Is Freezing Your Eggs Worth It?

There are many reasons behind the increase in women freezing their eggs. Scientific developments have made the procedure safer and more effective. Fertility clinics are now offering the procedure to make it a convenient option for women wishing to delay childbearing.

The choice to freeze your eggs may be  influenced by many individual considerations including  the procedure’s success rates and costs and the desire to delay childbearing to prioritize career goals or find the right partner.

What is Egg Freezing?

Egg freezing, or mature oocyte cryopreservation, applies advanced technology to freeze and store unfertilized eggs for later use. While the first live birth from a frozen egg was reported in 1986, it was not until late 2012 that the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) announced egg freezing was no longer an experimental process.

At Fertility Specialists Medical Group, we give honest, evidence-based estimates of live birth with frozen eggs as determined by the individual’s age, egg count and fertility evaluation. This information can help patients decide if egg banking is the right choice.

How Does Egg Freezing Work?

The process of freezing your eggs involves hormone injections to stimulate the ovaries to produce multiple eggs. The patient undergoes a minor surgery so the eggs can be retrieved from the follicles in their ovaries.

The process is like in vitro fertilization (IVF), a type of assisted reproductive technology geared toward people having trouble conceiving naturally. Whereas the goal with IVF is to produce an embryo that will then be implanted in a patient’s body, oocyte cryopreservation banks unfertilized eggs for later use.

How Much Does Egg Freezing Cost?

Egg freezing is typically separated into three categories:

• Consultation, hormonal medication, and egg retrieval
• Storage
• Transfer

As each person and situation is unique, the cost may vary. But typically, the total cost can be around $20,000. Freezing eggs is approximately $10,000-$12,000, with an annual storage fee that is typically about $500.

To learn more about this topic and speak to one of our physicians about fertility treatment, you can request a consultation here.