What is the best age to freeze your eggs?

Egg freezing has exploded in popularity, as more and more women want to improve their chances of starting a family at the time that’s right for them, without feeling tied down by the biological clock.

In fact, according to statistics from the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority, the number of women choosing to freeze their eggs has risen by 460% in the past 25 years.

What is egg freezing?

If you haven’t joined the ranks of women freezing their eggs yet, you may be wondering what the process involves. Essentially, egg freezing is a procedure to harvest mature eggs and then freeze them so they can be fertilised in future.

Usually, we only produce one mature egg a month, so to make the process quicker, hormones are injected to stimulate the ovaries to produce more eggs. This egg production usually takes between 10 and 14 days, and then the eggs are harvested in a short procedure, and then frozen and stored until you are ready to use them.

The harvesting procedure itself is carried out under light sedation and most women report it to be quick and painless.

Is there an optimal age for egg freezing?

Theoretically, eggs can be harvested and frozen at any time before menopause, but is there an optimal time to do it?

The answer depends on several factors and will be different for everyone. Generally speaking, the factors to be considered are:

• Egg quality – as a rule, the younger you are, the better the quality of your eggs. So ideally, if this was the only consideration, the younger the better. By the age of 35, the quality of your eggs begins to decline quite rapidly
• Finances – egg freezing is not a cheap option, costing something in the region of £7,000. If you are in your early 20s, you may not be as financially stable as someone in their 30s, so cost may be a consideration
• Usefulness – how likely is it that you will need to use these eggs? At 21, you have a high chance of natural conception, and your frozen eggs may never be used.

Are there any other considerations?

There are lots of things to think about when it comes to freezing your eggs. Whatever your age, the financial aspect is worth considering. However, many women feel that the reassurance of having their eggs safely stored away for future use gives them peace of mind, as it allows them to focus on their career without worrying about settling down before it’s too late.

There is also an emotional angle to consider – hormone injections notwithstanding, egg freezing can be a daunting process. You might feel a mixture of relief and empowerment at taking control of your own fertility, with anxiety about the procedures or even guilt at putting your career before your unborn child.

Here at Aria, we are experienced in helping women consider all these aspects and we pride ourselves on talking you through the process totally impartially, so you don’t feel any pressure to make a decision that may not be right for you.

If this is something you would like to discuss, please contact us to make an appointment today.