While couples hope to start a family of their own, the question of when to have children can be complex. Career paths, financial stability, and concerns over whether or not they’re ready to have children can impact a decision already complicated by biology.
This is especially true for women, who are constantly reminded of their ticking biological clock.
Enter fertility preservation: the process of freezing eggs, sperm, or other reproductive tissue in hopes of conceiving in the future.
“Every woman produces a finite number of eggs in her lifetime,” explains fertility specialist, consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist Dr Aldrin Lie, who adds that egg quality declines with age, especially after 35.
It’s unsurprising, then, that egg freezing has become more common. It’s an employee perk in Silicon Valley, offered by the likes of Facebook and Apple. Celebrities like the Kardashians and Jennifer Aniston have candidly discussed their experiences with egg freezing.
This option gives people a fresh perspective on parenthood by allowing them to take charge of their fertility, and increasing their odds of conception in the future.
What exactly is it?
Egg freezing, technically known as oocyte cryopreservation, involves retrieving and storing a woman’s eggs for future use. It was introduced in the 1980s to offer women with serious medical conditions a chance to have children after completing treatment.
The process starts with a doctor’s consultation. This includes an examination and tests to assess the total number of healthy eggs a woman has to see if she’s a good fit for the procedure.
If the results are positive, she undergoes ovarian stimulation, i.e. two weeks of hormone injection to help the ovaries produce more eggs. Encouraging a greater number of eggs increases the chances of retrieving usable ones for future use.
Once matured, the eggs are then collected from the ovaries via a pain-free transvaginal procedure.
The final step is vitrification, a specialised procedure where the eggs are rapidly frozen to prevent ice crystals from forming. Eggs can safely be stored for up to 10 years, and thawed when a couple is ready to embark on their parenthood journey.
Risks, misconceptions, breakthroughs
As with any medical procedure, there are some risks to egg freezing. One possible complication is ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS), which occurs when the hormones used to stimulate the development of eggs cause the ovaries to swell.
Symptoms, which can range in severity, include abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting.
Severe OHSS is very uncommon but Lie cautions that women should consult reputable and experienced fertility professionals when considering any such procedure. A good health provider will assess the patient’s risk profile and continuously monitor their health for adverse reactions.
When it comes to misconceptions, there is a myth that egg retrieval and freezing affects the number of eggs a woman produces in her lifetime. This is categorically untrue.
Another concerns the health of infants born from frozen eggs. Research shows that there is no significant difference between babies conceived from fresh or frozen cells.
Aside from simply freezing and storing your reproductive material, some fertility centres have introduced advanced ways of assessing your health. Two genetics-based tests offer insights into a woman’s risk of passing on hereditary diseases to her future child.
Sperm on the rocks
Men, it is now known, have a biological clock, too, albeit more gradually. Ageing affects semen volume and motility quality, and can lead to increased genetic abnormalities.
One 40-year research study found that men aged 45 and above are at higher risk of having babies with birth defects. Older fathers may also increase their partners’ risk of developing pregnancy complications.
With this in mind, men, too, can “freeze” their fertility via sperm banking. Similar to the egg-freezing process, men first undergo a health screening to ensure they’re disease free before a semen sample is collected.
The sperm is then analysed for health and quantity before being stored in freezers that contain liquid nitrogen to preserve it indefinitely.
So, should you do it?
The decision to freeze one’s eggs or sperm is a highly intimate one. Fertility future-proofing, regardless of whether a person is single or partnered, can definitely increase one’s odds of conceiving.
It can also help ease the stress of when to have children, and allow you some breathing room when it comes to making such a personal and consequential decision.