Have you started to hear the sound of your biological clock ticking? Or perhaps you’ve heard it loud and clear and feel like you are running out of time? While you may feel hopeless or like time is running out, there is something you can do to stop the ticking of the biological clock, or at least the ageing of your oocytes (eggs): EGG FREEZING!
As we age, our ovaries, and the eggs within them, age as well. Women are born with all of the eggs they are ever going to produce; there is no ‘new production’ of eggs. Age-related fertility decline begins at age 30, increasing exponentially at age 35. By the time you are forty-five years old, your chance of conceiving with your own eggs is about 1%. Chromosomal abnormalities also increase with age, making matters worse. There is no “undoing” or reversing age related infertility, it is simply a natural process that the eggs go through, whether we are ready or not. So then what CAN we do about it?
Egg freezing has become a viable option for women who are wishing to delay childbirth, or who simply need or want more time before starting a family. Just because you may not have found the person you wish to have and raise children with, doesn’t mean you have to let the ravages of time take its toll on your reproductive cells. Egg freezing is a way to maintain the integrity and quality of your eggs while allowing yourself some time, be it to work on your education, career, relationship, or to just enjoy your life without the worry of the ticking clock. It allows your ‘older and wiser’ self the opportunity to use your own (instead of relying on donor eggs) eggs, while keeping the likelihood of pregnancy at that of your “younger” self.
The ideal time to freeze your eggs is before the egg quality decreases (generally before age 38). The sooner the better!
Give yourself the gift of time -- freeze your eggs!
If you are interested in learning more about egg freezing, please talk to one of our physicians to see if you are a candidate and if it is right for you.
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