I’m not saying I began the pattern, however I used to be positively the primary of my associates to freeze my eggs. At 33, freshly out of a relationship and in full-on panic mode, I felt like my complete future had been mapped out… till it wasn’t. My timeline for marriage, youngsters, and every little thing in between was instantly up in the air. So, egg freezing grew to become my security internet. And I received fortunate — my job lined the price of the process (although, with most firms, that’s nonetheless uncommon). It felt like a no brainer.
Across the similar time, I met my now-husband. And girls, when you meet a man who’s cool with you freezing your eggs — and much more so, supportive of it — he’s a keeper.
Quick-forward just a few years, and now, at virtually 40, I’ve a 2-year-old son I conceived naturally. I’ve been dragging my ft on making an attempt for a second youngster, partly as a result of the final time round was such an emotional rollercoaster, and life feels fairly manageable in the intervening time. Nonetheless, I do know it’s one thing I in the end need.
Two months in the past, I ditched my contraception, purchased a thermometer that pairs with the Natural Cycles app, and started charting my fertility. However I’ll be sincere: Attempting for child quantity two isn’t as thrilling as the primary time. We’re older and extra exhausted, and the strain for it to occur shortly feels extra excessive. So, with 16 frozen eggs sitting on ice, I’ve been questioning — how are they? Do they miss me? However extra severely, how and when do I truly use them?
To get some readability, I reached out to 3 fertility consultants, all board-certified in obstetrics/gynecology and reproductive endocrinology, to achieve some perception into what it takes to get pregnant with frozen eggs.
What’s the egg-freezing course of like?
As a refresher (and since mother mind is actual!), I spoke with Dr. Angeline N. Beltsos to interrupt down the egg-freezing course of. She defined that step one is figuring out your egg reserve, which entails testing two hormones: AMH (for egg rely) and FSH (for egg high quality). An ultrasound can also be used to verify what number of seen eggs there are. “After assessing this and evaluating it to the lady’s age, we will estimate what number of eggs are wanted to present her a very good probability of getting a child,” Beltsos shares. “Usually, 15 eggs in youthful girls give a few 70% probability of success.” (Here is a useful tool to estimate your probabilities of a dwell beginning from frozen eggs.)
The egg-freezing course of entails two weeks of hormone injections to stimulate the ovaries, adopted by a “set off shot” to assist the eggs mature. The ultimate step is egg retrieval, carried out below anesthesia. “We use a vaginal ultrasound with a tiny needle to gather the eggs right into a take a look at tube,” she says. Within the phrases of Celine Dion, “It is all coming again to me now.”
The 1st step: verify. However what about step two? Is it time? I requested Dr. Alexis Greene once I ought to think about using my frozen eggs. She defined that the timing is patient-dependent, however usually, girls over 35 ought to seek the advice of a fertility physician after six months of making an attempt to conceive with out success. “Except you will have identified fertility points or irregular cycles, that is if you’d wish to are available,” Greene advises.
Dr. Carrie Wambach, who froze my eggs in 2019, echoed this recommendation. “You bought pregnant simply two years in the past and have no high-risk situations. Attempt for 3 to 6 months, and when you’re not pregnant, we’ll thaw your eggs.” Good — an actionable recreation plan!
Wambach additionally shared some sobering stats. At my age (39), the prospect of conceiving naturally every month is simply 8-10%. Nonetheless, at age 25, it is nonetheless solely about 25%. Utilizing my 33-year-old eggs to create embryos and genetically testing them will increase my odds of being pregnant to 60-65%.
A subject that got here up throughout these conversations was miscarriage. Wambach identified that the chance of miscarriage after age 40 is about 40-50%. But when I take advantage of my 33-year-old eggs to create embryos which might be genetically examined, that danger drops to under 10%. Beltsos added that youthful eggs are much less more likely to lead to miscarriage or genetic situations like Down syndrome. “When embryos are irregular, they usually don’t implant, and in the event that they do, most will miscarry, stopping us from having a child with points,” she explains. “With age comes the next danger of miscarriage.”
Lastly, the query of if I wished a further youngster got here up. If I have been to need a third, the medical doctors all prompt making an attempt a bit longer alone to conceive naturally. Props to any mother and father of three, however that doesn’t curiosity me!
I wish to use my eggs. Now what?
I might make an appointment on the fertility clinic and are available with my husband. We might have to ensure our genetic provider take a look at is updated (we did this for our first youngster), my husband would do a semen evaluation, and we might take a look at for infectious illness. A specialised ultrasound is finished to verify the uterus to ensure it’s in a very good place to have an embryo implanted.
Subsequent, we might select a thaw date. I might probably plan to thaw all the eggs and create embryos. Nonetheless, some folks could determine to fertilize only some eggs for spiritual or political reasons, as they could have considerations about creating further embryos.
The eggs can be thawed and fertilized within the lab. Greene explains, “Not each egg will survive the thaw, and never each egg will fertilize.” Dr. Beltsos provides, “Of the mature eggs that survive, about 70% will fertilize and change into embryos. Half of these will turn into day-five embryos, however not all will lead to a being pregnant.” As with every little thing in life, there are not any ensures.
Many individuals go for genetic testing to display for chromosomal abnormalities as soon as the embryo reaches day 5 – 6. This is identical testing you are able to do when you’re pregnant, however realizing beforehand is clearly higher. Though my eggs have been 33, I might probably nonetheless take a look at them for peace of thoughts. As soon as a wholesome embryo is discovered, it is time to put together the physique for implantation.
This entails a month of hormone remedy. Wambach described two choices: a medicated cycle or a pure one. In a medicated cycle, you’re taking estrogen tablets adopted by progesterone pictures. In a pure cycle, you go to the clinic continuously to trace ovulation, then take vaginal progesterone and have the embryo implanted six days later (that is just for these with common cycles and the flexibility to go to the clinic usually).
I requested if implantation is like egg retrieval, and fortunately, it is rather more chill (my phrases, not the medical doctors’). Wambach clarifies, “Most sufferers take Valium and are available with a full bladder. The process is just like a Pap smear — we insert a speculum and a tiny catheter into the uterus. Most individuals do not feel it, and also you watch the embryo being implanted through ultrasound.”
So, what’s my subsequent transfer?
For me, a sigh of reduction! I be ok with my possibilities for a wholesome being pregnant. Since we received pregnant shortly with our first, we’ll attempt the old style approach a bit longer. I am not a glass-half-empty individual, however I will be sensible — if I do get pregnant naturally, I do know there’s nonetheless an opportunity of miscarriage. And cash performs a job right here, too. Since I am not recognized with infertility, I am holding off for now. The silver lining? In 2025, California will mandate that large-group well being plans cowl infertility therapies. (You possibly can verify in case your state is on board here.)
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