the vitrification process must be very delicate in freezing them. Eggs frozen before vitrification were much more susceptible to crystallization, which often damaged the eggs, rendering them useless. Even when doctors tried to remove ice crystals as eggs thawed, the outcome was disheartening.

The vitrification process provides a smooth transfer of the liquid out of the egg and occurs simultaneously while anti-freeze solution (sucrose and propanediol) flows into it. After this step’s completion, the eggs are quickly vitrified (frozen), which prevents ice crystals from forming and damaging the fragile eggs. Fertilization success rates using vitrification are up to 79%, with implantation success up from 17 to 41%. Additionally, up to 61% of patients have positive pregnancy tests from reputable clinics. Furthermore, there are no conclusive studies showing that vitrification increases the risk of chromosomal anomalies in fetuses. Vitrification has advanced significantly within the past few years, and continues to offer viable hope to women looking to protect their fertility.

Once vitrification has occurred, the frozen eggs are stored in a clinical freezer at a few hundred degrees below zero and you pay a storage fee until you use or dispose of the eggs.

The Cost

Per cycle of egg freezing, the process costs about $10,000 dollars. The first year’s cost of storage is usually included, but afterwards it’s common to spend $500 dollars per year to store your frozen eggs. The transfer process is roughly $5,000 dollars. Do not lose hope, however - many clinics offer payment plans that make egg freezing a much more manageable option.

How Long Can Eggs Safely Remain Frozen?

Eggs are frozen at almost -200° Celsius. Studies show long-term storage does not decrease an egg’s quality. Many successful pregnancies occur with eggs frozen for more than 10 years!

5 Ways Egg Freezing Can Change Your Life

1 – A Cancer Treatment Solution: For women undergoing a medical procedure or cancer treatment (which may damage their reproductive organs), egg freezing is an excellent option to prolong fertility for a later date or for when they are healthier and ready to have a biological child. You just never know when life is going to throw you a curve ball… having the opportunity to preserve your ability to conceive is priceless.

2 – A Menopause Option: As women age, egg quality deteriorates rapidly. After the age of 40, the risk of anomalies in the fetus starts rising sharply and the likelihood of getting pregnant declines pointedly. Age is the most important factor in fertility. At the age of 30, a woman's chance of conceiving is about 20% per cycle. At age 40, it is just 5%. With frozen eggs, you also have the opportunity to have another child when you are much older, if that is your preference.

3 - No Perfect Partner: Many women can hear their biological clock ticking, but just have yet to found the right partner. Vitrification allows women more time to explore finding their perfect mate and gives them security in knowing they are not jeopardizing their chances of having a perfectly healthy baby by waiting too long to try. It is a huge peace of mind for many women who know they want to have a baby someday, but know that right now is not the right time.

4 - Career Goals: Times have changed and many women are holding off having children because they are career driven. They have worked hard to reach their current position and are not satisfied just yet when they are at their fertility peak and wish to work a few more years before starting a family. With egg freezing, you can pursue your career goals and not stress about motherhood until you are ready!

5 - Overcome Tragedy: As recently as only 20 years ago, if you happened to have a tragedy in your life and lost your only child, those were just the cards you had to accept, a sad but true reality for many families. By freezing your eggs today; however, you have the ability to overcome future tragedy if faced with such an event. 

Final Words

Vitrification does change lives for the better, you just have to decide whether or not you are going to trust your fertility path to fate or if you are going to take control. Only you can decide when you are ready for a child.

The process is quite simple, according to Eggsurance: evaluate, stimulate, retrieve and freeze. A reputable fertility clinic will walk you through the process and answer any questions you might have. So, if you are not ready to start a family during your peak fertility years (your early 20s and 30s), you should truly consider freezing your eggs. It is an opportunity that could change your life for the better.

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