Conceiving with frozen eggs makes parenthood possible
Women freeze eggs to preserve fertility for different reasons. Maybe they want to beat their biological clock or wait until they meet the right person. Other times, they may freeze their eggs before undergoing cancer treatment. The reasons vary, and each one is very personal. However, no matter why you froze your eggs, the time will come to decide about conceiving with frozen eggs. Here’s what you can expect during this process at our Southern California fertility center.
Women who freeze eggs follow certain steps to conceive later
Conceiving with frozen eggs is possible at our Southern California fertility center. In fact, the odds of conceiving and having a healthy baby are similar whether we use fresh or frozen eggs for in vitro fertilization (IVF).
When you’re ready to take the next step to grow your family using frozen eggs, our team will retrieve your eggs from secure frozen storage. Our laboratory team will carefully thaw your eggs in a temperature-controlled environment.
Our embryologists will then fertilize your eggs with your partner’s sperm or donor sperm using a technique called intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) to achieve fertilization. With this procedure, they inject sperm into the egg using a microscopic needle.
A few days later, either Dr. Robert Anderson or Dr. Don Royster will transfer one of the resulting embryos to your uterus. You’ll become pregnant if the embryo successfully implants in your uterus through your body’s natural processes. Upon becoming pregnant, you will be monitored through your 10th week of pregnancy before “graduating” and continuing your care with your OB/GYN.
Factors to consider when conceiving with frozen eggs
To give you the best chance of pregnancy success, we use a rapid-freezing process for eggs called MicroSecure Vitrification. This method helps prevent ice crystals from forming that could possibly damage the eggs. We can hold onto your eggs in the short-term, or our team can transfer your eggs to a reputable long-term storage facility until you’re ready to use them.
Keep in mind that the younger you are when you freeze your eggs, the better chance you’ll have of conceiving with frozen eggs later. This is because the health and viability of eggs naturally decline as a woman gets older.
Do you want to freeze eggs at our Southern California fertility center? Contact us to make an appointment today.