Elective egg freezing at the Center for Reproductive Medicine
Elective egg freezing is becoming more common among female patients who want to delay childbearing for personal or medical reasons without compromising their future fertility. Both the quality and quantity of most women’s eggs begin to decline in their early- to mid-30s. By retrieving and preserving younger, more viable eggs for future use, patients who are not yet planning to start a family can preserve their chances of a successful pregnancy later in life.
About the egg freezing process
The Board-certified reproductive medicine specialists at the Center for Reproductive Medicine offer an egg freezing program that’s easier and more convenient than other preservation processes. We provide all services on-site, from your initial consultation, ultrasound and lab work, to ovarian stimulation and the egg retrieval procedure. Our program includes the following steps:
- First, you’ll come in for a consultation with one of our reproductive endocrinologists. As part of this process, you’ll undergo a standard physical and bloodwork to assess your current health and fertility.
- Next, you’ll begin hormone injections to stimulate your ovaries to produce eggs.
- Our team will carefully monitor the maturation of your eggs through blood tests and ultrasound imaging. Once they are ready, your provider will perform a transvaginal procedure to retrieve the eggs from your ovaries.
- Following the harvesting of your eggs, our team will rapidly cool them to subzero temperatures using cryotherapy and place them into storage.
- Once you are ready, your eggs will be thawed and fertilized with sperm from your partner or donor to create embryos, which will then be inserted into your uterus as part of the in vitro fertilization process.
Frequently asked questions
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Egg freezing is a fertility preservation method that can help you plan your future family, even if you’re not ready to become pregnant right now.
At the Center for Reproductive Medicine, our doctors harvest eggs from your ovaries and use cryotherapy to freeze and store them for future use. At a later time, our team can thaw one of your eggs and fertilize it with sperm from your partner or a donor before implanting it into your uterus during the in vitro fertilization process.
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First, our reproductive endocrinologists start with a fertility preservation consultation to ensure the program is right for you and that you’re healthy enough to move through the process. Next, we offer on-site lab testing and blood work for your convenience before starting the ovarian stimulation process using gonadotropin hormones to encourage your body to produce eggs.
When your eggs are ready, your provider will retrieve them during an in-office ultrasound procedure. Once they are harvested, your eggs will be stored in a dedicated cryopreservation facility for future use.
When you’re ready to start your family, your provider will meet with you to discuss thawing your eggs and beginning the process of in vitro fertilization.
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You might consider egg freezing if you plan to have children at some point, but existing circumstances may result in infertility later.
Some common reasons why patients pursue egg freezing include:
- Plans for future IVF
- Existing health concerns or conditions
- Cancer treatment or other medical therapies
- Desire to have a family at an older age
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After the egg retrieval procedure, you may experience abdominal fullness and cramping. You should be able to resume your normal daily activities within a week. If you have vaginal bleeding or pain, contact your doctor at the Center for Reproductive Medicine, who will ensure you’re not experiencing any postprocedural complications.