When to Freeze Eggs

At Innovative Fertility Center, Mark Rispler MD and Joshua J. Berger MD, PhD offers advanced infertility treatment, including fertility preservation, to our patients. Our Manhattan Beach fertility center assists women who are looking to preserve their fertility for any number of reasons. When you visit our fertility clinic, we will discuss when to freeze eggs, explain the egg freezing process and answer any questions.

A brief review of female fertility

Over the last few decades, the media has promoted the idea that a woman can launch a successful career, delay having children and then build a family when the time is right. Hollywood success stories from older celebrity moms have reinforced this concept. Our team wants to make sure our patients understand the basics of female fertility so that they can make informed decisions about when to freeze eggs.

Unlike men, who regularly generate sperm, women are born with all the eggs they will ever produce. At puberty, a woman begins to have a monthly cycle, which involves the loss of hundreds of eggs each month!

As women age, the quantity and quality of their remaining eggs decrease. Consequently, the odds of conceiving a healthy pregnancy decline with age. In her 20s, a woman has about a 20% chance of conceiving during a given cycle. After age 40, that number drops to less than 5%. Because we want our patients to achieve the families they desire, he believes in providing patients with a detailed risk assessment on when to freeze eggs.

Understanding when to freeze eggs

Female fertility declines after the mid-20s to early-30s. Freezing eggs during this time will provide patients with the healthiest eggs and increase the chances of having a successful pregnancy in the future. We often suggest egg freezing in the following cases:

• Women who want to delay pregnancy for any reason
• Women at risk for early menopause
• Women who need fertility-damaging medical treatments, such as chemotherapy

Egg freezing in our Manhattan Beach fertility center

Once you have decided when to freeze eggs, your doctor will perform a thorough diagnostic assessment to get a complete picture of your reproductive health and ensure that you are a good candidate for the procedure.

During the egg freezing process, you will take fertility medications to stimulate ovulation. He will monitor your cycle and schedule egg retrieval during the appropriate window to maximize the number of healthy eggs retrieved. After the procedure, your eggs are frozen through a flash-freezing process called vitrification and stored until you are ready to begin your family.

If you would like more information on preserving your fertility, we can help. Our Manhattan Beach fertility center offer support and resources to our patients as they travel the path to parenthood. After your initial consult, your doctor will schedule an assessment of your “egg reserve” through ultrasound visualization of egg count as well as blood testing including AMH and FSH and E2. Please call our office to schedule an initial consultation.