How Many Eggs Should I Freeze by Age? (20s to 40s Explained)

Egg freezing is a popular method to preserve fertility and stop the incessant ticking of the biological clock from taking over your life. Modern women are choosing to stay in control of their fertility by delaying childbirth for social, medical, or professional reasons. But many still have doubts about the process. At Corion Fertility Clinic, ‘How many eggs should I freeze?’, is a question we hear all the time.

Egg freezing involves freezing your eggs with the intention of using them to get pregnant later. In this blog, we’re exploring the best number of eggs women should freeze according to their age. We’re also touching on the best age to freeze eggs, as well as the egg-freezing process.

Does Egg Quality Affect The Number Of Eggs Frozen?

Yes, egg quality plays a remarkable role in the number of eggs you freeze.

Let’s understand why with an example. Women with PCOS may have a high egg count but often struggle with poor egg quality. Despite retrieving almost 50–60 eggs per cycle, they have low chances of live birth with egg freezing, as most of these eggs are of poor quality and will not survive the thawing and fertilization process.

Only good-quality eggs can survive in the ovaries and develop into embryos. On the other hand, poor-quality eggs can have genetic abnormalities that may cause infertility, miscarriage, or progeny with genetic conditions like Down syndrome.

Why Does The Number of Frozen Eggs Matter?

You may wonder why freezing a certain number of eggs is even necessary; after all, don’t you only need a single healthy egg to become pregnant? It’s simple: Since not all eggs will survive the freezing and thawing process, freezing more eggs can improve your chances of a successful pregnancy.

Younger women can achieve their fertility goals with fewer eggs, as most of these eggs are high-quality. Women over 35 need to freeze more eggs to account for their poor quality and lower survival rates.

For example, women under 35 may need 10 to 15 eggs for a 70% chance of having one child, while those over 40 may need 25 to 30 eggs for a similar chance.

The number of eggs you should freeze will depend mainly on your age. Typically, younger women need to freeze a lower number of eggs, while older women need to freeze more eggs for a similar chance of success.

20s

Both egg quality and quantity peak in your late 20s to early 30s. Getting 10 to 15 eggs frozen will give you a good chance of pregnancy, and you’ll only require one egg-freezing cycle to get there.

30 to 34

If you are 34 or younger, you should freeze a minimum of ten eggs. For those who want to err on the side of caution, 15 to 20 eggs is a safer number. Typically, one cycle will yield about 12 eggs, so women under 34 only need one or two cycles to freeze enough eggs.

35 to 40

Women in their late 30s should freeze at least 20 eggs, while those aged 38 to 40 will require at least 25 eggs for a chance at pregnancy. They may need to undergo approximately two to three egg retrieval cycles to get the amount of eggs they need.

Over 40

Women aged 40 or older have the lowest live birth rate with egg freezing, since they experience a decline in both egg quality and quantity.

If you’re freezing eggs at 40, getting at least 28 eggs will improve your chances of a future pregnancy. Most women in this age group will produce only 7 to 8 eggs per retrieval, which means that you may have to undergo multiple cycles to get an optimum number of eggs.

Speak to a fertility specialist at Corion Fertility Clinic to discuss whether egg freezing is the right choice for you.

What Age Should You Freeze Your Eggs?

There is no right age for egg freezing, but the earlier you can do it, the better. Not only are egg retrievals more successful when you’re younger, but they’re also more cost-effective, as you’ll require fewer cycles to get a decent number of healthy eggs.

Factors Affecting the Success of Egg Freezing

The success rate of egg freezing depends on quite a few factors, such as age, egg quality, clinic reputation, the freezing technique, and the patient’s overall health.

Age

As we’ve mentioned earlier, age is an important factor to consider while freezing your eggs.

Egg Quality

By egg quality, we refer to how viable the eggs are and whether they are free from chromosomal abnormalities.

Clinic Reputation

The clinic’s success rates and the expertise of your doctors can also affect overall outcomes. Skilled fertility specialists can make a world of difference.

Overall Health

Do you drink or smoke? Unhealthy lifestyle and diet habits can affect your fertility and chances of success with egg freezing. Speak to your doctor about any diet and lifestyle changes you can make to increase egg quality before egg freezing.

Freezing Technique

While most top-rated clinics like Corion Fertility Clinic have transitioned to advanced techniques like vitrification, smaller clinics that offer cheap egg freezing may use the outdated slow freezing technique for cryopreservation.

Risks and Disadvantages of Egg Freezing

While freezing your eggs certainly has its advantages, you should be informed about its risks too. Having a thorough understanding of egg freezing in Mumbai will help you select the best center and treatments for you.

• The medication you take for ovarian stimulation can cause bloating, headaches, and mood swings and temporarily mess up your hormone balance.
• The process of ovarian stimulation requires you to take daily injections. The process of retrieval can also be uncomfortable.
• You are not guaranteed to have a successful pregnancy later, as it depends on the viability of your eggs.
• Egg freezing can be an expensive procedure, especially if you have to do multiple cycles.
• This service is not a one-time cost since you will have to pay monthly or annual fees to the clinic to keep your eggs frozen.

Note that the numbers and percentages provided above are general estimates based on data observed by fertility clinics. Actual outcomes may vary depending on several factors, including the patient’s overall health, the quality and quantity of eggs retrieved, and the expertise of the clinic and its medical team.

Worried your biological clock is ticking faster than your life plans? Not sure how many eggs to freeze or whether this is the right time? At Corion Fertility Clinic, we follow tried-and-tested methods to help women freeze enough eggs to result in a successful pregnancy.

Book a personalized consultation with our fertility specialists at Corion Fertility Clinic to explore your options with confidence.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Q. How many eggs survive freezing?
A. Approximately 90 to 95% of eggs survive the thawing process in cryopreservation using the vitrification method.

Q. How much does freezing your eggs cost in India?
A.In India, the cost of egg freezing depends on the clinic’s location and reputation, the number of retrieval cycles, the expertise of the doctors, and the age of the patient. It can vary from clinic to clinic.

Q. How many frozen eggs for one baby?
A. The number of frozen eggs needed for one baby can vary from person to person. Some women can get viable embryos from only a few frozen eggs, while others may freeze a large number of eggs, but none of them may develop into embryos.

Q. How many embryos should I freeze instead of eggs?
A. Embryos have a higher survival rate compared to frozen eggs. However, creating embryos requires sperm, and egg freezing is the better choice if you do not have a partner and want to preserve your fertility.