Medical advances and changing societal norms are causing a huge rise in the number of women who are freezing their eggs. While decades ago the procedure was limited to fertility preservation before cancer treatment, many women today speak about how empowered they feel after freezing their eggs as it helps to reduce the relentless pressure of the ticking biological clock.
Given the increasing demand, Shady Grove Fertility (SGF) is expanding its Egg Freezing Program into the Philadelphia area. SGF’s newest Philadelphia physician, Dr. Brianna Schumacher, a strong egg freezing advocate herself, will be hosting an in-person seminar on Tuesday, December 4 at 5:30 p.m.
At the event, Dr. Schumacher will discuss the modern day technological advances in the field of egg freezing and why egg freezing is a viable option for preserving a women’s fertility. She will discuss the best times to freeze eggs, what outcomes can be expected, and how to interpret success rates. All attendees will have the opportunity to ask Dr. Schumacher questions following the presentation.
“As egg freezing is continuing to grow in popularity, we want to educate as many women as we can about the benefits of having access to this family planning option. For women who are not ready to build their families, instead of deferring to what some people call ‘panic partnering’ or choosing a partner in a hurry in order to increase the chance of pregnancy and a healthy pregnancy, egg freezing offers the option to effectively pause the biological clock, and start a family when the time is right,” says Dr. Schumacher.
The three biggest factors that often weigh heavy on the minds of women considering to freeze their eggs are success rates, what fertility center to choose, and cost. SGF addresses all of these factors as one of the only few centers in the U.S. with published egg freezing success rates for women who return to use their frozen eggs. With this new information, women have a better idea of what to expect from their egg freezing cycles in regards to the probability of taking home one or more children based on her age and number of mature frozen eggs. For women younger than 38, SGF recommends freezing 15 to 20 mature eggs, which is estimated to provide a woman with a 70 to 80 percent chance of at least one live birth. For women 38 to 40 years old, SGF recommends freezing 25 to 30 mature eggs, giving women a 65 to 75 percent chance of at least one live birth.
Regarding what center to choose, SGF has more experience than most centers with egg freezing and thawing, having completed 526 egg freezing cycles in 2017, and 349 total egg thaw cycles since 2009. “Not every lab has the expertise and experience to vitrify, or flash freeze, eggs and then have them survive the thaw, fertilize, and develop into an embryo that leads to pregnancy and delivery. The techniques used to freeze and thaw eggs involve specific, highly specialized protocols, extensive embryology experience, and precise techniques,” adds Dr. Eric A. Widra, Chief Medical Officer of Shady Grove Fertility.
SGF recognizes that cost is a determining factor of whether or not someone might move forward with egg freezing, which is why they have developed unique financial programs to help make egg freezing more affordable. The newest option for egg freezing candidates is a discount financial program that offers cycles as low as $200/month depending on credit and length of term, plus a partial refund on storage for women who choose to thaw/use their eggs early.
SGF’s egg freezing discount program offers women a treatment discount for each subsequent cycle if they need multiple egg freezing cycles to reach their family building goals, and there are no eligibility requirements in order to qualify for this program. Other programs include a flat-fee program called Assure 20 or Assure 30, which are designed to guarantee multiple cycles or the number of eggs retrieved.
To learn more about the egg freezing process, success rates, and the unique financial programs offered at SGF, join Dr. Schumacher on December 4 at 5:30 p.m. While all SGF events are complimentary, interested parties must register to attend by visiting the Shady Grove Fertility calendar of events.
To schedule a new patient appointment with an SGF physician, call the New Patient Center at 877-971-7755 or submit this brief form.
About Shady Grove Fertility (SGF)
SGF is a leading fertility and IVF center of excellence with more than 50,000 babies born and counting. With 32 locations throughout MD, PA, VA, D.C., GA, and FL, we offer patients individualized care, accept most insurance plans, and make treatment affordable through innovative financial options, including treatment guarantees. More physicians refer their patients to SGF than any other center. Call 1-888-761-1967 or visit ShadyGroveFertility.com.
