Whether you’re interested in freezing your eggs in the near future or if you’d like to learn more about the fertility preservation process – we recognise that this can be an overwhelming process, so we’re here to help.
Schedule an egg freezing consultation with one of our fertility experts to understand your fertility baseline and current situation and how egg freezing can fit into your life.
Whether you’re interested in freezing your eggs in the near future or if you’d like to learn more about the fertility preservation process – we recognise that this can be an overwhelming process, so we’re here to help.
Schedule an egg freezing consultation with one of our fertility experts to understand your fertility baseline and current situation and how egg freezing can fit into your life.
Since our biology doesn’t always agree with the timeline we set ourselves, we offer the Aria egg freezing programme.
If you’re concentrating on advancing your career, pursuing further education, waiting for the right partner, or simply aren’t ready to begin a family yet, elective egg freezing offers a way to safeguard your fertility for the future. This option allows you to plan for parenthood on your own timeline.
Whatever your personal situation, fertility preservation can help bring reassurance, knowing you’ve taken proactive steps to increase your possibilities for having a baby when you decide the time is right.
More women than ever are choosing to have elective egg freezing as a way of securing their reproductive options for the future. It is always difficult to be sure how many eggs should be stored for each patient.
At Aria your doctor will discuss with you whether one cycle of treatment should be sufficient or whether you should consider a multi-cycle package of care.
The graph shows the average number of eggs collected and then frozen from women of different age groups at Aria. Unfortunately, not every egg collected is at the correct stage of development (mature egg) and suitable for freezing. For this reason, the number of eggs collected and those actually able to be frozen are usually different.
When you are ready and the time is right for you, the next step is to contact us and we will help you arrange a face-to-face, telephone or video-call introduction with one of our consultants.
You can do this by filling in the contact form below or by giving one of our friendly team a call on +44 (0) 203 263 6025.
What is egg freezing?
Egg freezing is a process in which eggs are retrieved from the ovaries and cryopreserved for possible use later. As fertility declines as you age, your chances of achieving a successful pregnancy will be similar to the age you froze your eggs.
Why should you consider egg freezing?
Today, more and more women are delaying starting a family until later in life due to personal, social or career circumstances. As techniques and technology continue to evolve, egg freezing has become an increasingly popular method of preserving fertility, as freezing your eggs at a younger age may offer a better chance of a successful pregnancy.
How are eggs frozen?
Once the eggs are retrieved from the ovaries, they are assessed, and mature eggs are frozen soon after retrieval in a technique known as vitrification. This flash-freezing method means water molecules do not have time to form ice crystals, resulting in less damage when the eggs are thawed.
What can I expect during the egg-freezing process?
The egg-freezing journey typically takes approximately 14 days. As we want to collect as many mature eggs as possible per cycle, the ovaries are stimulated with hormone injections. We will perform scans and blood tests to monitor the progress so we can time the trigger injection. Egg collection is then timed for approximately 36 hours after this time.
What can I expect from the egg retrieval process?
Egg collection is done transvaginally in much the same way as a transvaginal scan. The procedure typically takes 30 minutes under mild sedation. Your eggs will be collected using a needle that goes into each ovarian follicle and uses gentle suction to pull out the fluid which contains the egg.
Once rested, you should be able to return home after a couple of hours. You may experience tiredness, bloating, mild abdominal pain and light vaginal bleeding for a few days after your procedure. Most patients can resume their regular routine the next day.
Is egg freezing painful?
Some elements of the egg-freezing process can be uncomfortable, depending on your sensitivity. However, the experience is not painful for most women.
The hormone injections can sting a bit, but your nurse will advise on how best to administer these injections. During this time, you can feel very bloated and crampy, varying from patient to patient.
Your egg retrieval will be performed under sedation so you will not feel anything, but afterwards, you may experience some mild abdominal pain and a little soreness.
What are the risks of egg freezing?
Egg freezing is considered a relatively safe, low-risk procedure. One potential risk is ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS).
Stimulation of the ovaries is a deliberate aspect of egg freezing, as we try to obtain as many mature eggs as possible. When the ovaries are stimulated, there is a possibility of OHSS developing, which is an excessive response to the drugs used to encourage multiple follicles to form.
Most cases of OHSS are mild to moderate, occurring in up to 5% of all patients undergoing IVF treatment. This can give symptoms such as mild abdominal discomfort and nausea and usually settles with painkillers and maintaining a good fluid intake.
Very occasionally, OHSS can be more severe, causing marked swelling of the abdomen, dehydration, nausea and vomiting and difficulty in breathing. This is uncommon and may happen in up to 1% of women undergoing ovarian stimulation.
The team will manage the risk of OHSS, which might include altering the dose of stimulation medications or using a different trigger injection.
How long can I store my eggs?
Once vitrified, eggs may be stored for any period up to a maximum of 55 years from the date they are first placed in storage. However, you must renew your consent every ten years; therefore, you must keep your contact details updated with us.
Here is a breakdown of a typical egg freezing cycle, as well as the cost of the initial fertility assessment. The medication you require throughout your treatment will be an additional cost. After your consultation, you’ll receive a comprehensive quote for your egg freezing treatment.
Your fertility treatment journey as an individual always starts with an initial consultation with one of our fertility experts.
To help us understand your fertility health and give you the best advice on your chances of success with egg freezing, we will need to complete some simple checks – such as an AMH blood test and an internal ultrasound, either before or during your consultation.
TREATMENT PRICE
Initial Consultation £250
AMH Blood Test* £125
Pelvic Ultrasound Scan* £250
Before starting treatment, we will need to complete some routine blood tests. These are usually done before your first cycle and don’t need to be repeated each time. However, our clinical team may occasionally recommend further testing to make sure we’re still offering the most appropriate care. As part of preparing for egg freezing, we also carry out screening for Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, and HIV. This is a legal requirement to ensure that only samples that are unlikely to carry infections are stored together safely.
INVESTIGATIONS EGG FREEZING
Female Virology – HIV / Hep B / Hep C £180
Supplementary female tests – Chlamydia £105
The below table provides an estimate of the egg freezing cost. Please note, medication costs do vary depending on individual circumstances, these can therefore be higher or lower than the estimates costs below.
COSTS EGG FREEZING
Treatment Cycle £3,295
Medication (average value) £1,200
Monitoring bloods (average value) £250
Storage of frozen eggs (monthly direct debit) £30/month
Mon – Fri: 9am – 5pm
8 Welbeck Way London W1G 9YL
