What is Egg Freezing?
Egg Freezing is a form of fertility preservation. It involves collecting a person's eggs, freezing and then storing them - often with the intention of thawing them later so they can be used in fertility treatment. Egg Freezing is a great way to prepare for the future, no matter your circumstances. And with the capability to store your eggs for up to 55 years, you’ll have plenty of time to make the right decision for you.
Studies have suggested that the best time to freeze your eggs is before the age of 35, as age not only has an impact on egg quality, but also on the number of eggs in your ovarian reserve.
What is the Egg Freezing Process?
- The egg freezing process starts with pre-treatment tests to assess your fertility, to make sure that egg freezing is right for you. Tests include measuring your ovarian reserve, which gives us a good indication of number of eggs you have and your likely response to the stimulation needed for egg freezing.
- You will then undergo ovarian stimulation for around 2-3 weeks. This involves using tailored doses of fertility drugs to help you produce mature eggs for freezing which is the same as in an IVF cycle of treatment. When your eggs are mature enough, you will be given a ‘trigger injection’ to help loosen them from the follicles.
- The egg retrieval will take place in our state-of-the-art clinic theatre under ultrasound guidance and sedation. Our doctors and nurses will be there to support you every step of the way, ensuring you feel well looked after following your procedure.
- Our expert embryologists then cryopreserve your eggs in our laboratory using a technique called vitrification, a special fast-freezing method which ensures high survival rates for frozen eggs.
- When you are ready – you can visit us again to discuss further treatment and starting your family.
Why Would Someone Want to Freeze Their Eggs?
You May Want Children Later in Life
One of the most common reasons for wanting to freeze your eggs is that opens up the possibility of having children later in life. With more and more people choosing to wait to start their families, there’s a growing awareness around assisted reproduction, such as what methods are available and how to access these services. Egg freezing is also a great option if you know you want children, but you haven’t found the right partner.
By freezing your eggs, you ensure you have healthy samples available for future treatment. Egg quality deteriorates with age but freezing eggs at an earlier age means the chances are your eggs are of a higher quality than if you had waited to conceive naturally later in life.
You Have an Existing Medical Condition or Require Medical Treatment
When you are first diagnosed with a medical condition it can be a very worrying time, especially when you find out that symptoms or treatments for your condition may affect your fertility. With tailored advice from our specialist consultant, you can rest-assured that our expert team will be able to support you through every step of your journey. Like all potential egg freezing patients, we’ll perform initial tests and screenings, taking into account your personal and medical history, to advise you on how best to proceed with your treatment.
As the law now permits you to store eggs for use in treatment for any period up to a maximum of 55 years from the time they are first placed in storage, you can concentrate on your health without worrying about your future fertility.
You’re Considering Transitioning
Many AFAB (assigned female at birth) people, or female-bodied people, may want to consider egg freezing if they intend to transition to their affirmed gender.
Before undergoing Hormone Replacement Therapy, or Gender Affirmation Surgery, we would always encourage our transgender patients to consider planning for their future. Although starting a family may not be a priority at that moment in time, egg freezing can be a wonderful way to ensure you can still start a family, at a time when you are ready to, after you have transitioned.
How Much Does Egg Freezing Cost?
In today’s economic climate, we know that fertility preservation is an expense that has to be considered carefully, as there are so many other demands on our finances. That’s why our fertility preservation costs are transparent and include everything you may need for a treatment cycle. That is why we're open about the cost of our treatments. Here at Manchester Fertility, we aim to reduce the risk of surprise bills later down the line and give you the care you need at a reasonable, transparent price.
For or more information on pricing and a complete breakdown of treatment costs see our most recent price list.
Contact our New Patient team directly on 0161 300 2737, or book a free 1-2-1 discovery appointment online today. Our team will be happy to answer any questions you have about egg freezing or offer advice on our other fertility treatments and preservation services.
Last updated: 2nd February 2024
