In late October, Dr. Joseph Doyle from the SGF Rockville office was interviewed by NBC4’s Barbara Harrison to discuss egg freezing. Questions raised by their discussion are similar to what many women want to know about egg freezing:
- At what age should women consider egg freezing?
From a purely clinical perspective, we recommend women ages 30-40 and ideally in their mid 30s to freeze their eggs. If a woman freezes too young, she is less likely to use those eggs in the future, but you also don’t want to wait too long either due to the declining quality of the eggs. - What does the egg freezing technique involve and how much time does it take?
The entire process from start to finish generally takes two-four months, but the most time-intensive portion is just two weeks long. - Is it possible to get the recommended number of eggs in one cycle?
Yes, 13% of women who freeze their eggs get 15-20 mature eggs in just one cycle. The number of eggs recommended varies and is dependent on a woman’s age and anticipated pregnancy rates using her frozen eggs. - Is it painful?
Women are put under light anesthesia during the actual egg retrieval procedure and they are able to return back to work and their normal daily activities the following day. During the ovarian stimulation portion of the process, women may experience symptoms similar to what they have during their menstrual cycle. - What are the success rates at SGF and across the country?
There is a lot of variability when it comes to success rates and practices. We are fortunate to have had a lot of experience with both freezing and thawing egg cycles. At Shady Grove Fertility, we are pleased to share that we have had over 200 babies born from frozen eggs and have had over 850 egg freezing cycles. From a national perspective, we recommend always asking a center about their pregnancy rates from frozen eggs before undergoing treatment.
If you would like to learn more about the Egg Freezing Program at Shady Grove Fertility and whether it’s the best option for you, join us at our inaugural Egg Freezing Conference on Saturday, November 8, 2014 at District Architecture Center in Washington, DC. Space is limited, so we ask that you please register in advance.
