The live birth rates for frozen eggs rely heavily on the age of the woman at the time of egg retrieval and cryopreservation. On average in an egg freezing cycle, 90% will survive thawing, 70% will be successfully fertilized and 45% will develop into a pregnancy.
In a single egg retrieval cycle, if the woman is under 35 years old, ideally 10 mature eggs can be retrieved. This number will reduce approximately 1 egg per year above 35.
If you aspire to freeze more eggs then you can go through the procedure 2-3 times. Usually it is recommended to have a rest cycle in between retrieval cycles. Your specialist will supervise your body’s reactions to avoid ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS).
Women over 40 can also freeze eggs but the chances of a resulting pregnancy are low to nearly absent. Using donor eggs in IVF seems to be the most viable option for these patients.
How to improve egg freezing success rates?
The number of eggs retrieved in a cycle depends on many factors:
- Age
- General health
- Ovarian reserve
- Current ovarian function
- Being a non-smoker, since smoking can significantly impair fertility and reduce egg quality
The ovaries of a woman during her reproductive years have hundreds of thousands of immature eggs. Every month multiple eggs start to develop in a wave but most of them will stop growing and only one ripe/ mature egg will be released on each cycle. As a woman ages, the number of available eggs to go through the maturing process becomes less until the age of 50 or so when there are no no healthy eggs remaining.
The most fertile years of a woman are in her 20s and early 30s. Women in their 40s have an age-related decline in their egg quality and therefore the chances of a healthy pregnancy with their own eggs is decreased. For the 10-15 years prior to menopause (at 50) despite having regular periods, the function of the ovaries deteriorates.
Please note that even after menopause, you can still get pregnant through IVF using your own frozen eggs from prior years or by using donor eggs. Your uterus works just fine after menopause, you just don’t have healthy eggs left in the body to get pregnant with.
How can I improve my egg freezing results?
Having a suitable diet to receive the right amount of nutrients can help protect your eggs and improve your ovarian function.
Some fertility supplements include:
- Folic acid
- Vitamin B12
- Zinc
- Selenium
- Iodine
- Omega-3 fatty acids
Some suitable ingredients you can include in your diet:
- Fish, nuts, seeds, avocado, flaxseed/canola oil (omega-3s)
- chicken, fish, eggs, soy (lean protein)
- whole grains and legumes
- Vegetables and fruits
Get the best possible medical care
It is of great importance that the fertility specialist and the medical team responsible for retrieving and freezing your eggs are proficient experts. This so as to prevent stimulating your ovaries too much with egg maturing drugs and safely increasing the number of mature eggs before the follicular puncture. Follicular puncture is the technique used for the extraction of eggs from the ovaries.
Here in Iranian Surgery we provide fertility treatment services in the best centers of Iran with up to date equipment and experienced specialists. We are proud to have helped thousands of couples have their wish fulfilled to create their own families.
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