Fertility naturally declines with age. A woman in her early to mid-20s has a 25-30% chance of getting pregnant each month. Fertility generally starts to decrease in the early 30s and declines more significantly after the age of 35. By age 40, the chance of conceiving in any given monthly cycle is around 5%. Egg freezing allows women to preserve their fertility until they are ready to start a family.
Here’s a detailed look at the egg freezing process and how it works:
- Initial Consultation
The process begins with a visit to a fertility specialist. During this consultation, your medical history is reviewed, and the treatment process is explained. This helps determine if egg freezing is the right option for you.
- Blood Tests and Ultrasound Scans
On day 2 or 3 of the menstrual cycle, blood tests are done to check hormone levels. A transvaginal ultrasound is performed to assess ovarian follicles and plan the stimulation protocol.
- Review Consultation
Once the test results are available, you meet with your fertility specialist to review the findings and finalize the treatment plan.
- Start of Egg Freezing Cycle
You will receive detailed instructions about medications, injections, and consent forms. Hormonal injections are used to stimulate the ovaries to produce multiple eggs.
- Monitoring
During the stimulation phase, your ovarian response is monitored every 2-3 days using blood tests and ultrasounds. This ensures the medications are working effectively.
- Trigger Injection
When your hormone levels indicate the eggs are ready for retrieval, a trigger injection is administered. This final injection helps mature the eggs for collection.
- Egg Retrieval
Eggs are collected from the follicles using a needle inserted through the vagina under sedation. This minimally invasive procedure allows the eggs to be safely harvested.
- Egg Freezing and Storage
The collected eggs are preserved through a process called vitrification and stored in liquid nitrogen. They remain viable until you are ready to use them. When desired, the eggs can be thawed, fertilized, and transferred as embryos to the uterus.
Conclusion
Egg freezing provides women with an opportunity to maintain reproductive flexibility and preserve fertility for the future. With proper planning, monitoring, and medical care, it can significantly increase the chances of successful conception when the time is right. Consulting a fertility specialist can help determine the best approach based on individual goals and health.