Egg freezing uncovered
This year the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HEFA) reported a dramatic rise in the number of women freezing their eggs. It’s becoming one of the fastest growing fertility treatments across the UK. Some experts are attributing the rise to the pandemic, with Sarah Norcross, the director of the Progress Educational Trust, suggesting that “restrictions on socialising may have prompted some women to think more about their fertile window and decide to try to increase their reproductive choices.”
Whatever the reason behind it all, we here at The Fertility Show wanted to give you more information on the process. So this week I spoke to Alpesh Doshi, consultant clinical embryologist and the co-founder of IVF London. Our conversation took place during our final “Let’s all Talk Fertility” webinar for 2023.
Alpesh was delighted to share his knowledge, as egg freezing is his area of expertise. He was one of the first scientists to have studied egg freezing and fertility preservation in the UK, taking his learning from Japan where the procedure originated. He was therefore best placed to answer any questions we had. Alpesh confirmed the treatment had become “run of the mill” nowadays, with many patients considering it from a fertility preservation perspective.
When asked about the process itself, Alpesh told us it was the same as the first half of an IVF round. Hormones are administered, one injection a day for approximately 11 to 14 days to stimulate the ovaries into producing multiple follicles. Routine trips to the clinic are needed (5-6 over the two weeks) for an ultrasound scan and a blood test, followed by an egg retrieval at the end of this process, under sedation.
“You're looking at around two weeks from the start of the period to having your eggs in the freezer” Alpesh explained “without making it sound to sound too simple, it is literally two weeks of your time.”
It all sounds rather easy, right? But what about the success. Not so long ago, as a fertility patient myself, I was always told that eggs frozen without being fertilised didn’t hold much hope through the thawing process. Alpesh told us things have vastly improved over the last five years, with success rates increasing in this area. However, it’s important to note that success is still strongly dependent on the age of the woman at the time of freezing her eggs, with the higher success rates occurring in those aged under 35. While technology has changed, this fact has not;
“It is also very important that a patient knows what their chances and the statistics are, and do not step into blindly thinking this is a guaranteed insurance policy" Alpesh advised. "It would be totally wrong of me to say that yes, if you have your eggs in the freezer, that means you are guaranteed a baby. No, that is not true. So the sooner you consider egg freezing, whilst you are in your younger thirties rather than your older thirties, then your chances of conception are better.”
The final take home message was a simple one, and it’s a message we here at The Fertility Show also believe in: do your investigations as soon as you can.
Alpesh left us with these important tips:
There is a very simple home test that you can do to measure your ovarian reserve via prick test - do it.
Then seek help of a fertility clinic, have a consultation with them, get to know them.
Once you know the value of the AMH from the blood test, the clinic will be able to guide you as to whether you have time on your side, or whether you should act quickly.
For more information about egg freezing, or any number of fertility treatments and options on how to create your family, head to our website now: The Fertility Show.
Plus, for the month of December, we are offering free access to our Let’s all Talk Fertility Webinar Hub, granting you access to over 150+ LIVE sessions with the UK & Europe’s top clinicians and experts. To get access, head HERE now.
Written by Sophie Sulehria
Nov 2023