Facts on how many eggs to freeze
- The first thing to know is that how many eggs a woman choses to freeze can be related to how many eggs she produces after ovarian stimulation.
- Women react differently to the medications that stimulate egg production: older women or those with fertility issues may produce six eggs, while younger woman with no issues can produce 20 eggs.
- The number of eggs to freeze also depends on the woman’s age and how many children she wishes to have in the future.
- Women under age 35 should freeze 20 eggs for an 85% chance of having one child; women 38-40 should freeze 30 eggs for a 75% chance of having one child.
- Our fertility experts evaluate each patient to effectively guide them in making this decision.
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What to know before deciding how many eggs to freeze
Patients considering fertility preservation may be wondering how many eggs to freeze.
Our Dallas egg freezing specialists believe that it’s important for patients to be proactive about their reproductive future, so the doctors are always happy to answer any and all questions related to egg freezing, including this very important and common query.
The role of fertility test results and ovarian stimulation
When deciding how many eggs to freeze for fertility preservation, it’s important to understand the first step of the egg freezing process. During this step, patients will take medications to stimulate the development and maturation of multiple eggs in their ovaries.
Our Dallas egg freezing specialists will consider the fertility test results and continually monitor patients during this process to determine how much medication they should take to safely produce as many eggs as possible.
It’s important to keep in mind that each woman is different, so no two women will have exactly the same response to the medications used for ovarian stimulation. For example, an older woman or a woman with fertility issues may only produce five to six eggs per egg freezing cycle. In contrast, a healthy, young woman may produce up to 20 eggs.
Will it take more than one egg retrieval cycle?
Women who respond well to the stimulation medications may produce enough eggs in one retrieval cycle for their future family needs. Our Dallas egg freezing specialists tell patients that they are more likely to need multiple egg freezing cycles to achieve their family-building goals if they are older or want to have a big family.
Women need to do another retrieval cycle can do it right after the first one, if their testing is normal. Women can also wait a month or longer to pursue additional egg retrieval cycles.
Deciding how many eggs to freeze
The number of eggs that a person will need to freeze varies depending on their age and how many children they would like to have in the future. According to a 2017 study in Fertility and Sterility, women should consider freezing the following number of eggs to achieve at least one live birth.
- Women under 35 should freeze 20 mature eggs for an 85% chance of having at least one child.
- Women 38 to 40 should freeze 30 mature eggs for a 75% chance of having at least one child.
- Women 40 to 42 should freeze 30 mature eggs for a 50% chance of having at least one child.
Again, every woman is different, so these numbers are meant to serve as a general guideline, and there is no number that guarantees a healthy pregnancy.
For those interested in fertility preservation, the team at Dallas IVF can explain how many eggs to freeze based on the person’s age, fertility evaluation and family-building goals. We are happy to guide people on their egg freezing journey. Contact us for more information or to schedule an appointment.