Are you too old to freeze your eggs

Fertility preservation is becoming more popular as more couples try to conceive at an older age. Because of the lower chance of having a live birth, older women are choosing to store and freeze their eggs.

We have answered the most common questions about freezing eggs for later pregnancy to help you decide if it is right for your situation.

Many women dream of having children one day. What if you don’t have the right partner? Or if your career is not what you want. You can freeze your eggs to help you achieve your motherhood dream when you are ready.

Cryopreservation is the process of having your eggs removed and stored for future use. This is especially important if you are facing any medical treatments (e.g., chemotherapy, treatment of severe entomometriosis, gender affirming surgery) or have a condition that could affect fertility.

Who is a good candidate to freeze eggs?

There are a few factors that will determine if freezing eggs is an option for you. You should discuss these with your doctor. If you have been diagnosed with cancer, you may be eligible for egg freezing. This will depend on whether you are able to finish the fertility preservation process in time before treatment begins.

For many women, however, their biological clock is the most important factor. This means that your eggs are less fertile and you lose more eggs. When you reach menopause, which is usually between 45-55 years old, you stop ovulating (releasing eggs into your ovaries for fertilization). The most important factor for egg freezing success is your age.

The chances of having a future pregnancy are higher for women who have frozen their eggs before they turn 40. A reproductive endocrinologist, or infertility specialist, can test you to determine if your eggs are suitable.

Are I Too Old to Egg Freeze?

What age is too old to allow women to freeze eggs? Women know that 20-30 is the ideal age for fertility. However, women are opting to have children beyond the age of 30. While egg freezing is more popular among younger women, it may still be possible for women aged 40-50 to freeze eggs.

What happens before eggs are frozen?

To determine the quality and quantity eggs, women must undergo ovarian reserve tests before egg freezing. Doctors can use the results to determine how successful egg freezing is. Women take hormones to stimulate their ovaries. Women can produce many eggs by stimulating their ovaries.

What to expect when egg retrieval is successful

Women are usually given sedation when it comes to egg retrieval. An ultrasound probe is used to reach the eggs’ mature follicles. The doctor will retrieve more eggs to increase the chance of a successful pregnancy.

Are frozen eggs safe to use?

You can either use eggs right away or freeze them for later. Doctors will thaw eggs and fertilize them with sperm. Then, they will implant the embryo into the woman or the gestational carrier. Based on the woman’s age success rates can range from 30-60%.

What does age have to do with my fertility?

After 40, fertility declines. If a woman is 40 or older and not ready to have children, she may opt for egg freezing. As women age, however, chances of a woman carrying a pregnancy for several years decrease. Women over 45 may consider choosing to be gestational carriers in order to increase their chances of success.

When do my chances decline to zero?

One myth about fertility is that women are fertile until they reach menopause. Female fertility starts to decline around 5-10 years prior to menopause. Menopause usually begins at 51 years old. Most women experience infertility issues around the age of 40.

What can I do when I am over 40?

In vitro fertilization (IVF) is an assisted reproductive technology that women over 40 can try. IVF is a combination of egg and sperm that implant an embryo into a woman’s uterus. Although fertility declines with age, many women over 40 have had success with fertility treatments.  Talk to a fertility specialist for more information and customized treatment options.