Egg Freezing: Your Top 10 Questions Answered
Egg freezing has become an increasingly popular option for women looking to preserve their fertility and keep their family-building options open. But with so much information (and misinformation) out there, it can be overwhelming to know where to start. That's why we're diving deep into the top 10 most common questions about egg freezing, straight from the expert herself - Dr. Lora Shahine, a double board-certified reproductive endocrinologist and OBGYN.
What is Egg Freezing?
Egg freezing, also known as oocyte cryopreservation, is a process of preserving a woman's fertility by extracting and freezing her eggs for potential future use. This allows women to pause the aging process of their eggs, giving them more control over when they start a family.
As Dr. Shahine explains, "Egg freezing is a process of preserving your fertility. It's really important to understand that age and fertility is all about the age of eggs and sperm. But we are talking about eggs today. As we age, as our eggs age, fewer and fewer of them are able to do all the complicated genetic changes that are required to fertilize with a sperm and turn into a healthy embryo that turns into a healthy baby. So as eggs age, it takes longer to get pregnant, fertility treatments like IVF go down in their success rate, and miscarriage rate increases. So what we're thinking about doing with freezing eggs at a younger age is giving us options in the future if you want to conceive later in life for any reason."
Why Would You Want to Freeze Your Eggs?
There are a few key reasons why someone might choose to freeze their eggs:
Medical Reasons: Traditionally, egg freezing was offered primarily to those with a cancer diagnosis who were about to undergo treatments that could potentially damage their eggs, like chemotherapy or radiation. But it's also an option for those with other chronic illnesses that could impact their future fertility, such as endometriosis or autoimmune disorders.
Lifestyle Reasons: Many women today are choosing to delay starting a family for personal or professional reasons. Egg freezing allows them to preserve their fertility options for the future, without the pressure of having to have a child right away.
As Dr. Shahine notes, "People could freeze their eggs because they just are not ready to have a baby right now for whatever reason. Could be that they're not partnered. Could be that they just aren't ready and they are partnered. Doesn't matter. If you are not ready to have a baby right now but you want to keep the options open in the future, something to consider is freezing your eggs."
What is the Best Age to Freeze Your Eggs?
There's no one-size-fits-all answer when it comes to the ideal age to freeze your eggs. It really depends on your individual fertility and egg reserve. However, most experts agree that the sweet spot is generally between the ages of 32-36.
As Dr. Shahine explains, "The studies that have tried to look at a cost effective analysis of this, thinking of if you freeze eggs at a younger age that's great. You need fewer eggs, maybe you need fewer egg retrievals, but you're probably paying for storage for a long time. And also if you freeze your eggs at a younger age, there's less likelihood that you're going to use them versus freezing eggs at an older age where you need multiple egg retrievals to get a high number of eggs to predict success in the future, but there's a high likelihood that you might use them because you're maybe closer to that time where you're thinking about starting your family. So cost effective analysis studies really suggest that the sweet spot is age 32 to 36."
That said, Dr. Shahine cautions that this recommendation assumes "normal and air quotes 'fertility' or egg supply for a 32, 33, 35-year-old." For those who discover they have diminished ovarian reserve or a low egg supply at a younger age, freezing eggs sooner may be the better option.
How Many Eggs Should You Freeze?
The number of eggs you should aim to freeze depends largely on your age. As eggs age, more are needed to achieve a successful outcome in the future.
Dr. Shahine breaks it down: "If you're age 35 or younger and you freeze 10 eggs, you have an estimated live birth rate in the 60-70% range in the future. But if you're 40 years old, it can take freezing 20 eggs or more to get an over 50% rate of live birth when you go to use them."
She also emphasizes the importance of understanding "attrition" - the fact that not every frozen egg will thaw successfully, fertilize, or result in a viable embryo. This is why it's crucial to freeze a sufficient number of eggs to account for this natural loss.
To help determine the right number of eggs for your situation, Dr. Shahine recommends using an egg freezing calculator like the one from Spring Fertility. "You can put in your age and you can put in the number of eggs that you have frozen and you get an estimate for live birth based on one live birth or two live births with the number of eggs that you have. And they actually give results from three different databases. So there's a range of outcomes and I just think it's really good to not just get one sort of narrow view, but really look at sort of overall rates and talk to your doctor about this egg freezing calculator."
