A woman tends to go through a lot of challenging phases in her life, one of which is pregnancy. Gone are the days when pregnancy was imposed on women irrespective of their consent as soon as they got married. Nowadays, considering the demanding lifestyles of women, they are choosing to defer the idea of conception to a later age and looking for various ways to do so. Egg freezing has provided them with the opportunity to preserve their eggs at an early stage and get them thawed when they are ready for conception.
Moreover, modern women across the globe are considering it to be a viable option to deal with the biological clock and escape the pressure to become parents before they are ready. In addition, egg freezing has also enabled women with specific medical conditions such as cancer and diabetes, amongst others, to freeze their eggs in time and forgo future pregnancy-related worries.
Dr. Aradhya Achuri, senior consultant- Fertility & IVF, Apollo Fertility Kondapur, Hyderabad shares some key information to know before the process of eggs freezing.
Egg freezing process
Age serves as a major fertility declining factor in both men and women. In their twenties, both genders are known to be highly fertile, and as soon as they reach their thirties, their fertility rate starts to fall. Hence, it is ideal for women to freeze their eggs in their highly reproductive years. Because as a woman matures, her egg cell count tends to diminish, making pregnancy more complicated. But having frozen your eggs in time will enable you to achieve parenthood at a later age.
The first step in the egg freezing process involves hormonal stimulation of the ovaries to produce lots of eggs. Following egg production, the eggs must be removed from the ovaries and transported to a lab where they will be frozen at temperatures below zero in an effort to preserve them. After that, those frozen eggs can be thawed at any time when the woman is finally ready to conceive.
Things to consider before embarking on the egg freezing process
Age: There is no denying the fact that age and timing play an integral role when it comes to egg freezing and future pregnancy success. Women are known to be highly fertile when they are in their twenties. And as they age, their fertility rate begins to decline due to a considerable drop in both the quantity and quality of their eggs. Thus, in order to achieve healthy pregnancy at a later age, it is ideal for women to freeze eggs in their twenties.
Associated side-effects: Without a doubt, the procedure of egg freezing is deemed to be safe. However, there are certain side effects associated with the process, which will abate with time. Bloating, cramping, breast tenderness and moodiness are amongst the common egg freezing side effects. Furthermore, ovarian hyper-stimulation syndrome, a reaction to fertility medicine that increases ovulation, is another major side effect connected with the process. It can cause nausea, stomach pain, vomiting, and weight gain. However, the side effects can be effectively dealt with and reduced over time, provided you address them with your fertility specialist.
Medical background: For women considering freezing their eggs, it is certainly necessary for them to take their medical history into account. For instance, if you are diagnosed with cancer, it is vital to know that certain cancer therapies, such as chemotherapy and radiation, can harm a woman’s egg. Thus, women are advised to store their eggs prior to undergoing cancer therapy. In addition, endometriosis, polycystic ovary syndrome and prior ovarian surgery are also amongst the other health conditions that are known to impact pregnancy success rate. Hence, before undertaking the egg freezing procedure, it is recommended that you consult with your fertility specialist and discuss your medical history.
Means of postponing pregnancy
Women are often caught up in the vicious circle of marriage and pregnancy, which hinders their growth potential. But as technology has advanced, a number of reproductive treatments have become more widely available, allowing women to put off having children until later in life while focusing on their careers. Egg freezing is one such method that has provided women with the opportunity to freeze their eggs at an early age and get them thawed when they are finally ready to conceive. Furthermore, in order to improve your chances of becoming pregnant at a later age, it is recommended to consult a fertility specialist before beginning the process and discussing your medical background.
