Our Louisiana fertility center answers the question: When should I freeze my eggs?
If you’re considering oocyte cryopreservation — egg freezing — for any of several valid reasons, the first question you may have is, “When should I freeze my eggs? Fertility Answers offers you both the short answer and a longer one.
When should I freeze my eggs? The short answer
Freeze your eggs in your prime reproductive years — your 20s and early 30s — when egg production is greatest and egg quality is highest. This 10- to 15-year interval is the ideal time to harvest and preserve your eggs.
You’re born with all of the eggs you’ll ever have, and they diminish in number and quality as time passes. When you turn 40, your chance for getting pregnant each month falls to only 5%. The chance for aneuploidy — the presence of an abnormal number of chromosomes in a cell — also increases after age 35.
Your age is the primary consideration in deciding when you should freeze your eggs. However, it may not be the only factor you deem important.
When should I freeze my eggs? A longer answer
At our Louisiana fertility center, we know that, unfortunately, about 1 in 8 couples who want a baby experience infertility. When that occurs, some couples wonder how long to wait before exploring fertility treatments. The answer is simple if it’s strictly science-based, but life isn’t limited to science. With the science of fertility testing, we can get a fairly clear picture of your egg quantity and ovarian function. We can share what we learn to help you consider your options, including egg freezing, for fertility preservation.
The tests we conduct at our Baton Rouge and Lafayette fertility centers include antral follicle counts, as well as hormone and anti-mullerian hormone (AMH) blood testing, to assess ovarian reserve. These tests will yield key information we will interpret for you.
At Fertility Answers, we want to give you a timeline and a plan for moving forward with egg freezing, or delaying it until the time is right for you.
Our compassionate team of fertility experts will answer your questions — and ask you questions — so that you can achieve your goals in the options that emerge as best for you and your partner. Preserving your eggs during the prime reproductive years can offer peace of mind that you have the quantity and quality of eggs needed to maximize your chances for getting pregnant when the timing is optimal.
You might have valid reasons to wait beyond your prime reproductive years before freezing eggs, but should do so with awareness of the impact of age on your eggs and fertility.
So now what? Contact Fertility Answers
Contact us if you know you want a baby but have reasons to delay pregnancy. We’ll help you decide whether you’re a candidate for egg freezing. You’ll understand the benefits and limitations of the process, the impact of deferring egg collection past the prime reproductive years and the expected success rate.
