Egg freezing

Meredith is a 35-year-old woman living and working in Philadelphia. She has an exciting career in communications, working for a large corporation. Her job actually  played a major role in her decision to pursue egg freezing treatment. Meredith decided to share her story to help educate others about taking control of fertility and pausing the biological clock.

Testing My Fertility

Three years ago, after reading a few articles online, I heard about an egg freezing informational talk happening at a local bar. My best friend and I went to get more information. It was really helpful, so we both decided to get our fertility tested. The testing was pretty easy, comprised of bloodwork and an ultrasound. Even though I’m terrified of needles, the blood test part was fast. It was important for me to get answers.

My numbers looked good and I decided to hold off on freezing my eggs. My friend’s numbers showed she should pursue egg freezing sooner rather than later, so she went through the process.

My New Job

I got a new job at a large corporation and found out my insurance covered the majority of egg freezing treatment. I was really excited about this because my past insurances would cover IVF, but not egg freezing. Since I wanted to freeze my eggs, I decided now was the best time to do it while I had coverage. After speaking with my insurance company, they recommended four fertility centers in my area.

Choosing a doctor was important, so I felt it was necessary to research the four centers for egg freezing in Philadelphia. One center was Shady Grove Fertility (SGF), which I had never heard of, but it was conveniently located in Center City.

Meeting Dr. Brianna Schumacher

SGF was having a seminar hosted by Dr. Brianna Schumacher, who I immediately LOVED. I made a consultation appointment with her to get more information before deciding which center to choose. Dr. Schumacher was informed and actually interested in egg freezing. She really “got it.” Many of the other fertility centers only focused on IVF, and egg freezing was just something else they offered. Dr. Schumacher  was clearly passionate about egg freezing and invested in me.

Deciding where to freeze my eggs was hard because my best friend went to another center and had a great experience, but in the end, I wanted Dr. Schumacher as my physician. I really connected with her.

The Egg Freezing Process

As I mentioned earlier, I am SCARED of needles. The thought of daily injections and blood draws was of course daunting, but I knew I needed to do this for myself. I had a nurse friend come over and share tips for giving myself the injections, which really helped. I’d have music or TV playing in the background to help distract myself from my fear. Sometimes my amazing friends would come over. They were a great support system during this emotional process.

The egg retrieval was a smooth process. I was most nervous about the IV, but the nurses and anesthesiologist were amazing. Dr. Ryan Martin did my retrieval and he was also great. The whole team put me at ease. The recovery was easier than I expected.
I am really proud of myself because I was able to push past my fear of needles. I truly felt empowered throughout this whole process.

Why Egg Freezing?

I don’t have a partner and I don’t want to rush my future based on my biological clock. Egg freezing buys you time and relieves the stress of dating. I know it feels like a large investment, but it’s an investment in yourself that you need to consider. The option to take control of your fertility is priceless.
 
[READ: Talk Show Hosts Experience “Aha Moment” After Dr. McCarthy-Keith’s Egg Freezing Explanation]
[Watch: Egg Freezing On-Demand Webinar]

An article featured in the New York Times discusses how millennials are becoming the new target demographic for egg freezing. While most women considering egg freezing are thought to be “30 something year olds,” the market is now skewing younger. What is the reason for this?

The answer is younger women are more likely to have better quality eggs. The younger generation is also more aware of their fertility than ever before and recognize that fertility does in fact decline with age. Younger women are becoming more proactive about their fertility. Women are also becoming savvier and more inclined to have their fertility tested to see where their fertility stands in order to preserve their options through egg freezing before the inevitable decline in egg quality and quantity. Many women who freeze call the endeavor “a gift for your future” or a “security blanket” that offers them options for their future.

But what holds people back from moving forward with egg freezing?

The two biggest factors that can stand in the way, the article cites, are cost and success rates. Will it be worth the money to freeze my eggs and how do I know it will be successful?

SGF recognizes that cost is a determining factor of whether or not someone might move forward with this process, which is why we have developed unique financial programs to help make egg freezing more affordable. Our flat fee program called Assure 20 and Assure 30 is designed to guarantee multiple cycles or the number of eggs retrieved. One year of storage fees are included, then it is $50/month thereafter.

How do I know egg freezing is successful?

