I’ve talked to many folks who wonder if they should freeze their eggs.

Most are in their mid-30s and have a variety of reasons: some have recently discovered they have low anti-mullerian hormone (AMH) levels for their age and therefore low egg counts, and want to freeze their eggs while they still have some reserves. Others know that they won’t be ready to have kids for several years while they focus on career or other priorities, and want to have their eggs available when they’re ready. Others are eager to have kids but want to do it with a partner and haven’t found the right person, so want to freeze their eggs while their relationships align. Others have recently gotten a medical diagnosis and will be undergoing treatment that will impact their fertility, and want to freeze their eggs before treatment begins. 

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The common thread is that as we age, so do our eggs, and the older we get, the lower the chances of success with IVF. Age heavily impacts the quality of eggs, so even if you are successful at retrieving a solid number of eggs when you’re over 40, these eggs are less likely to result in a successful pregnancy than the eggs of someone younger. Some people who freeze their eggs have a great experience, only do one or two egg retrievals, and end up with a good supply to work with for fertilization. Others undergo many rounds of egg retrievals, getting only a few eggs each time, and in the end, do not have any that become viable embryos once they are fertilized. 

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There’s a few things to consider before freezing your eggs:

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• There’s a huge falloff between the amount of eggs that are retrieved, and the number of eggs that will become viable embryos. Fertility specialists in the U.S. and Europe recommend 20-30 eggs, but this can vary based on age and number of desired children.

• According to a 2022 study from NYU Langone, in which the average age of the participants was 38 years old, the overall chance of a live birth from frozen eggs was 39%. For women who were younger than 38 when they froze their eggs, the chances of live birth went up to 51%, and it rose to 70% if the woman was younger than 38 and froze 20 or more eggs.
  
• Studies find that the age of the pregnant person at the time of the embryo transfer does not have an impact on the likelihood of a live birth; the key factors resulting in success are the age at which the eggs were frozen and the number of eggs frozen.

• Egg freezing is not recommended for people over 40 because of the high likelihood the eggs will have an abnormality that will not result in a viable embryo.
  
• Costs range significantly based on geography, but expect to spend $15-25k per egg retrieval cycle. This includes ultrasounds and lab work, medications to stimulate follicles, the egg retrieval procedure and lab work. Egg storage typically costs an additional $800-$1000/year. There are separate costs to thaw and fertilize the egg, test embryos, and for the embryo transfer cycle, generally an additional $8-15k.
• Ask your insurance and/or employer if they have egg freezing benefits or other IVF coverage.
  
• Be prepared for the possibility that, despite your best efforts and major financial commitment, it might not work out. This could mean significant expense, as well as physical and mental stress, without becoming pregnant. If possible, you may want to consider fertilizing your eggs sooner than later, so you have an accurate picture of how many viable embryos you have. 

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