Egg freezing is a way to preserve your future fertility options. Just because your body is biologically at its peak for conceiving, doesn’t mean your mind or life situation is in the same place. If you would like to have a family one day, or just want to keep your options open, egg freezing may be an option for you which can provide you options for the future.
Egg freezing is a method of collecting, preserving and storing your unfertilised eggs. Your eggs are frozen through a process called vitrification, which means they are frozen in time. They are stored safely in our lab until you determine if you need to use them.
Egg quality and quantity declines with age. You can’t put a pause on your biological clock – but you can freeze your eggs, because frozen eggs don’t age. Age is one of the most important determinant of IVF success. If you choose to use your frozen eggs to conceive in the future, the chances of successful IVF treatment will be based on the age at which you froze your eggs. For example, if you freeze your eggs at 30, then decide to use them when you’re 35 – you have the same chance as a 30-year-old to achieve an IVF pregnancy. Generally, the younger you are when you freeze your eggs, the better.
It all starts with a free, no-obligation chat about your options.
Free Fertility Nurse Chat
When should I freeze my eggs?
Under 25 years of age
Age is the biggest indicator of fertility potential however if you’re under 25 years old, it’s unlikely you need to be worried. If you’re within this age bracket, egg freezing may not be recommended because your ovarian reserve is high. However, if you are concerned about pre-existing family conditions, medical or lifestyle factors that may be impacting your fertility, you should speak with one of our fertility nurses or book an appointment with a fertility specialist for personalised guidance.
Age 25 – 30
Fertility declines with age, so it’s a good idea to be proactive about your fertility when you’re younger. Ultimately, the younger you freeze your eggs – the better. If you’re considering egg freezing, or just want to have your fertility assessed, speak with one of our nurses or book an appointment with a Repromed Fertility Doctor.
Age 31 – 38
Early-mid 30s is the most common age that patients decide to freeze their eggs. Evidence shows that there’s a sharp decline in fertility after the age of 35. The takeaway? It’s important to have the conversations with medical professionals early and put a plan in place regarding your fertility.
If you’re between 35-38 years old and want to have a baby one day but are not ready yet – it’s important you see a fertility doctor. It’s better to understand the options available to you when you’re younger, to avoid disappointment and heartache in the future.
Age 39+
By the time a person with eggs reaches the age of 40, their chance of getting pregnant naturally drops to around 5% each month. If you’re older than 39 years of age, egg freezing may not be suitable for you. If you’re within this age bracket and considering egg freezing, you may not have time to waste. Please see a fertility doctor to understand the options available to you.
Why freeze my eggs?
Everyone’s reasons for choosing to freeze their eggs are different.
Common reasons for egg freezing include:
- I want to have a baby one day, but I’m not ready to be a parent yet.
- I’ve recently broken up with a long-term partner that I was planning to start a family with.
- I’ve got health concerns that might be a threat to my fertility, like severe endometriosis or a cancer diagnosis.
- I haven’t found the right person to settle down with yet.
- I’m not sure if I actually want to have kids – but I want to keep my options open.
Whatever your reason for freezing your eggs, we’re here to help you explore if it’s right for you.
The egg freezing process
The egg freezing process is very simple.
Step 1: Stimulation
During every monthly cycle, eggs grow in fluid-filled sacs (called follicles) on the ovaries. Only one egg will mature and be released through ovulation. The rest will be naturally reabsorbed. The egg freezing process – as with an IVF cycle – helps more eggs to mature.
To do this, you’ll take hormone medication for 8 to 14 days to help stimulate your ovaries. Your fertility doctor will discuss the best medications and stimulation techniques for you. This medication usually takes the form of hormone injections using a tiny needle under the skin.
The idea of injecting yourself can feel daunting at first – we completely understand this. That’s why your fertility nurse will take you through the process step-by-step, showing you exactly how and where to give the injections.
During the stimulation period, you’ll be monitored via blood tests and ultrasounds.
Step 2: Egg collection
When your eggs are ready to be collected, you’ll visit a day surgery unit for a short procedure. You’ll be asleep, so you won’t feel a thing. The procedure itself only takes around 10-15 minutes. Afterwards, you’ll wake up in recovery, where we’ll keep you warm and comfortable. You can usually go home an hour or two later.