What is the Egg Freezing Process Like?
The egg freezing process is very similar to the first part of an IVF cycle. It typically involves:
Preparation and consent forms
Medication to stimulate the ovaries and promote the growth of multiple eggs
Daily injections for 10-14 days
An egg retrieval procedure to extract the mature eggs
Freezing the eggs the same day they are retrieved
As Dr. Shahine explains, "The process is pretty much preparation, learning, then it's getting the ovaries ready with or without birth control pills, and then the two weeks of shots - and these can be two to three shots a day, most often they're subcutaneous shots, little tiny needles right underneath the skin. Talk to your clinic about the protocol that is right for you."
What are the Risks of Egg Freezing?
While egg freezing is considered a safe procedure, there are some potential risks to be aware of:
Risks associated with anesthesia used during the egg retrieval
Bleeding or infection from the egg retrieval procedure
Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) from the fertility medications
Ovarian torsion (when the ovaries become twisted)
Fatigue, bloating, discomfort, or nausea from the ovarian stimulation
However, Dr. Shahine emphasizes that these risks are very rare, and that clinics take many precautions to minimize them. "All of these risks are possible, but they're very, very rare and it's considered a very safe procedure."
How Much Does Egg Freezing Cost?
The cost of egg freezing can vary widely, depending on factors like your location, your insurance coverage, and the specific clinic you choose. On average, the total cost can range anywhere from $6,000 to $20,000.
As Dr. Shahine explains, "You might have insurance coverage for some or all of the egg freezing process. You can ask your insurance coverage, your HR for whatever company that you work for. You can look up coverage by state at a great website called resolve.org. Not everybody has coverage. And if you're paying out of pocket, the cost can be anywhere from $6,000 to $20,000."
She notes that the lower end of that range may not include the cost of the necessary medications, which can add a few thousand dollars to the total. So it's important to get a full breakdown of all the potential costs from your clinic.
Does Egg Freezing Guarantee a Baby?
Unfortunately, no - egg freezing does not guarantee that you will have a baby in the future. As Dr. Shahine puts it, "I wish it did. I wish I could say that if you freeze your eggs, you are absolutely going to have a baby with those eggs in the future should you choose to use them. But there is no way that we can have a crystal ball and know the future."
While the success rates of egg freezing have improved dramatically in recent years, there are still no guarantees. Dr. Shahine cautions against thinking of it as an "insurance policy," saying, "It's not an insurance policy because in an insurance, you're guaranteed a payout. It is an opportunity. It's an investment in yourself. It is allowing for options in the future, but it is not a guarantee."
Do I Have to Remove My IUD to Freeze My Eggs?
No, you do not have to remove your IUD in order to freeze your eggs. As Dr. Shahine explains, "Of course you have to talk to your clinic and see what their protocols are, but in my clinic Pacific Northwest Fertility in Seattle, we are not taking out IUDs, even hormonal IUDs that have progesterone in them, in order to do an egg freezing cycle."
How Long Will My Frozen Eggs Last?
The good news is that frozen eggs can potentially last indefinitely. As Dr. Shahine shares, "There is a case report in the literature where a woman had a baby after her eggs were frozen for 14 years. That's the longest time that I could find that. But we have been freezing embryos for a lot longer than we've been freezing eggs. There is a case in the UK where twins were born after embryos were frozen for 30 years. So really, theoretically, once they're frozen, they are good for ever, you know, indefinitely."
While the data is still limited, the evidence suggests that frozen eggs can remain viable for decades, giving women the freedom to use them whenever the time is right.
Egg freezing is a powerful tool that can provide women with more control over their family planning options. By understanding the key considerations around the process, from the ideal age to the potential risks and costs, women can make an informed decision about whether it's the right choice for them.
As Dr. Shahine emphasizes, "This episode will give listeners a better understanding of why someone might choose to freeze their eggs, how to evaluate if and when it's the right choice, and what to expect logistically, emotionally, and financially."
To stay up to date with the latest insights from Dr. Shahine, be sure to sign up for her newsletter, listen to her Brave & Curious podcast, and follow her on Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, and Facebook. And for more resources, be sure to check out her website and books.