At SGF, we stand behind our technology and approach with published success rates data and help women take the guesswork and uncertainty of whether egg freezing really works. Most other practices or clinics don’t have any facts or figures behind their egg freezing cycles. What makes SGF different is that we are one of only a few fertility centers in the U.S. with published egg freezing pregnancy data.

In a published study, Shady Grove Fertility assessed the performance of 1,171 egg freezing cycles for 875 women. At the time of the study, 117 of these women had returned to undergo 128 egg thaw cycles, using a total of 1,283 frozen eggs. The results from these 128 egg thaw cycles included 51 viable pregnancies, resulting in 55 children and 8 more on the way at the time of the study (12 of the pregnancies were twins). In addition, 62 good quality blastocysts remain in storage from these warming cycles for future attempts.

This data allowed SGF to make predictions on the number of recommended eggs to freeze in order to take home a baby. For women younger than 38, we recommend freezing 15 to 20 mature eggs, giving them roughly a 70 to 80 percent chance of at least one live birth. For women 38 to 40 years old, we recommend freezing 25 to 30 mature eggs, giving them a 65 to 75 percent chance of at least one live birth. These recommendations can be individualized according to the specific family building goals.

While costs and finances are the biggest factor, knowing that your eggs are safe is another big consideration. The technique used to freeze eggs at SGF is called vitrification, known as “fast freeze” cryopreservation. While many fertility centers have adopted this technology, the skill and precision of the technicians is of utmost importance. As one of the largest fertility centers in the country, we have many years of experience in freezing and thawing both eggs and embryos, which is an important consideration when selecting a fertility center.

Our goal is not only to educate women about the process and help you determine if this is the right option for you, but it’s also to help you take home a baby. Our goal is to do everything we can to help you grow your family when the timing is right.

To learn more about egg freezing or to schedule an appointment, please contact our New Patient Center at 1-877-411-9292 or complete our brief online form.
 

Egg freezing is a viable resource for women who want the option of building a family at some point but, for any number of reasons, are not quite ready to start. Women choose egg freezing because they realize their biological clock will continue to tick and they know that fertility declines with age.

The Washington Post turned to Shady Grove Fertility’s own Kate Devine, M.D., a reproductive endocrinologist and Director of Clinical Research who practices in our K Street Office, to help answer the question, “If a women freezes her eggs, will her future babies be healthy?”

Are egg freezing babies healthy?

The short answer, yes. Dr. Devine assures egg freezing patients that according to the available evidence, babies born as the result of egg freezing are normal. “Though still somewhat limited by the newness of the technology, the data we have accumulated to date are reassuring, particularly for women for whom the alternative might be not to have a child from their own eggs.”

Though the process of egg freezing has been around since the 1980s, it has become an increasing popular option, especially as the age of first-time moms increases. The process is similar to in vitro fertilization; a woman’s ovaries are stimulated with hormones, and the eggs are then retrieved from the ovaries. The eggs that are retrieved are cryopreserved through a flash-freeze process called vitrification. When a woman decides she wants to use her eggs, they are thawed and fertilized, similar to the IVF process, and then transferred into her uterus.

Dr. Devine recommends that a woman freeze her eggs before the age of 35 for the best chance of pregnancy success, although women up to their early 40s may also freeze. The success rates of SGF’s egg freezing program show women younger than 38 who freeze the recommended number of eggs (at least 20 eggs) approach an 80 percent chance of having a baby from those eggs, should they ever need to use them. Women 38 to 40 years old who freeze the recommended number of eggs (at least 30 eggs) have a a 70-75% percent chance of having a baby if they need to use their stored eggs.

Can I afford egg freezing?

Shady Grove Fertility helps patients grow their family by making treatment financially possible. We have recently introduced a new egg freezing monthly payment plan for as low as $195 per month. Our newest financial program offers a discount and an affordable monthly fee, which includes long-term (5 years) storage. Use your eggs early, receive money back.

If you’re considering freezing your eggs, the first step is to evaluate your fertility through ovarian reserve (a.k.a. egg quantity) testing done at SGF. Ovarian reserve testing evaluates several hormone levels between days 2, 3 or 4 of your menstrual cycle. Our clinicians perform this testing to determine the how many eggs we might be able to obtain from each round of ovarian stimulation medications followed by an egg retrieval procedure. After this testing, your SGF physician will review the results and your options with you. He/she will provide you guidance to create your personalized egg freezing plan. This plan will help answer the questions: should I freeze, when should I freeze, how many eggs should I freeze based on my family building goals, and how many egg freezing cycles will it likely take.

