Elective egg freezing is an excellent way for women to preserve their fertility

At Fertility Answers, we know that there are many reasons why women may want to postpone pregnancy. Some women may be focusing on their education or career, while others are still trying to find the perfect partner. For these women, elective egg freezing is an excellent way to preserve future fertility. This procedure is also an option for women about to undergo cancer treatment which may cause them to be infertile.

The physicians at our Louisiana fertility center also offer elective egg freezing for women who are preparing to undergo medical procedures such as chemotherapy or radiation. The process of freezing eggs allows these women to proactively preserve their fertility.

The process of freezing eggs is similar to an IVF cycle

Freezing eggs at our South Louisiana fertility center utilizes advanced cryopreservation techniques to freeze and store a woman’s eggs for future use. The process involves many of the same steps in a typical IVF cycle.

Ovarian stimulation – To begin the process of freezing your eggs, you will take fertility medications to stimulate your ovaries to produce multiple eggs. During this step, your physician will monitor you via ultrasound to determine when to retrieve your eggs.

Egg retrieval – Once your ovarian follicles mature, you will come to our Louisiana fertility center for egg retrieval. During the procedure, you will be sedated, while your physician trans-vaginally removes mature eggs using ultrasound guidance.

Vitrification, or rapid freezing – After the egg retrieval procedure, our laboratory will culture and freeze your eggs.

Your eggs can remain frozen for years. When you decide that you’re ready to get pregnant, our laboratory will thaw your eggs and combine them with your partner’s sperm or donor sperm to allow for fertilization. Then, the resulting embryo(s) will be transferred to your uterus, and your physician will monitor you for signs of pregnancy.

It’s important to know when to consider elective egg freezing

The idea of freezing eggs is appealing. Women no longer have to live in fear of their biological clock. They can instead preserve their fertility and postpone pregnancy until they feel ready to become a mother.

The fertility specialists at our Louisiana fertility center want patients to understand that it is important to start thinking about egg freezing early.

If you have questions about egg freezing, contact us today. The fertility specialists at Fertility Answers can answer all of your questions. We know that egg freezing is a big decision. Our fertility specialists are here to make it as easy as possible.