Embryo Freezing

Explore embryo freezing and IVF to improve your chance of success

Assisted reproductive technology always changes and evolves. As highly trained experts in the field, our Newport Beach fertility doctors stay current on the latest advances and therapies. Our physicians and team support our patients and continuously provide the highest level of care, which may include recommending IVF and embryo freezing.

Reviewing IVF basics

When treatment options like fertility medications or intrauterine insemination (IUI) don’t produce results, your physician may suggest moving to IVF. When pursuing in vitro fertilization, patients use injectable fertility drugs to stimulate ovulation. Our Newport Beach fertility doctors can then perform the egg retrieval.

After that, skilled embryologists combine the eggs and sperm in the IVF laboratory to achieve fertilization. If the fertilized eggs develop into good quality blastocysts 5-7 days later, they will be tested to confirm they are euploid (23 pairs of chromosomes + normal sex chromosomes). The embryos are then frozen in liquid Nitrogen for future use. Your doctor will transfer the most viable embryo into the uterus to help facilitate a successful pregnancy.

How do frozen embryo cycles work?

If good-quality embryos remain after an IVF cycle, you may want to consider embryo freezing. In this case, our embryologists use cryopreservation techniques to freeze these embryos for later use.

Additionally, some patients opt to do a frozen embryo transfer (FET) cycle after their IVF stimulation cycle. The uterine lining is prepared for embryo implantation using various hormones for approximately three weeks before the frozen embryo transfer. After thawing the embryo, the doctor transfers one healthy embryo into the uterus to produce a healthy pregnancy.

Because frozen embryos remain viable over many decades, embryo freezing allows couples and individuals to have more options for pursuing their goals for parenthood.

Embryo freezing for fertility preservation

As women age, the quantity and quality of their eggs decline. However, many women want to accomplish professional and personal goals before starting a family. In the past, no options gave women this freedom of choice related to family building.

With embryo freezing, patients can preserve embryos for future use during family-building attempts. Additionally, medical treatments like chemotherapy can result in decreased fertility. Thankfully, embryo freezing allows women to focus on cancer treatment, knowing that they have options to have children in the future.

You can count on our Newport Beach fertility team

At the Southern California Center for Reproductive Medicine, we realize that fertility treatments can seem confusing and stressful. Our Newport Beach fertility doctors will answer your questions and provide details about fertility treatments, including embryo freezing. Contact our office for more information or to schedule an appointment with one of our physicians.