If you want to have a biological child someday but you want to delay starting your family for personal, professional, or medical reasons, you may benefit from preserving your fertility with egg freezing. This advanced procedure allows you to plan ahead and have a baby when it’s right for you.
At InVia Fertility, we’re proud to be your partner on your fertility journey. We have fertility clinics near Chicago, Arlington Heights, Crystal Lake, Hoffman Estates, Rockford, and Northbrook, Illinois, providing egg-freezing services.
How are Eggs Frozen?
First, you will meet with your physician to discuss your medical history and family-building plans. Then, we will conduct a variety of tests to evaluate your current fertility health and create a custom-tailored treatment protocol based on your specific needs. During treatment, you will be prescribed a medication called gonadotropin. This medication stimulates the ovaries to produce several eggs. You will have regular monitoring appointments where we track the progress of your growing follicles.
When the eggs are mature, you will take a “trigger shot” that signals to your ovaries to release the eggs. These eggs are then collected using a minor surgical technique known as transvaginal oocyte retrieval.
This procedure is performed under light anesthesia, and no incision is required.
Eggs are then vitrified and frozen in liquid nitrogen for long-term storage. Vitrification is the process by which eggs are rapidly cooled. This rapid cooling prevents the formation of ice crystals within the egg—ice crystals which could damage the egg when it is thawed later.
When Should I Freeze My Eggs?
Fertility in women begins to decline in their late 20s. This decline is relatively slow until approximately age 35. By age 38, the rate of fertility loss begins to accelerate and continues to do so until the early 40s, when the chance of pregnancy declines significantly.
While the chance of pregnancy drops as a woman ages, the chances of a high-risk pregnancy rise as genetic mutations develop in her aging eggs. Mutations can include defects that raise the likelihood of miscarriage or having a child with chromosomal disorders such as trisomy and Down syndrome.
Freezing eggs allows a woman to "put the brakes" on these mutations because frozen eggs are suspended at the same age as the woman was when the eggs were removed and preserved. Even if a woman returns a decade later to use her frozen eggs, her chances of having a successful pregnancy and live birth through IVF are greater. That’s because her frozen eggs have not aged along with her. Once eggs are frozen, they can be stored indefinitely, then thawed when the patient is ready to start or grow their family.
Is Egg Freezing Right for Me?
When it comes to fertility services, you have to make the decision that best suits your health needs and family goals. Some women choose to freeze their eggs and delay pregnancy to focus on personal or professional goals. Others may be preparing for treatments that can interfere with fertility.
Our specialists are here to support your fertility in any way we can. If you are considering freezing your eggs, you can make an appointment with us to discuss the process and determine if it’s right for you.
Schedule an Appointment at InVia Fertility
Egg freezing is an excellent method of preserving your fertility and helping you have children at the right time for you. At InVia Fertility, we are here to be your fertility partner in the process of growing your family.
To learn more about egg freezing or start the process, you can make an appointment at one of our Chicago, Arlington Heights, Crystal Lake, Hoffman Estates, Rockford, or Northbrook, IL, clinics.
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