Top egg-freezing myths to consider as average age of conception rises

Over nan past decade, nan mean property for having a baby rose to 32.2 years, up from 31.1 successful 2011.

With women deciding to push having a babe until they consciousness they’re much knowledgeable and financially secure, galore are contemplating nan thought of freezing their eggs.

Kidspot recently caught up pinch Dr Lynn Burmeister, nan Medical Director at No. 1 Fertility. 

We asked her to debunk immoderate of nan communal misconceptions that often unreality women’s knowing of their fertility options.

MYTH: I person a life of eggs, I don’t request to frost them

“Every female is calved pinch a finite number of eggs—and immoderate person little than others—so it is imaginable to not only ‘run out’ of eggs but besides person fewer eggs of mediocre quality,” Dr Lynn explained. 

“Freezing eggs betwixt nan ages of 28 and 35 helps sphere your champion value eggs to usage later connected erstwhile you request them,” she added.

MYTH: Frozen eggs are not arsenic bully arsenic caller eggs erstwhile it comes to IVF

Another story Dr Lynn dispelled was astir nan value of caller versus frozen.

“With modern technology, stiff eggs are precisely nan aforesaid value arsenic caller eggs. 

“The eggs are snap-frozen (not dissimilar peas aliases carrots) to minus 196 degrees Celsius and past put into tanks. 

“Frozen eggs are efficaciously suspended successful time, and while you will apt travel backmost to usage them, they could beryllium safely kept for hundreds of years!” 

MYTH: You person to beryllium azygous to frost your eggs

Many loved-up women judge that location is nary request to frost their eggs, but Dr Lynn says this is different myth.

“There are truthful galore reasons women take to frost their eggs,” she told Kidspot.

For galore women, it’s not a mobility of if but when. 

“We spot patients who want to travel, are getting married, are engaged astatine activity aliases aren’t fresh to springiness up their carefree lives for children. 

“They show america that making nan determination to frost their eggs takes nan unit disconnected them truthful that they tin bask life without nan sound of their ticking biologic timepiece successful their ear.”

MYTH: Freezing my eggs will effect my chances of having a babe naturally

Knowing if you’ll beryllium capable to autumn pregnant people is simply a consequence galore women aren’t comfortable pinch taking, and Dr Lynn explained that deciding to frost your eggs is almost for illustration insurance.

“Egg freezing is simply a biologic backup, location for you if you request it. But it doesn’t mean you can’t person a babe naturally,” she said. 

“Each month, you suffer 1 ovum erstwhile you person a period, and erstwhile we do an ovum collection, we springiness you medicine to punctual your assemblage to nutrient much eggs, but this doesn’t impact your wide ovum stores. 

“Some women whitethorn ne'er request their stiff eggs, but it’s bully to cognize they are location if you request them.” 

MYTH: Egg freezing is simply a analyzable and achy process 

Are you reasoning astir it but frightened of nan process? 

Dr. Lynn advised that it’s astir apt not what you’re expecting.

The egg-freezing process spans astir 3 weeks, commencing pinch nan onset of your period. 

Initial consultations pinch a fertility master and humor tests are fixed earlier nan management of stimulating injections to heighten ovum production. 

Though self-injection whitethorn look daunting, supportive nurses guideline patients done nan process.

After 10-12 days of injections, an ultrasound determines readiness for ovum retrieval, and a trigger injection prompts ovulation. This is followed by a straightforward retrieval process nether ray anesthesia. 

Post-retrieval, patients typically aftermath up emotion good and eagerly await ovum count results. 

Fertility specialists purpose for 20 to 30 eggs for freezing, sometimes necessitating aggregate cycles for optimal results.

MYTH: Everyone should frost their eggs erstwhile they move 30

While Dr Lynn says not everyone needs to frost their eggs, she does propose that each women see having an ovum slope trial to find their ovum count. 

She told us, “This is simply a humor trial utilized to springiness an denotation of ovarian reserve by measuring nan Anti-Mullerian Hormone (AMH).” 

“Ovarian reserve refers to nan number of eggs remaining successful nan ovaries [and] these reserves alteration people pinch age.

“Whilst nan AMH trial tin supply an penetration into ovum number, it does not springiness immoderate denotation astir nan ovum quality, which declines steadily complete a woman’s life and starts to diminution quickly by nan property of 36. 

“The ovum slope trial is simply a awesome instrumentality which gives you a chance to activity master thief if you request it,” she added.

If you take to navigate nan way to freezing your eggs, cognize that location are experts who tin support you pinch this decision.

Every woman’s travel into motherhood is different, and you should ever take what feels correct for you.