During the procedure, a fertility doctor extracts the fluid from the follicles on your ovaries (where the eggs grow). The eggs are extracted vaginally, so there are no cuts or scars.
As with any anaesthetic, you might feel tired or groggy afterwards. Bring a support person along as you won’t be able to drive for 24 hours after this procedure.
Step 3: Egg freezing
Once your eggs have been collected, your fertility doctor passes them directly to our scientists. These skilled scientists recover the eggs and identify the mature eggs to be frozen. We only freeze mature eggs – immature eggs are not viable or ready to create embryos.
Your eggs are frozen in the lab using a method called vitrification, or snap freezing. We decrease the water content in the eggs to prevent damage to them when they’re frozen.
Scientifically, there’s no time limit on how long eggs can stay frozen. Eggs frozen via vitrification can be stored indefinitely. It is important to note however that embryos can only be transferred to the person carrying the pregnancy if they are under 52 years of age.
Note that not all egg freezing cycles results in eggs being collected and not all eggs are suitable to freeze, however of those frozen approximately 90% will survive the freeze/thaw process.
Find out more about the process by booking a complimentary, no-obligation chat with one of our nurses.
Request a fertility nurse chat
Egg freezing costs
There are four main costs associated with egg freezing:
1. Cycle fee
Repromed’s fee per elective egg freezing cycle is $5,551.90, and we are pleased to able to offer flexible payment plans to help you manage the cost of egg freezing through ZipMoney. ZipMoney allows patients to access treatment straight away with no payment required upfront. Patients apply directly to Zip Money for a 6, 12 or 24 interest free payment plan. To find out more about ZipMoney at Repromed, click here. Terms and conditions apply.
2. Medication costs
Medications are required to stimulate your ovaries as part of the egg freezing process. These are prescribed by your Repromed fertility doctor. Medication costs depend on your treatment plan and can vary from person to person. Prior to any treatment commencing you will be provided with an estimate of costs for your treatment including any medication costs.
3. Hospital and anaesthetic fee
The cost of the day hospital bed and the anaesthetic required for the egg collection procedure. This depends on where you have your egg collection. If you have private health insurance, your insurance may cover some of these fees. Speak directly with your private health insurance provider for information about your hospital cover.
4. Ongoing storage fees
Once your eggs are frozen, they need to be stored until you decide to use, donate or discard them. At Repromed, the first 6 months of storage is free. After that it’s $285 every 6 months.
Egg freezing costs – medical reasons
In Australia, Medicare provides a rebate for egg freezing if there is a medical need for the treatment. For many people that come to us for egg freezing, it is the first time they have had their fertility investigated. During the initial testing, our doctors may discover underlying medical conditions which may impact your fertility, meaning freezing your eggs may be required for medical reasons, not an elective one.
When this happens, you would be eligible for a Medicare rebate that will significantly reduce your out-of-pocket costs on the cycle fee, the medication fee and the hospital and anaesthetic fee.
While there is no Medicare rebate for ongoing storage fees, Repromed offers free storage for 5 years for oncology patients.
Egg freezing investigations
If you see a Repromed fertility doctor to discuss egg freezing, they’ll undertake some initial fertility testing to determine whether egg freezing is necessary and the best option for you. The results of these tests will determine whether your egg freeze is classified as a medical egg freeze or an elective egg freeze with Medicare. If it’s a medical egg freeze Medicare will cover some of your costs.
Tests prior to egg freezing may include:
Anti-Müllerian Hormone Test (AMH)
This is a blood test that measures the levels of Anti-Müllerian Hormone (AMH) in your blood. AMH is a hormone produced by cells in the follicles in your ovaries. Your AMH level is an indicator of your ovarian reserve and is the best predictor of your likely response in an IVF cycle (number of eggs collected).
Pelvic Ultrasound
This is an internal ultrasound during the follicular stage of your cycle – usually between day 3 to day 5 of your cycle. This ultrasound will show how many follicles you have, and can help assess the anatomy of your uterus, fallopian tubes and ovaries.
Other Hormone Tests
These are blood tests to measure the levels of your reproductive hormones. Some of the hormones that might be tested include follicular stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone, prolactin hormone or thyroid stimulating hormone.
More information
If you would like a complementary no-obligation chat with one of New Patient Coordinators, call 08 8333 8111 if in South Australia or 08 8945 4211 if in the Northern Territory or fill your details in below.