Freezing eggs - social freezing
Social freezing is offered to women who, for private or work reasons, cannot or will not seek to achieve pregnancy at the time in question. With social freezing, the woman’s eggs are frozen with a view to use to achieve pregnancy at a later date.
Why is egg freezing appropriate?
Women are born with their eggs – typically around 1 million. No more eggs are formed during the woman’s life. We call the number of eggs in the ovary the woman’s egg reserve. The egg reserve becomes smaller year by year, as the eggs mature over time. For each ovulation, approx. 1000 eggs, although usually only one matures to ovulation. When the woman has no more eggs left, she enters menopause. Unfortunately, there is nothing we can do actively to stop the loss of eggs. However, lifestyle factors can help to accelerate this loss – e.g. smoking.
The age of the woman also influences the quality of the eggs. As a rule of thumb, the probability of malformations, pregnancy complications and spontaneous abortions increases from the age of 35 at the same time as the probability of becoming pregnant decreases.
Freezing eggs can increase the chances of pregnancy at a later date, as healthy eggs are retrieved and stored as early as possible.
How does the freezing and use of unfertilized eggs proceed?
Freezing and using unfertilized eggs takes place in 4 steps:
1. Hormone stimulation
Women usually mature one egg per cycle. In the ovary, almost 1,000 eggs ‘fight’ to mature each month in a normal cycle. The aim of the hormone stimulation is to mature around 10-15 eggs, so that we get more that we can freeze. This is achieved by stimulating with a follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH). The stimulation lasts 10-12 days and is followed by scans by our fertility doctors. When the oviducts surrounding the eggs are the right size, the eggs are about to mature and ready for egg retrieval. To prepare for egg retrieval, take an ovulatory syringe (ovitrelle or gonapeptyl).
2. Egg retrieval
An egg retrieval takes place under local anesthesia with the help of a thin needle that is passed up through the vagina. This procedure typically takes 15-20 minutes.
3. Freezing and storage
The removed eggs are frozen at minus 196 °C and can be safely stored in this condition for decades. The more eggs that are stored, the greater the chance of becoming pregnant.
4. Fertilization
If it later turns out that pregnancy cannot be achieved naturally, the frozen eggs can be used. These are fertilized with the sperm from the partner or from a sperm donor in the laboratory and are then placed in the uterus.
How many eggs should be collected?
Egg freezing increases the likelihood of a later pregnancy, but it cannot be guaranteed. To further increase the chances, several eggs are usually frozen and stored. The older the woman is at the time of freezing the eggs, the lower the probability of a later pregnancy, as the egg quality is already reduced. Therefore, we recommend freezing unfertilized eggs before the age of 35.
How many eggs should be collected?
Egg freezing increases the likelihood of a later pregnancy, but it cannot be guaranteed. To further increase the chances, several eggs are usually frozen and stored. The older the woman is at the time of freezing the eggs, the lower the probability of a later pregnancy, as the egg quality is already reduced. Therefore, we recommend freezing unfertilized eggs before the age of 35.
Risks and side effects of freezing eggs
According to several studies, there is approximately the same risk associated with stimulation for the purpose of Social Freezing as there is with stimulation and egg retrieval for IVF treatment.
The drugs routinely used for hormone stimulation are generally effective and safe. However, as with many drugs, there are side effects associated with their use. These are not experienced by everyone, although some are more common than others.
OHSS (ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome) is a potentially serious complication of controlled ovarian stimulation. Mild OHSS is common and usually gets better on its own with time. More severe cases require specialist treatment and may require hospitalization. Egg retrieval is a routine part of every IVF cycle. While it is common to experience mild pain after egg retrieval, severe pain is unusual. If the small blood vessels on the ovary are damaged by the egg retrieval needle, there is a chance that bleeding may occur. This bleeding is usually minor and stops again. There is a small risk of pelvic or ovarian infection after an egg retrieval. Rarely, there can be damage to the ovaries or other organs in the abdomen and pelvis.