The latest technology today allows us to freeze eggs , sperms and embryos. One might wonder what does this freezing even mean? This actually means that we can store our eggs ,sperms or embryos for 18 years. The process of reproduction is perfect in a younger age. As our age increases the fertility potential drops and the quality of our eggs and sperms decreases.
Thus freezing gives us a chance to save our 27 year old eggs for up to 18 years so we can use this even when we are 35 or 40 to get pregnant.
Which couples can take Advantage of the freezing program?
1. Couples who are planning to conceive later in life (at age more than 35) can freeze their embryos and keep. This way they can preserve their fertility and have nothing to worry about
2. Married women with low AMH should freeze their embryos so they don’t loose their fertility potential
3. Unmarried women with low AMH can freeze their eggs
4. Patients going through an IVF cycle can freeze their embryos and save them for the 2nd child.
5. PCOD patients can freeze their embryos and transfer a month after in order to avoid OHSS.
What is the procedure/process for Freezing ?
- You will be given stimulation injections for growing more than one follicle. Once the follicles become 18 to 20mm, a trigger injection is given and the oocytes are aspirated.
- These oocytes are frozen if the patient wants egg freezing. In case of embryo freezing , the egg is fertilized with the sperm to form embryos.
- On day 3 or day 5 (blastocyst) stage the embryos are frozen and these can be stored for 18 years.
What is the success rate of freezing? Is egg freezing better than embryo freezing?
Latest technology of freezing is called vitrification which means that the freezing is done in such rapid speed that the embryos barely get damaged. Both egg and embryo freezing have good survival rate and couples can choose any one of them. 95% of the eggs and embryos will survive
Are children born from frozen embryos normal?
Majority of the IVF centers in the world follow freeze all protocol. They believe that the pregnancy rate and the live birth rate is higher in frozen embryo transfer cycles. There are numerous babies born with frozen embryos and all are healthy. Outside India to avoid the risk of OHSS and multiple pregnancy frozen embryo transfers are preferred.
Where are frozen embryos or eggs stored ?
Embryos , eggs and sperms are frozen in liquid nitrogen at -196 degrees centigrade. They are stores in and near the IVF lab itself.
What is the cost of freezing?
Embryo and egg freezing cost around 20,000Rs and sperm freezing costs around 5000Rs.
