Have you heard of egg freezing? If not then this article will give you a glance at what this technique is and whether you should make this choice.
Gone are the days when women were asked or rather forced to get married by their family members saying they are getting old and it becomes difficult to conceive after a certain age. Women these days go through a high level of social and economical stress on a daily basis that makes them rethink starting a family.
But, age literally waits for none. It is biologically proven that a woman conceiving at a later stage of life is vulnerable to various health complications including miscarriages. Therefore, egg freezing is a good option for women who wants to conceive later. What is it all about? how is it done? Let’s know it.
EGG FREEZING: HOW DID IT ALL START?
Freezing eggs comes as a boon and the most suitable option for these females who are advancing in age and their biological clocks are ticking. The first pregnancy with frozen Oocytes in the world was reported in 1986 by Dr Christopher Chen from Singapore.
Chemo and Radiotherapy have toxic effects on gametes. The technique was started for cancer patients before starting chemotherapy/radiotherapy to prevent them from losing their eggs and to have their biological children later in the future.
Later on, this technique was preferred by the patients and treating doctors for other medical illnesses like endometriosis, history of early menopause, and also for other social reasons. With the increasing awareness, the trend of freezing eggs is increasing in India also, the reason being medical and/or social.
CONCEIVING AT ADVANCED AGE IS ALSO UNSAFE FOR WOMEN
One should know that carrying the pregnancy at an advanced age has its complications on the mother and foetus too. So one should opt for this technique judiciously and at the right time.
Women at the age 40 have upto 45 per cent chances of miscarriage and by the age of 45, it increases to 75%. Freezing their eggs at an early age gives them a fair chance of having a healthy baby at a later stage.
WHAT ARE THE PROS OF EGG FREEZING?
Your age becomes the biggest constraint when you try to conceive at a later stage of life. But, gone are those days when women used to conceive naturally. These days ‘Egg Freezing’ is on-trend. Here are some of the benefits of egg freezing:
Egg Quality Degrades As You Age
A women’s body is really complicated. As a women age, the number of chromosomes present inside the eggs of the ovaries goes down. This is what is known as degradation in the ‘egg quality’. According to the medical experts, for a woman, by the time she becomes 35, half of her ovarian eggs already become abnormal and by the time she hit 40 years of age, only a few of the remaining eggs can result in a baby. Egg freezing doesn’t allow you to go through this tension. When you freeze your eggs, you literally freeze the age of the eggs too.
Menopause Can Lead To Abnormal Eggs Formation
It is amazing to know that a woman is born with all the eggs that she will ever have. With her age the eggs get destroyed if not conceived and by the time she hits menopause, there are almost no eggs left. Experts say that the perfect age for a woman to have a baby is in her 20s. However, freezing your eggs can let you stay calm and have a baby even you are in your 40s.
Your Baby Will Be Free From Various Health Complications
Conceiving at a later stage can result in various health complications for both the baby and the mother. What is the solution? Egg freezing. As discussed the frozen eggs don’t get old and thus the chances of suffering from any delivery or birth complications are extremely low.
Therefore, egg freezing can be considered by all women who want to focus on their careers right now. But, there is nothing on this earth that doesn’t come with any cons. let’s understand what are the cons of freezing your eggs.
WHAT ARE THE CONS OF EGG FREEZING?
Egg freezing, followed by in vitro fertilization (IVF) and embryo transfer has several benefits but, they also come along with various other cons, and here are some of them you should know about:
Egg Freezing Doesn’t Give You Any Guarantee
Yes, you read that right. The biggest misconception is regarding its success rate. To give you all a bit of truth, freezing eggs can leave you with hopes but there is no guarantee that your egg will fertilize after years. There were many cases in the past where the eggs didn’t fertilize after few years of being kept frozen.
It Can Be Heavy On Your Pockets
Freezing eggs is trending in India, but one should know that the complete process may cost you a lot. There are storage costs that add up to become a hefty amount by the time you feel like using your frozen eggs.
Hormones Injected In You Can Be Harmful
Also, not to forget the main part of the whole process, freezing eggs follows a procedure. A woman trying to freeze her eggs is being injected with several hormones that help the woman’s body to the very natural things of maturing all her eggs which are then being extracted by the doctors to freeze them and keep them safe.
Even though there are several cons of freezing your eggs, it is still an easily approachable and affordable process. Before you get yourself ready for this, know what is the best age for you to freeze your eggs.
WHAT IS THE BEST TIME TO FREEZE YOUR EGGS?
The best time to freeze the eggs is 35 years ago as the number and quality of eggs drastically decline after 35. The procedure of Freezing eggs is absolutely safe and can be kept frozen for as long as one desires.
With the development and advancement in oocyte freezing techniques, it is no longer in the experimental stage. The latest data says it’s a well-established practice with good pregnancy outcome and its use has been extended to fertility preservation and social freezing.
HOW IS THE EGG RETRIEVED LATER?
Egg retrieval is a daycare procedure without any cut/stitch, done under general anaesthesia, transvaginally under ultrasound guidance. The patient is discharged on the same day and the eggs are frozen.
When the woman decides to plan for pregnancy, eggs are thawed and fertilized with the sperms to form embryos, they are further cultured in the lab for 3-5 days and transferred to the uterus.
WHAT FACTORS DETERMINE THE SUCCESS OF HAVING A BABY FROM FROZEN EGGS
The important factors which determine the success of having a healthy baby are the age at which oocyte freezing was done and the number of eggs stored. The expertise and Experience of the clinician/embryologist team are also important to have a good outcome.
As awareness is increasing among the general population, more and more women are coming forward. This procedure is gaining popularity in developing countries and in India too.
