Many people are interested in having a family later in life, whether that’s due to a current illness, a busy job, or you just aren’t ready to start your family yet. Egg freezing, also known as cryopreservation, is an option for women across Chicago, Illinois, who want to make pregnancy an option in the future.
InVia Fertility clinics offer egg freezing and other fertility treatment options for women and couples who want to plan their future families.
Who Can Freeze Their Eggs?
There is no specific rule that determines who can freeze their eggs. Many people from many backgrounds are good candidates for egg freezing. Some of the most common reasons people choose to freeze their eggs include:
- If you want to build a family in the future
- If you are currently undergoing IVF (in vitro fertilization) and do not want to fertilize more eggs than you will use
- If you are transgender and want to freeze eggs before beginning gender-affirming care
- If you’re in need of treatment for autoimmune conditions, cancers, or use medications that can harm a fetus
Our fertility specialists can help you freeze your eggs and, in the future, help you get pregnant with the eggs you’ve frozen. We offer IVF as well as other fertility treatments that can help you build your family when you’re ready.
Does Egg Freezing Work?
Egg freezing stops the “biological clock” on your eggs. By age 30, your fertility begins to decline.1 As your fertility declines, it becomes less likely that you will get pregnant. By freezing your eggs when your fertility is at its peak, in your 20s or early 30s, the eggs remain the same even as you age.
Once the eggs are frozen, they can be stored for as long as you need. They will be thawed when you are ready to begin your family.
How Does Egg Freezing Work?
The first step in the egg-freezing process is a fertility consultation with a fertility specialist. You and your fertility specialist will discuss your reproductive plans and your medical history to determine if you are a good candidate for egg freezing. Our specialists will then create a treatment based on your specific needs.
To begin the process, you will be given medication that stimulates the ovaries to produce eggs. Your fertility specialist will closely monitor your progress and your body’s response. When the eggs are mature, you’ll get a “trigger shot,” a hormone injection. This gets your ovaries ready to release your eggs.
Once the eggs are ready, your fertility specialist will conduct an egg retrieval, also called transvaginal oocyte retrieval. This is a short surgical procedure done under mild anesthesia that allows your fertility specialist to collect your eggs. Your fertility specialist will then freeze them for long-term storage.
Discuss Egg Freezing With a Fertility Specialist
Women in Chicago, IL, who are interested in discussing egg freezing with a fertility specialist can schedule an appointment at an InVia Fertility clinic. Your fertility specialist will walk you through what to expect and help you create a reproductive plan for your future. Schedule a consultation today.
1 https://www.acog.org/womens-health/faqs/having-a-baby-after-age-35-how-aging-affects-fertility-and-pregnancy#:~:text=A%20woman's%20peak%20reproductive%20years,getting%20pregnant%20naturally%20is%20unlikely.
