Will I regret not freezing my eggs?
Asked by: Magnus Frami | Last update: October 6, 2023Score: 4.6/5 (56 votes)
While some people do regret egg freezing, the vast majority have no regrets (more on that below). In my conversations with hundreds of women in their 30s and 40s, I have heard more regret from those who did not freeze their eggs than those who did.
Is it better to freeze or not to freeze eggs?
"Studies suggest that women who freeze their eggs before age 35 have a better chance of a successful pregnancy than those who freeze their eggs after age 35." This is because the more eggs retrieved and frozen, the better the chance of a successful pregnancy.
Is it worth freezing eggs at 38?
If you're 35 or older, you can still freeze your eggs! It just means that you may need to consider doing a second round of egg freezing if you don't meet your goal from the first cycle. If you're 38, you should plan for about 2 cycles of egg freezing to give yourself the best chances of having a child from these eggs.
Is it worth freezing eggs at 36?
A 2017 US study by researchers at Harvard's Brigham and Women's Hospital found women who froze their eggs under the age of 36 had a 95% chance of successfully thawing their eggs, while women over that age had an 85% thaw success rate. A successful thaw doesn't always translate to a viable pregnancy, though.
How many eggs does a woman have at 37?
ACOG states that a female's fertility gradually and significantly drops around age 32. They will have around 120,000 eggs, with a 20% chance of conceiving per cycle. ACOG further states that a female will experience a rapid decline by age 37, when egg count drops to around 25,000.
Why Half of Women Regret Freezing Their Eggs
Is 37 a good age to freeze eggs?
As a rule of thumb, most doctors say that in an ideal world you should freeze your eggs younger than age 37. That will maximize your chance of being able to have a good number of good quality eggs retrieved. That doesn't mean there's no value in freezing after that age.
What is the negative side of freezing eggs?
The chance of serious egg freezing side effects is very low.
Occasionally, egg freezing medications can get the ovaries working too hard, resulting in what we call “ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome” or OHSS. OHSS is associated with swollen, enlarged ovaries and the collection of fluid in the abdominal cavity.
What age is too late to freeze eggs?
There is no actual age limit or cutoff for freezing your eggs, although the potential of those eggs turning into a live birth reduces in the 40s. According to research, women who are under age 36 when freezing their eggs have a 95% survival rate for their eggs once they are thawed.
What is the best age to freeze your eggs?
What is the best age to freeze eggs? Fertility starts to decline from the age of thirty and is greatly reduced after forty years of age. Therefore it the optimum age to freeze your eggs in your late twenties. However, freezing eggs at thirty to thirty five is also quite common.
Are my eggs too old at 38?
A woman's peak reproductive years are between the late teens and late 20s. By age 30, fertility (the ability to get pregnant) starts to decline. This decline happens faster once you reach your mid-30s. By 45, fertility has declined so much that getting pregnant naturally is unlikely.
How good are my eggs at 38?
A 38-year-old woman with five frozen eggs has a 26% chance of live birth. A 38-year-old woman with 25 frozen eggs has a 77% chance of live birth.
Am I too old to freeze my eggs at 39?
However, while egg freezing can be done at any age, it's best to start early in one's reproductive life so that more eggs can be frozen before they begin to decline in quality. This is why egg freezing in or around your 40s can be tricky.
Should I think about freezing my eggs?
You might want to consider freezing your eggs if:
Fertility may be preserved either by storing eggs, embryos or a combination of both. You're worried about your fertility declining but you're not ready to have a child or you haven't found the right partner – this is often called 'elective egg freezing'.
How do you decide if you want to freeze your eggs?
The best way to know if egg freezing might be a good fit for you is to have a chat with your health care provider or a reproductive endocrinologist/fertility specialist.
Is egg freezing stressful?
IVF and egg freezing can be hard on your mental health. The stress of scheduling your life and work schedules around the appointments, combined with learning how to inject your medications, can be a heavy mental load to bear.
What percentage of eggs are normal at 40?
At 40, approximately 40% of eggs will be genetically normal. By the age of 44, as little as 10-20% may be normal.
Is egg freezing covered by insurance?
Many insurance providers consider egg freezing an elective procedure, and plans typically don't cover the costs of egg or embryo freezing.
How many eggs does a woman have at 40?
How many eggs does a woman have at 40? By the time a woman reaches 40, she'll be down to about 18,000 (3% of her pre-birth egg supply). Although the chances of conception are lower, this does not mean it is impossible to conceive at this age.
Who is not a candidate for egg freezing?
Our Tennessee egg freezing specialists do not recommend egg freezing for women over the age of 37. Individuals at risk for premature ovarian failure. A woman with a family medical history of early menopause, or the loss of ovarian function before the age of 40, would be a good candidate for egg freezing.
Does freezing eggs affect the child?
One 2009 study that tracked 900 babies born using frozen eggs found no difference in the rate of birth abnormalities compared with the rate for babies born with fresh eggs. Most other studies have been much smaller, tracking just a handful of babies; they show outcomes similar to babies born using traditional IVF.
What are the pros and cons of freezing eggs?
- First, nothing is guaranteed.
- You have to take fertility drugs.
- You have to undergo in vitro fertilization (IVF) when you want a baby.
- You may have to pay out of pocket.
- Some women have side effects.
- Egg freezing lets you relax.
How many eggs should a 38 year old freeze?
Deciding how many eggs to freeze
Women under 35 should freeze 20 mature eggs for an 85% chance of having at least one child. Women 38 to 40 should freeze 30 mature eggs for a 75% chance of having at least one child. Women 40 to 42 should freeze 30 mature eggs for a 50% chance of having at least one child.
How many eggs does a woman have at 35?
For example, a woman at 30 often has around 100,000-150,000 eggs in reserve. By 35, that number is likely around 80,000. Late into the thirties, that number could be 25,000, 10,000, or fewer.
How much is egg freezing cost?
A single cycle of egg freezing can cost anywhere from $8,000 to $20,000. Costs may go up depending on the number of cycles needed and, later, embryo creation and implantation fees.