Egg freezing is a sort of fertility insurance—it will allow you to get pregnant later in life with your own eggs, even if your fertility potential has diminished. For egg freezing in Delhi, the below information will be useful.
The first baby born from frozen eggs was back in 1986. Since then, the process of oocyte cryopreservation and its success rates have significantly improved.
If you feel your fertility may be declining, you must look for a reliable clinic and a credible doctor to see if egg freezing would be helpful in your case.
When should I freeze my eggs?
A woman’s fertility normally starts to decline between the ages of 35-40. However, poor lifestyle or hereditary factors may cause your fertility to weaken even at an earlier age.
Usually 32-33 is considered to be the ideal age for egg freezing, but if you have any indication of fertility problems—irregular periods, excessively heavy or light menstruation, too much pain or discomfort during periods, fibroids, etc.—you should see a fertility specialist and have your fertility status tested.
Here is the list of investigations you need to test your fertility.
If the reports indicate a lowered fertility status, you should consider egg freezing soon.
The quality of eggs is one of the main reasons for IVF failure and if you preserve eggs while they are still young, your chances of achieving a successful pregnancy are much higher later in life.
Use the form on this page to send your fertility details and learn if you need egg freezing now or if you can wait longer still.
Cost of egg freezing in Delhi
Egg freezing in Delhi costs approximately around INR 1.75L. The fee may be lower if you need fewer injections for stimulation.
There is also an additional annual cost of keeping the eggs frozen, until you decide to use them. To learn more about the cost of egg freezing in Delhi, write to the doctor using the form on the right.
Egg freezing process
Once your fertility tests have been performed and the doctor has assessed your current fertility status, you will be asked to report on day 2 of your period cycle.
Ovarian stimulation will be started (just as in a standard IVF procedure) and for the next 10-12 days you will be given several injections. Some women have mild side-effects from these injections but most women feel nothing.
If you have a history of PCOS, make sure to discuss it with your doctor before starting ovarian stimulation.
These hormones will get multiple follicles to grow and eggs to mature. When adequate number of follicles are seen, you will be a given a trigger shot of HCG injection and then the eggs can be retrieved in the next 34-40 hours.
Eggs are extracted from the follicles using a small, hollow needle which is inserted through your vagina under ultrasound guidance. This process is performed under anesthesia so you do not feel any pain.
The human oocyte is a single largest cell in the human body and contains a large amount of water. It is slightly difficult to freeze as compared to sperms or embryos because there is a risk of the water turning into ice crystals.
The vitrification and thawing of eggs are sophisticated procedures, so you must carefully select the doctor and the lab that you completely trust.
Ask questions, check their history, and proceed only after you feel very confident.
How will the frozen eggs be used in future?
When you are ready for pregnancy, the cyropreserved eggs will be carefully thawed—placed in a warming solution and checked. Atleast about 75% eggs should be perfectly available for fertilization.
Frozen eggs are usually fertilized with ICSI, in which a single sperm is injected within the egg to achieve fertilization.
ICSI fertilization rates at any good clinic are 70-75% (it is one of the factors you should consider when evaluating an IVF clinic’s lab). So even if you froze 10 eggs, you should have 5-6 good embryos, of which the best can be transferred to the uterus.
What are the risks associated with egg freezing?
Risks of egg freezing are similar to those in an IVF procedure:
- Overstimulation of ovaries – Risk of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS)
- Infection
- Bleeding or injury during extraction of the eggs
How long can my eggs remain frozen?
Long-term data is still awaited but clinics that have frozen eggs for over ten years have reported successful outcomes. Although women can have babies with frozen eggs or donor eggs even in older age, it puts both the mother and the baby at risk.
Ideally, the eggs frozen in early 30s should safely be used within a decade or so. Even though the eggs may remain safely available even after that, carrying a baby beyond 45 years of age may not be advisable for you.