I am planning to freeze my eggs

If you are thinking about having a family one day, but aren’t ready now, egg freezing could be an option for you. Egg freezing is a method of collecting, storing and preserving your unfertilised eggs so they can be used when you are ready to start a family. Egg quality and quantity diminishes with age so egg freezing can be a viable option for those women who are at their most fertile, but not yet ready to have a baby.

While egg freezing has become increasingly popular in Australia, it does not guarantee a baby. It does however, give women greater reproductive choice as frozen eggs don't age. By freezing eggs when you are younger, you can preserve your fertility at a time when egg quality and quantity are higher, giving you a better chance of a successful pregnancy when you are ready for a baby.

When is the best time to freeze my eggs?

Generally, the younger you are, the better it is to freeze your eggs because that’s when egg quality and quantity are best. However, many women who freeze eggs early, for example in their 20s, never actually need to use them as you have time to meet the right partner and conceive naturally. But freeze too late in life, such as over the age of 38, and egg freezing is less likely to be successful. Ideally women between the ages of 30-35 are the best candidates for egg freezing.

Your Fertility Specialist will work with you to determine the best time to freeze your eggs and to optimise a treatment plan which maximises the number of good quality mature eggs that can be retrieved. It may be necessary to undergo more than one egg freezing cycle, this is something you can discuss with your Fertility Specialist. It is important to note that only mature eggs are frozen and not all eggs that are retrieved are mature.