Protect your fertility with egg freezing

For most women, there is no debate. They dream of becoming a mother someday. The question is not IF they want to have a child but rather WHEN. However, completing their education, demanding work schedules or complicating life circumstances can delay childbearing. Unfortunately, as we prepare ourselves to have a family, we also age and infertility can become an issue. However, egg freezing at our San Antonio fertility center can help.

A look at female fertility

A woman’s fertility relates to the number of eggs left in her ovaries. Approximately 20 weeks before birth, the average female baby had 15-20 million eggs in her ovaries. At delivery, that number decreases significantly to 6-7 million. By the time the average woman goes through puberty, she only has 300,000-500,000 eggs left. At age 40, her remaining egg number is only around 10,000. With age, both the number and the quality of eggs present in the ovaries decreases. This reduces a woman’s ability to conceive.

Egg freezing stops the clock

During the process of egg freezing, Erika Munch MD retrieves a woman’s eggs. The laboratory at our San Antonio fertility center then preserves the eggs. While they are frozen, they maintain their quality so that a woman can use them to conceive later.  When you are ready to start your family, our team can thaw the eggs and fertilize them with sperm to create embryos. Dr. Munch can transfer any resulting embryos to your uterus.

Pregnancy rates with this treatment are comparable to the rates of the age when you froze your eggs. For example, if you freeze your eggs at 32 years of age and you don’t use those eggs until you are 40, your chance for pregnancy will be closer to that of a 32-year-old than a 40-year-old. This is also true of your risk of marriage.

Finally, egg freezing may also diminish the risk of chromosomally abnormal pregnancies associated with advancing maternal age. The age of the egg when it is used is actually the same as when it was retrieved.

This amazing treatment can give you the ability to prepare for having a family when you are truly ready – on YOUR schedule. For more information, please call for an appointment.