In today’s world, it is not uncommon for men and women to want to delay having children. However, advancing age can significantly hinder your chances of becoming pregnant. It is therefore a good idea to have a backup plan to protect your fertility against the ravages of time. Here’s a look at some of the potential benefits of freezing your eggs:
- A woman has the maximum number of high-quality eggs and is in her reproductive prime when she is 20-35 years of age. However, people in this age group may be pursing educational and career goals or may not be financially secure enough to start a family. Egg freezing offers such women a chance to preserve their healthy eggs for future use.
- Being diagnosed with a serious disease such as cancer that requires radiation therapy, chemotherapy, or surgery that may harm the reproductive system. Under such circumstances, a woman may choose to freeze her eggs prior to undergoing treatment. Following successful treatment, she would then have the option to start a family using her own eggs.
- Women undergoing IVF treatment who do not wish to freeze embryos on religious/moral grounds can opt to fertilize only as many eggs as will be used and freeze the rest.
- Women with a family history of early menopause or premature ovarian failure may benefit by freezing their eggs before they get depleted.
- Not finding the right partner to settle down and share the responsibilities of raising a child with is also a reason some woman choose to freeze their eggs.
According to a research study conducted in 2014, the risk of complications during a pregnancy resulting from using a frozen egg isn’t higher than a normal pregnancy. Studies have also shown that the likelihood of getting pregnant using a frozen egg depends on the woman’s age at the time her egg was frozen and is less affected by the age at which she comes back to use the egg.
If you are in your 20s or older and are not ready now to have a baby, you should still consider the option of egg freezing to maximize your chances of getting pregnant in the future.
ReproMed Fertility Center offers comprehensive & individualized reproductive care by highly qualified, well trained, compassionate professionals. We have four convenient locations in the Dallas metroplex and one in Tyler. Please contact us at (214) 827-8777 for all appointments and information.