Many women come to the fertility experts at CRE to electively freeze their eggs, for many different reasons. These women have decided that while they may not be ready to conceive a child today, they do want to give themselves the best opportunity to have a genetically related healthy child in the future through egg freezing.
Why Freeze Your Eggs?
There are a variety of reasons women choose to freeze their eggs, including:
- Women who want a baby someday, just not today
- Women building their career or completing their education
- Women who have not met their partner yet
- Medical reasons, such as cancer treatment
- Additional personal reasons that have delayed family planning
The Egg Freezing Process
The egg freezing process begins with a fertility preservation consultation with Dr. Walid Saleh at CRE. After your initial consultation, you’ll undergo a full work-up and blood work. Once you are ready to begin your cycle, you will undergo ovarian stimulation and fertility hormone injections to encourage your ovaries to produce multiple eggs. The eggs will then be retrieved using a minor outpatient procedure, after which they will be frozen and stored.
When you’re ready to start your family, your eggs will be thawed, fertilized, and transferred into the uterus.
Ready to Start?
If you would like to learn more about freezing your eggs with CRE, please contact us at 972-566-6686 to request an appointment.
FAQ's
- 1
Why Freeze Your Eggs?
While it does not guarantee a pregnancy, the ability to freeze human eggs has been life-changing for many women. It has allowed fertility preservation prior to invasive treatments like surgery, chemotherapy or radiation. Socially, it has empowered women by releasing some of the pressure of conceiving prior to completing her other life goals. While they may not be ready to conceive a child today, they do want to give themselves the best opportunity to have a genetically related healthy child in the future.
- 2
How do I freeze my eggs?
Egg freezing requires a process that is almost the same as IVF. Injections are used to stimulate the ovaries to produce multiple eggs. This requires close monitoring with serial ultrasounds and blood tests. The eggs are retrieved vaginally with ultrasound guidance under IV sedation. The eggs are then vitrified (ultra-fast freezing) to minimize the formation of ice crystals inside the egg for safest long-term storage.
- 3
Is freezing your eggs a good idea?
A lot depends on your particular situation. For a young woman suddenly in need of chemotherapy or a young career-oriented woman who plans to delay starting a family, it makes sense to freeze her eggs. However, in older woman, fewer eggs are chromosomally normal and it may take a lot more IVF cycles to achieve true fertility preservation. For example, at 30, 1/3 eggs are normal while at 40, only 1/10 eggs are.
- 4
Does insurance cover egg freezing?
It comes down to the employer. Some larger companies offer excellent egg freezing coverage while others do not. It is best to inquire with your HR department.
