You want a child—but not now. And maybe not for years. Or maybe you’re just not sure yet if you want to be a mom. Could be you’re waiting to meet the right partner, but your age is creeping up.

If you’re in any of these situations, you may have considered egg freezing. It’s a way of preserving a woman’s fertility and allowing her to extend the time she has to conceive. And it’s become increasingly popular over the past decade, even spiking in recent years. For example, the number of egg freezing cycles increased by 46% just between 2020 and 2021, according to the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology (SART), 

Egg freezing is a way to take control of your family planning wishes. But it’s a complex procedure, and you’ve probably got a lot of questions. Here are the key details you need to know.

Why Should I Freeze My Eggs?

Technically called oocyte cryopreservation, egg freezing involves the collection, preservation, and storage of a woman's eggs. They remain in a deep freeze at an embryology lab until you’re ready for them. You might later have them injected into your own uterus for a future pregnancy, or use them with a surrogate.

Why do most women freeze their eggs? One study found that the most significant motivation was the prospect of age-related fertility decline. 

Which tracks, since age is the biggest factor affecting your fertility. You’re born with all the eggs you’ll ever have: 1 to 2 million eggs, according to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG). That amount decreases each year. By the time you have your first period, the number has dropped to 300,000 to 500,000 eggs. At age 37, it's estimated you'll have 25,000 eggs left. 

When egg quantity goes down, so does egg quality. This means eggs are more likely to have chromosomal abnormalities. These abnormalities affect the egg’s ability to be fertilized, and can compromise the development of the embryo, increasing the risk of miscarriage.

But age isn’t the only consideration for freezing eggs. There could be a medical issue, such as being diagnosed with a condition that can impact fertility. With cancer, for example chemotherapy can affect the ovaries, causing them to stop releasing eggs. Which can be temporary or permanent.

Other people might choose egg freezing for social purposes. This means things like relationship status, plans for education, and career goals. In that study about women’s motivation for freezing their eggs, the second chosen reason was not having a male partner. 

Am I Guaranteed a Baby if I Freeze My Eggs?

We wish. But there’s no guarantee. Freezing your eggs gives you a chance to get pregnant later on. And it can significantly improve your chances of conceiving when older. 

There are many factors that determine whether egg freezing will eventually result in a live birth. Here are a few of them:

• your age when you freeze the eggs
• how many mature eggs were collected (there’s typically some type of issue with “immature” eggs; only mature eggs will be fertilized)
• your age when you use the eggs
• the success of embryo transfer and implantation
• the risk of miscarriage, as with any pregnancy

When Should I Freeze My Eggs?

Here, youth matters. The younger you are when freezing your eggs, the higher the likelihood they will result in pregnancy and a live birth. A woman’s fertility starts to decline significantly around the age of 32, according to The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG). After 37, it decreases more rapidly, marked by a decline in egg count and quality.   

The average age women freeze their eggs is 38, according to a recent study. The researchers found that the overall chance of a live birth was 39%. That number jumped to 51% for women who froze their eggs at a younger age.  

Of course, it’s important to remember that every person’s situation is unique. Stats are one thing. Your specific possibilities are another. Your physician or a fertility expert can help you figure out your chances depending on your health history and conception goals.

What Should I Expect When Freezing My Eggs?

The egg freezing process includes a series of bloodwork and pelvic ultrasounds. You will also give yourself hormone injections to stimulate your ovaries. This helps them produce as many eggs as possible. 

Once your eggs have matured, you will go under anesthesia so that a clinician can collect the eggs. They do this by placing a needle through the wall of your vagina into the ovary. After retrieval, all mature eggs are promptly frozen (vitrified) and securely stored until you decide to use them.

How Much Does It Cost to Freeze My Eggs?

No lie: It can be a financial commitment. The costs associated with this procedure include extracting, freezing, and storing them. A single egg-freezing cycle in the United States costs $10,000 to $15,000, depending on the clinic and where you live. Then, when you are ready to get pregnant, the costs for IVF can be another $4,000 to $8,000. 

Not all insurance covers egg freezing. You will want to check your health plan to see if elective egg freezing is covered. Some carriers will only pay if the procedure is deemed medically necessary. As of June 2023, 21 states require that fertility treatments be covered. Still, coverage varies, so be sure to look up the specifics.

Are There Any Health Risks to Egg Freezing?

Remember: Egg freezing is a medical procedure. As such, it comes with some side effects and risks you’ll want to be aware of. 

• Hormonal side effects: The hormone injections used to stimulate your ovaries—also called ovarian stimulation—can cause PMS-like symptoms. While undergoing treatment, you might experience bloating, irritability, and cramping, as well as hot and cold flashes.
• Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS): This is a potential result of ovarian stimulation. It’s when the ovaries become enlarged and can leak fluid into your body. OHSS occurs in less than 5% of women who receive hormonal fertility treatments. Most cases are mild and cause temporary discomfort that may not require medical treatment. Symptoms may include abdominal pain, bloating, slight weight gain, nausea, and vomiting. Severe OHHS is rare, occurring in less than 1% of women receiving hormone fertility treatments. It can lead to excessive weight gain, severe abdominal pain and swelling, difficulty breathing, blood clots, decreased urination, and kidney failure. Call your doctor ASAP if you experience any of these.
• Discomfort following egg retrieval: For a few days after eggs are collected, you may experience bloating, cramping, and be mildly uncomfortable. You should be back on your feet and able to do daily activities in 24 to 48 hours.

What If I Don't Use All the Eggs I've Frozen?

As more women complete more egg freezing cycles, many preserved eggs don’t get used. One study indicated that only 16% of women even returned to their frozen eggs. 

There are two main factors that lead to this low use rate. One, women who preserve their eggs when they’re younger may conceive spontaneously (hence, not needing advanced fertility treatment). And two, the women may have “solved” their life circumstances that originally led to egg freezing.

So… What happens to the eggs you don’t use? There is currently no legal limit to how long you can store eggs. But it might be too expensive to keep them indefinitely. (There are annual storage fees). You can have your eggs disposed of. Or you might consider donating them for medical training or clinical studies, or for use by another person with infertility.

Your physician or fertility clinicians can guide you on the available options. They’ll share any criteria or eligibility requirements that may apply.

The bottom line: Freezing your eggs can help preserve your fertility and give you a better chance for pregnancy as you get older. It always helps to chat with your physician about your plans. They’re experts in helping people optimize their chances for future fertility.

An Egg Freezing Dictionary

There’s lots of lingo surrounding this procedure. Brush up on a few definitions here.

Oocyte cryopreservation: a fancy medical term for egg freezing, which includes collecting, preserving, and storing a woman's eggs

Embryology lab: the deep freezer containing liquid nitrogen tanks where eggs are stored until use

Vitrified: the name of the process when eggs are frozen; this occurs after eggs are retrieved from a woman’s body

Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome: OHSS is a potential (but rare) result of ovarian stimulation, or hormone fertility treatments; the ovaries enlarge and can leak fluid into the body

Egg quality: refers to whether an egg is “normal” or “abnormal” in terms of chromosomes; a “normal” egg has 23 chromosomes 

Mature eggs: the type that will be fertilized during an egg freezing procedure

Immature eggs: eggs that typically have an issue, often a chromosomal abnormality, that can affect fertilization and a healthy pregnancy