Egg Freezing

Use Egg Freezing to Preserve Your Fertility

Freezing your eggs could be one of the most important steps you’ll ever take when it comes to protecting your future fertility dreams. Egg freezing technology has come a long way and – in fact – technological innovations have made “egg freezing” an outdated term. These days, eggs are vitrified, a process that transforms them into a non-crystalline solid, making them better able to stand up to the thawing process.

Note: Research egg freezing facilities carefully and investigate their safety protocols to ensure you’re making the right choice. Visit our page regarding, The Safety Of Your Frozen Eggs & Embryos, to learn more about our stringent protocols here at the Fertility Center of Dallas.

Egg freezing – or oocyte vitrification was originally pioneered to promote fertility preservation for women with cancers, or cancer treatments, threatening their fertility. It’s now used for a variety of candidates.

Should I freeze My Eggs?

Outside of those with cancer or other medical conditions that threaten future fertility chances, the large majority of women choosing to freeze their eggs:

• Are pursuing advanced degrees that won’t be completed or whose careers won’t be launched until 33-years or older.
• Want to establish themselves in their chosen career, field or industry before starting a family.
• Are approaching 35-years old who haven’t found their life partner yet or who aren’t ready to start a family.
• Have a family history of early menopause and want to preserve their eggs earlier, rather than later, to avoid infertility as the result of diminished ovarian reserves.

Excluding medical conditions or fertility threatening treatments, we typically recommend women freeze their eggs between the ages of 32- to 36-years. This is the ideal window for retrieving the maximum number of healthy, high-quality and viable eggs.

What Does the Egg Freezing Process Require?

The egg freezing process is very straightforward. After your initial consultation with us, we’ll begin scheduling appointments. First, we’ll test AMH levels and assess your egg reserves. After getting the green light from those results, we’ll move forward with the egg retrieval – a process that takes just a couple of weeks from start to finish.

Egg retrieval for women wanting to freeze their eggs mimics egg retrieval for women pursuing IVF; you’ll receive a prescription and instructions for an injectable fertility medication. We’ll monitor you via regular ultrasounds throughout the process, typically requiring a handful of appointments, lasting no more than 30-minutes. You are free to work before and/or after your appointment. Once the responding follicles are mature, you’ll be given another shot that triggers the release of the eggs. Our goal is to retrieve about 20 eggs to optimize IVF success down the road.

Egg retrieval takes place in our office and only requires about 15- to 20-minutes. However, we’ll put you on IV sedation for your comfort so you should be driven to and from this appointment – and we recommend taking the rest of the day off. Some women are more sensitive to the egg retrieval process than others. If you suspect this could be you, or you have a lower pain tolerance, it’s nice to schedule the following day off if you are able.

Read, Your Typical IVF Timeline, or Watch This Short Video, to learn more about what takes place when you’re ready to thaw your eggs and start your family via IVF.

Interested in learning more about the egg freezing process and to determine whether or not you’re a good candidate? Contact us here at Fertility Center of Dallas to schedule a consultation. We promise to keep your eggs safe for you until you’re ready to bring them to life.