Weigh benefits, costs and timing, says our Southern California fertility center
Egg freezing is a popular procedure that our Southern California fertility center team can help you explore. Interest has soared since 2012 when the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) found egg freezing no longer experimental and as more employers and the US Military made it eligible for full or substantial insurance coverage.
Is egg freezing for you?
Egg freezing can help preserve fertility for women in their reproductive prime.
- Do you lack a partner now but want a baby and worry about your biological clock?
- Do you wish to delay having children to focus on other goals such as your career or education?
Do you object to storing frozen embryos for religious reasons? - Do you have a family history of premature menopause?
- Have you received a cancer related diagnosis, and wish to preserve your fertility prior to cancer treatment?
Our Southern California fertility center physicians can give you valuable advice on whether and when to freeze your eggs.
When to freeze eggs
A June 2015 study in ASRM’s journal, Fertility and Sterility, noted a dilemma. The longer you wait, the less likely egg freezing will result in a live birth, but should you freeze eggs during the time period in which you can still easily get pregnant?
A decision tree model helped assess the success and cost-effectiveness of egg freezing compared to taking no action, at age 25-40 years, with eggs thawed and fertilization tried 3, 5 and 7 years after egg freezing.
- Egg freezing provided more improvement in live birth rates over not freezing after age 30, and the “sweet spot” was age 31 to 33.
- Freezing was most advantageous over not freezing when the wait period was 7 years.
- The largest improvement came with egg freezing at age 37, increasing the probability of live birth at age 44 from 22% to 52%.
While freezing was beneficial for all ages, the increase in probability of live birth was less than 10% for women under 32, a group with relatively high natural fertility.
Find your best path partnering with our Southern California fertility center
Contact us at our Southern California fertility center if you want a baby but worry about your fertility as you age. We’ll help you find the path best suited to your goals.