Women who wish to extend their fertility or preserve it after undergoing medical treatments often choose to freeze their eggs or embryos to implant them later on. There are no significant increased risks of birth defects or other problems during pregnancies that began with a frozen embryo or egg. However, the success rate for frozen embryos is much higher, which is just one of the considerations when deciding which treatment is right for you.
Your Relationship
If you have a partner you would like to conceive with, frozen embryos may be the better choice for your situation since they do have a higher success rate. If you do not currently have a partner, or are likely to conceive without one, donor sperm is also an option for fertilising your eggs.
However, it also worth discussing consent and contingencies if the relationship does end before the embryos are used. In the event that you break up with that partner, they may withdraw consent for the embryos to be used, meaning that you cannot use these embryos and would either need to consider another fertility treatment or would need to go through the process of egg freezing separately.
Cost
At Concept Fertility, the prices for egg freezing begin at £3,400, which includes storing them for 2 years, with a further cost of £2,210 for thawing, fertilisation and embryo transfer. Embryo freezing begins at £1000 plus the IVF cycle that produces them, and both treatments cost £300 per year for storage. If you would like to create an embryo from donor sperm, this would also incur an additional charge.
Ethical Considerations
Some patients prefer to freeze their eggs rather than creating embryos due to ethical considerations. Multiple embryos are created to ensure the best chance of success, and some of these may not survive the process. Furthermore you may end up with surplus embryos after you have achieved your pregnancy. If your personal morals are a barrier to this form of fertility treatment, freezing your eggs may be a better option.
Personal Consultation
In addition to these general issues, you will need to consider your own situation, your fertility issues, and any other medical background to decide which is the best option for you. We provide personal consultations to go through your reasons for the procedure, your health, and your options to help you decide on the right treatment.
