Egg freezing is becoming popular in Newport Beach, California. It’s a process where eggs are collected from a woman and stored in liquid nitrogen (temperature of -196°C) to be used later when the woman would like to get pregnant. It’s also called oocyte cryopreservation or egg vitrification. The eggs can be thawed and fertilized with sperm and then transferred into the uterus through an IVF procedure. When should you think of visiting a Newport Beach egg freezing center?
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Diagnosis of Cancer
Women with cancer, especially those who need chemotherapy, risk losing their eggs in the process. Egg freezing can be an excellent option for them to save their eggs and use them when they are ready to have a child after being cured of cancer. In some cases, fertilization before chemotherapy is also possible so that the embryo is in the blastocyst stage.
Medical Conditions or Medications Preventing Concurrent Pregnancy
Women diagnosed with autoimmune diseases, uterine conditions including polyps, growths or scarring in the uterus, endometriosis, and uterine fibroids can’t carry a pregnancy. Egg freezing allows them to save their eggs before these conditions worsen when they are ready.
Some pregnant women may need to undergo medications that could potentially harm the developing baby, like cancer drugs, high-dose chemotherapy, or radiation. For these cases, egg freezing is an option to save the eggs before undergoing this treatment.
Women With Insufficient Eggs
When a woman has insufficient eggs in her ovaries at her reproductive age (premature ovarian insufficiency orPOI) or risk of premature ovarian failure (POF), the only way that she can have her biological children is through egg freezing.
Desires to Delay Pregnancy Until a Later Date in TimeWomen with a strong desire to delay pregnancy may need to freeze their eggs until some future date in time. For example, women between the ages of single, dating, married, or cohabiting who have already set a goal of having children within the next five years for various reasons such as pursuing education or career goals may opt for egg freezing.
Women Who Do Not Have a Partner
Single women may need to freeze their eggs if they do not have a partner and delay pregnancy. Egg freezing is also an option for those in a relationship but unable to get pregnant due to medical issues faced by the male partner, such as low sperm count or motility, etc. Women who plan to adopt or be single parents using donor sperm can also freeze their eggs.
Older Women and Egg Freezing
Most women in the U.S. don’t start thinking about freezing their eggs until they are older than 35, according to a recent survey by egg-freezing company Extend Fertility. However, the ideal age is younger than 35.
The chances of getting pregnant with eggs thawed after 24 hours are 20% to 25%. According to the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM), the success rate goes down significantly later. After age 38, it’s less than 1%.
While egg freezing is a process that more and more women are choosing, there are still some things to consider before deciding. We’ve outlined some of the most common reasons women choose to freeze their eggs, but this list is not exhaustive. If you have questions about whether or not egg freezing is proper for you, please consult with your doctor.