Pros vs Cons Of Egg Freezing In 2024

I highly recommend women who are even remotely interested in starting a family in the future or having a baby to freeze their eggs.

It was one of the best decisions I made.

However, I know that egg freezing is not for everyone. This is a medical procedure at the end of the day.

This post is all about the advantages and disadvantages of egg freezing.

Advantages of Egg Freezing

Egg freezing offers numerous advantages to women who can empower them to have greater control over their reproductive choices. It provides the opportunity for women to preserve their fertility, allowing them to pursue their career goals or personal aspirations before starting a family.

Fertility preservation before cancer treatment

Fertility preservation for women is the process of freezing your eggs or embryos to preserve your fertility for the future.

If you’ve been diagnosed with a medical condition like cancer, going through treatments like chemotherapy or radiation can potentially affect your fertility. By freezing your eggs or embryos beforehand, you can increase your chances of having biological children in the future. It’s basically like giving yourself a fertility insurance policy.

But it’s not just cancer patients who can benefit from fertility preservation. Maybe you’re not ready to have children right now, but you can see yourself wanting a family someday. Well, freezing your eggs when you’re younger can be a smart move. As we age, the quality of our eggs decreases. By freezing your eggs at a younger age, you’re essentially hitting the pause button on your biological clock.

Provides a sense of security for those concerned about their biological clock

If you find yourself worrying about your biological clock ticking away, know you have options.

Many options can help you feel secure and at peace. Fertility preservation techniques have come a long way and can greatly help people in their quest for parenthood.

There’s so many social and professional reasons to do this. You can date with less pressure, pursue relationships, and take career risks that you may not have done if you didn’t freeze your eggs.

Related post: Vitamins and foods to eat for egg freezing

Enables women to delay childbearing until they are ready

Life is full of unexpected twists and turns. Sometimes, people come across situations where starting a family may not be feasible or practical at a certain point in time.

Egg freezing offers the opportunity to preserve a woman’s eggs at a young age when they are at their peak quality before the natural fertility declines related to decreased hormone levels and potential age-related infertility.

Increases chances of successful pregnancy in the future

Freezing eggs or embryos is particularly beneficial for women who may face fertility challenges later in life. By freezing their eggs at a younger age, they can preserve their fertility and increase their chances of successful pregnancy in the future.

The number of eggs needed for a successful embryo varies depending on individual factors such as age, overall health, and the quality of the fertility clinic you go to.

Of course, freezing eggs or embryos can be costly and may not always guarantee a successful pregnancy (and I explain this in the cons section). But doing this gives you more options in the future!

Related post: 6 things to avoid during egg freezing

A great option for people who are transitioning genders

Egg freezing can be of immense help to those in the process of transitioning towards another gender.

Transitioning can involve many steps, such as hormone therapy, surgeries, and various social changes. However, it’s crucial to consider the preservation of fertility as well.

Egg freezing provides an incredible option for individuals who wish to have biological children in the future. By freezing eggs before hormone therapy (such as testosterone) or surgeries (to remove their ovaries or uterus), someone can give themselves the opportunity to become a bio-parent when the time is right.

Making the decision to embark on a gender transition is a deeply personal journey, and everyone’s experience is unique. While there may be uncertainties and challenges along the way, having the choice to freeze eggs can provide a sense of empowerment.

Cons of egg freezing

Now let’s talk about the cons of egg freezing. One common side effect is swollen or painful ovaries. During the process, some people also experience nausea, cramps, blood clots, and bloating.

Aside from these side effects, here are some other disadvantages of freezing your eggs.

High cost to freeze eggs

If I hadn’t used my company’s insurance, it would have cost me about $13,000 to freeze my eggs. RIDICULOUS! It’s generally known that it’s more expensive to freeze your eggs in the United States than in other parts of the world.

You need medications to stimulate egg production which can easily cost you a few thousand dollars. Then, there are medical and blood tests that need to be done to make sure everything can move forward, which adds to the expense.

The actual procedure of egg retrieval involves in vitro fertilization (IVF), where your eggs are collected and stored. This procedure alone can set you back anywhere between $6,000 and $10,000.

In the future, if you decide to fertilize your eggs with sperm, there’s an additional cost for (optional) genetic testing and fertilizing embryos.

Storing your frozen eggs comes with a price tag as well. My eggs are frozen in Virginia and I (now) pay $700/year!

Related post: 5 ways to freeze your eggs for free

Possible side effects

Overall egg freezing is scientifically safe! But there are risks and side effects to be aware of.

• Hormonal changes: When you go through the egg freezing process, you’ll have to inject yourself with fertility drugs to help stimulate egg production. This can mess with your hormones and cause mood swings, bloating, or breast tenderness. It’s like PMS on steroids!
• Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS): Sometimes, the hormonal medications can overstimulate your ovaries, causing them to swell and become painful. This can happen in rare cases and usually resolves on its own, but it can be very serious and require medical attention.
• Discomfort after egg retrieval: The actual egg retrieval procedure is done under anesthesia, so you won’t feel a thing during it. However, after the procedure, you might experience some pelvic pain, abdominal bloating, or even some vaginal bleeding.

May not lead to a successful pregnancy

Age of the woman plays a significant role in the success of egg freezing. It’s crucial to understand that even with frozen eggs, your chances of getting pregnant diminish as you get older.

Additionally, the process of freezing, thawing, and fertilizing the eggs comes with its own set of risks. It’s possible that some eggs may not survive the thawing process, and even if they do, they may not fertilize successfully.

Furthermore, there are numerous factors involved in achieving a successful pregnancy, such as the health of our reproductive organs, partner compatibility, and overall fertility. Egg freezing doesn’t guarantee that we’ll have a healthy uterus, viable eggs, or a partner with compatible sperm.

There’s so many success stories I’ve heard about egg freezing, but I’ve also read many stories of disappointment and failure. I’d encourage you to read this article by “Good Morning America” about women who have frozen their eggs and their outcomes.

Like I wrote at the beginning of this post, I have no regrets about freezing my eggs. I’m really fortunate I had the choice. I hope this information helps you make the best decision for you.