We break down everything you need to know about egg freezing for fertility preservation with FertilitySA Fertility Specialist Dr Victoria Nisenblat.
In recent years, interest in egg freezing has spiked as women look to take control of their fertility journey. Career ambition, economic stability and life goals have seen this generation often delay parenthood, in fact the Australian Bureau of Statistics reports that almost 60 percent of births today are to mothers between the ages of 30 and 39. However, science shows that our fertility begins to decline as we move into our thirties, with the chances of becoming pregnant naturally by age 40 around five percent.
Putting younger eggs ‘on ice’ has become a popular way to delay pregnancy while preserving a healthier reproductive potential. But how does egg freezing work? We speak to our very own CREI-accredited fertility specialist, Dr Victoria Nisenblat.
What is egg freezing?
Also known as Oocyte Cryopreservation, egg freezing was first developed in the 1980s to help women increase their chances of having a baby following serious medical conditions, like cancer, that require chemotherapy or other treatments that may compromise fertility. Since then, it has become a treatment of choice for people wanting to start a family later in life.
“Egg freezing is a process in which eggs are extracted, frozen and stored for future use,” explains Dr Nisenblat. “These eggs can be stored long term and then used in IVF when the person is ready to start a family and struggles to conceive naturally.”
What is the right age to freeze your eggs?
There is no ‘correct time’ to freeze your eggs – everyone’s biological clock is different and your fertility also depends on other factors, like your lifestyle, nutrition and general health. That said, it’s important to understand that age impacts both your egg number and quality.
“The probability of conceiving naturally decreases from your late 20s, with a more noticeable decline after 35 and a steeper drop around 38 to 39. As we age, the risk of miscarriage increases due to diminished egg quality and a rise in genetically abnormal eggs. Women in their late 30s and early 40s encounter the greatest fertility challenges despite potentially possessing a reasonable number of eggs,” she says. “There isn’t a set age for egg freezing, but ideally women between 28 and 33 are encouraged. Each woman should consider this, noting that the sooner she freezes her eggs, the more advantageous it is.”
How does it work?
The egg freezing process is broken down into four straightforward steps: pre-treatment investigations, ovarian stimulation, egg collection, and vitrification (freezing) and storage.
Firstly, you’ll need to have a blood test and an ultrasound to create a treatment plan with a fertility specialist like Dr Nisenblat. Following this, you’ll stimulate your ovaries for about 10 to 12 days via self-administered injections and will need to attend your fertility clinic on a few occasions during this time to monitor your response to treatment with blood tests and ultrasounds. After this, you will undergo a short day-stay procedure under anaesthesia to collect your eggs. Dr Nisenblat suggests that storing 20 to 30 eggs offers a fair chance of a healthy birth in the future.
The last step in the egg freezing process is preservation. Through the latest vitrification technology (a rapid freeze technique that doesn’t allow water molecules to form), your eggs are solidified as a glass-like structure and safely stored until you need to use them.
Overall, the process takes 12 to 14 days and begins at the start of your period. You must be off the contraceptive pill for at least a month, but IUDs can remain in the uterus. Most people return to work one to two days after the retrieval procedure.
What happens when you’re ready to use your eggs?
When you’re ready, the frozen eggs are thawed in a controlled lab environment and fertilised with sperm (either from a partner or a donor). Successfully fertilised eggs create embryos that are transferred into your uterus through a simple procedure that does not require pain relief.
What are the success rates?
According to Dr Nisenblat, about 90 percent of cryopreserved eggs survive the thawing process for women who stored their eggs between the ages of 30 to 35. Among these, roughly 50 to 80 percent successfully fertilise, with over half developing into high-quality embryos. Each embryo carries up to a 50 percent likelihood of progressing to pregnancy, influenced by the age at which the eggs were frozen.
However, it’s important to consider many factors may impact the ability to become pregnant, including sperm health, uterine health, the lifestyle of both partners, and their overall well-being when aiming to conceive.
What are the risks?
There are some potential risks with egg freezing, however, they are similar to those involved with IVF (a treatment Genea has over 35 years of experience with). People may feel bloated or sore during ovary stimulation, and in some cases it can lead to ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (although the likelihood of this is minimal). Further, like with any surgery, the retrieval runs risks of bleeding or infection. However, it is considered a very safe procedure.
It’s also important to be realistic with your expectations. Sometimes, a low number of eggs are collected, and some may not survive the thawing or fertilisation process. Lastly, like IVF, not all transferred embryos result in pregnancy.
Ready to take the first step in your egg freezing journey?
The first step is having some pre-testing done and to obtain a referral to a fertility specialist. You can do this through FertilitySA's Fertility GP or via your own GP.
Your fertility specialist will then discuss the options most appropriate for you and design a treatment plan to suit. You can contact Dr Nisenblat at her private rooms to discuss further.
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