Egg Freezing

Egg freezing is a way of storing a woman’s eggs to be able to be used to conceive at a later time, specifically when conceiving naturally may be more unlikely. It is often used as a means to preserve eggs from the most fertile time of a woman’s life who may not be in a position to be conceiving at this stage, whether because they are not ready for kids at this moment or who’s fertility is compromised due to medical reasons such as cancer treatment.

Many years of research has shown frozen eggs can be stored for many years without significant impact on their suitability to use later in life. When a woman is ready and requires use of the frozen eggs, the stored eggs are defrosted and fertilised with the sperm of their chosen partner or donor. Not all eggs must be warmed and fertilised, some women choose to do one at a time for transfer or batches to be refrozen and used during FETs (frozen embryo transfers).

The aim is for the fertilised egg to develop into an embryo, which can then be transferred to the woman’s uterus giving a chance of pregnancy.

Egg freezing is open to anyone who is interested in undertaking the process however is our most common patients are women in their 30s who are not ready for children, those who have underlying fertility issues like early onset menopause, or patients who are undergoing fertility-impacting treatments such as chemo or radiation therapies.

There are instances that require quick treatment options, and we are open to trying to provide services that fit with hard time frames and deadlines. 

The process of egg freezing is relatively simple:

1. Hormonal stimulation - taking hormone medication for 8 to 14 days to help stimulate your ovaries. Our fertility specialists will outline your options regarding the best medications and stimulation techniques for you, but medication usually takes the form of hormone injections using a tiny needle.
2. Egg collection - Once our fertility team verify there are enough eggs for a procedure, you will undergo a 10-15min procedure under local anaesthetic or sedation. Your IVF doctor will extract the eggs vaginally, so no need to worry about any scarring. After waking up in recovery, you'll then be able to go home 1-2hrs later
3. Freezing the eggs - Once your eggs are collected and in the laboratory, they will undergo a process called vitrification, which rapidly freezes the eggs to avoid any damage caused from excess water content in the eggs. Once vitrified, your eggs can be stored for as long as you wish

We recommend 3 cycles of egg freezing to give you the best chance of later success. Egg collection is a relatively simple procedure and Demeter Fertility gives you the options of undergoing the procedure under local anaesthetic in our clinic for a more cost-effective alternative to that of a day procedure in hospital under a general anaesthetic.

Significant research into fertility clinics, treatments and successful outcomes have resulted in resounding agreement that frozen eggs provided a greater chance at pregnancy than the same women attempting to use their current eggs years later. The success rates of freezing viable eggs and then defrosting and using these in treatments has risen exponentially over the years and is now a very common and successful treatment option for those wanting to undergo the procedures.

Frozen eggs can be stored for years with little effect on egg quality. Once a woman is ready to conceive the eggs can be unfrozen, fertilised and implanted in the uterus in the hope of falling pregnant. It should be noted that egg freezing is still a relatively new procedure and although there is ample clinical evidence to support it, there are no guarantees. Women who wish to undertake egg freezing must understand the likely success rates for someone of their age taking into consideration any other relevant circumstances. Consideration should also be given to undergoing further fertility assessments to identify any potential underlying fertility issues.

Ready to take the next step? If you would like to meet with our fertility specialists, book an appointment today by calling 1300 899 850.

Egg freezing has very low risk associated with it. The eggs themselves can be frozen for over 10 years with very little, if any, negative impact on the eggs. The procedure to collect the eggs is called an egg collection or ultrasound guided oocyte retrieval. There are very general risks associated to the procedure much like any other minor surgical procedure. All risks associated with egg freezing, the collection procedure or overall fertility treatment are discussed with you in detail during your consultations with the fertility doctor as well as conversations with support staff.

Whether you need more information or are ready to begin the process of freezing your eggs, the next step is to organise an appointment with your preferred fertility specialist. 

You can call our staff on 1300 899 850 to talk about the process of egg freezing or to book an appointment with a fertility doctor and get the your journey started. You can also contact us via our contact page and one of our staff will get back to you.

Besides being one of the most well-established fertility clinics in Sydney, Demeter Fertility provides connections to some of the most experienced IVF specialists and embryology team, all led by our medical director, Dr David Knight. Your fertility doctor will be able to consider your individual circumstances and outline what options are available to you. Egg freezing is provided through Demeter Fertility as an ideal option for all those wishing to start a family at a later date.