The best time to have a baby is an incredibly personal decision and one that takes significant thought and consideration. SGF is here to help make that decision a less stressful one.

To learn more about egg freezing babies being healthy or to schedule an appointment, call 1-877-411-9292 or submit this brief online form.

Editor’s Note: This blog was originally published in October 2017, but was updated for accuracy in August 2019. 

Radell is a 34 year old entrepreneur living in the Washington, D.C. area. She happens to be single, and after a few years of contemplation, decided to freeze her eggs at Shady Grove Fertility. Following her decision to freeze and completing her egg freezing cycle, she had the desire to spread awareness about egg freezing by sharing insight and advice for women who are considering this option. 

Here are 5 reasons why I felt it was finally time to jump into the world of egg freezing:

#1 – I decided to put myself first in 2014.

As a woman, it is hard. Hard to look life in the eyes and put yourself first. I think we tend to give, give, give. We want to make sure everyone is happy and things are flowing smoothly. Therefore, recognizing that life was passing me by and things were not exactly as I had planned was hard to admit!

Somewhere in 2014 I got real with myself. I realized it was my time to do what I wanted, even if that meant going through non-traditional routes!

#2 – I stopped questioning my moments of clarity.

Not sure if it was the perfect storm or if it just happened overnight, but something happened when I turned 34. As I saw my birthday approaching this year, I felt like I had just turned 30. What happened to the last four years of my life? Are the 30s flying by more quickly than my 20s?

In those moments of self-reflection, it dawned on me that four more years might go by just as quickly. If that was to happen and I didn’t freeze my eggs when I had the chance, I would be devastated. In that moment, when I turned the big 3-4, I knew it was time. It was an internal awareness that I could no longer deny. It was a feeling and a sensation that I started trusting. Hard to explain to some people, but in the end, I couldn’t question it anymore. Sometimes when you know, you just know.

#3 – I wanted to buy time for myself.

There are some things in life we have no control over, sigh. Time happens to be one of them! But egg freezing, although at times seems controversial, might just be one of the powerful options that can freeze the frame.

What other opportunities provide us with the ability to press pause on the aging process?  There is a saying in life, that the only thing we can count on is change. I might add to that and say aging! Egg freezing seems to be able to do something that we are unable to do: stop time! At the end of the day, I want more time. That’s why I said yes.

#4 – I wanted to have the option to do things my way.

When I think about having children and a family, I still want things my way. I want to be able to carry children and have children that are my own. All of this might change in the future, but this is what I want. I understand in life there is no guarantee and the future is unpredictable, but that doesn’t mean we stop going after what we want.

Egg freezing gives me the opportunity to hold onto my own self interests. I am realistic that the journey will not be perfect, but I do believe it will be better than not trying at all.  And this is a better chance to be able to do things my way, as I continue to progress through the natural aging process.

#5 – Important, loving people were in my life, willing to support my decision.

Although this is the last item on my list, it might be one of the most important items.  Embracing the supportive people in your life is one of the best things you can do for yourself. I had two people – I should call them champions – which propelled me to freeze my eggs. A close family member and a highly respected friend both supported my decision, in different ways.

My family member really supported me emotionally through the process. This person guided me through and held my hand. I think without them I would not have been able to complete the process. It is a little bit of a scary, frozen tundra. Receiving that support meant more than I knew at the time.

The other person in my life was a close, business savvy friend. This is someone I respect when it comes to financial decisions, as well as life decisions. Therefore when I shared that I was truly contemplating egg freezing, surprisingly he was incredibly supportive.  He felt my reasons were well-formed and the financial commitment was reasonable.  Hearing this helped release my anxiety around the process. His opinion solidified my confidence around my decision to move forward.

I could go on and on about more reasons why, but that’s it in a nutshell! Overall, I lined up what it was I wanted out of my life. I started getting realistic with myself in terms of my age and relationship status. Next, I found two great friends to talk with about the process. Then I gave myself the green light to go on the egg freezing journey!

To find out if egg freezing is right for you, schedule an egg freezing appointment to speak with a physician by contacting our New Patient Center at 1-877-971-7755 or complete the online form.