Every woman’s internal clock is ticking away and most would love to have kids someday, but not right now. So how about freezing your eggs until you are ready or you have met Mr. Right? With the advances made in technology it is now a great possibility to consider, not something that was available in the past. Freezing eggs are a delicate process and it also use to be a very extensive one as the eggs are primarily filled with large amounts of water, but with technological advancements they now can flash freeze these eggs with a process called ‘vitrification’. These frozen eggs have been tested via clinical trials done on approximately six hundred women with a fertilization verification of 40%. The same results were concluded on the use of fresh eggs, so this process has been proven to be quite a great success.
MUST READ: Can You Really Afford To Have Children?
There is however a few considerations women should have a look at before deciding to have her eggs frozen.
Do you have a fear of needles?
This will be a painstaking experience if you cannot get over your fear as you will need to either inject yourself or get someone you trust to assist you daily. You need these injections of medication to stimulate ovary production. The needles that are used are however the kind that is used to give kids insulin thus they only pick a little.
Do you expect a guarantee?
You must be aware that this process is like everything else in life, there is no 100% guarantee that it will work, but if you are serious it might be your best option. The processes for these eggs to go through when you are ready for a baby are long and not all eggs will survive the revitalizing.
When do you plan on having a baby?
Depending on your age and how long you would like to wait before having kids will influence your choice to freeze your eggs. As woman age the chance gets less just like trying to have a baby naturally, so it is recommended for woman past their 30’s to first consult their doctor for more information.
Would you feel more comfortable in knowing your odds?
There are hormones and blood tests that can be done before deciding, thus it will give you a clearer picture of what your ovarian reserve looks like. Except for indicating the level of eggs you have available it will also give you an indication of how quick you might be losing you fertility potential.
Are you really ready for this?
You do realize that this is not an overnight process and you will need to do your part before the egg freezing can begin. It takes just over a month to get your ovaries ready before they can be harvested. For the first month you will have to be available for multiple blood tests in addition to ultrasounds to ensure you are a good candidate. The second month will require of you to be on medication daily for at least two weeks prior to the egg retrieval process, you will also go through tests and more ultrasounds during this period. Once you are ready, a light sedation will be given but you will still experience a bit of cramping during the process as well as swelling after the process is completed. At least 15 eggs need to be harvested for it to be reasonably successful.
Can you afford the costs?
Do you know that only to preserve your eggs for a year it will cost you around $800 and then you still have to cover the cost of medications as well as the treatment to preserve the eggs? This will give you an initial starting cost of between $11 000 and $13 000. The ideal age for this is between 20 and 30 while you might actually need to be considering your funds with care.
