Why people freeze eggs

Egg freezing (oocyte cryopreservation) allows you to preserve eggs at their current biological age for use later. The two main reasons people pursue it:

  • Medical fertility preservation: Before cancer treatment (chemotherapy or radiation), surgery that affects the ovaries, or other medical conditions that may impair future fertility. Many oncologists now refer patients to a fertility specialist before starting treatment.
  • Elective (social) freezing: When you want to have biological children in the future but are not ready now, due to career, relationship status, financial timing, or personal preference.

When to freeze

The ideal time is before age 35, when egg quality and quantity are both relatively high. Research from NYU Langone published in 2023 shows that eggs frozen before 35 have significantly higher thaw survival and fertilization rates than those frozen at 38 or older.

That said, freezing at 36, 37, or even 38 still preserves eggs that are younger than the ones you would use if you waited. The benefit diminishes with age, but the calculus is personal. A reproductive endocrinologist can help you model expected outcomes based on your AMH and age.

The process

Egg freezing uses the same stimulation protocol as IVF: daily hormone injections for 10 to 14 days, monitoring appointments, a trigger shot, and an egg retrieval under sedation. The difference is that retrieved eggs are vitrified (flash-frozen) immediately instead of being fertilized.

The entire active treatment period, from the start of your period to retrieval, is about two weeks. Recovery from retrieval typically takes one to three days.

How many eggs to freeze

This depends on your age and how many children you hope to have. A commonly cited guideline from fertility researchers:

  • Under 35: 10 to 15 mature eggs for a reasonable chance at one child
  • 35 to 37: 15 to 20 mature eggs
  • 38 to 40: 20 to 25 mature eggs

Most retrievals yield 8 to 15 mature eggs per cycle. Some people do two retrieval cycles (back to back or spaced apart) to reach their target number.

Cost

  • Retrieval cycle: $6,000 to $12,000 (clinic fees plus medications)
  • Annual storage: $300 to $800 per year
  • Future thaw and fertilization: $3,000 to $5,000 when you are ready to use the eggs

Insurance rarely covers elective egg freezing, though an increasing number of employers offer fertility preservation as a benefit. Medical egg freezing (before cancer treatment) is more commonly covered.

Success rates

Vitrification (the modern freezing technique) has dramatically improved outcomes compared to slow-freezing methods used before 2012. Current data shows:

  • Thaw survival rate: 85% to 95% of eggs survive the thaw
  • Fertilization rate: 70% to 80% of surviving eggs fertilize normally
  • Per-egg live birth rate: approximately 5% to 8% for eggs frozen under 35, declining with age at freezing

This means that 10 frozen eggs from a 32-year-old might yield 8 to 9 surviving the thaw, 6 to 7 fertilizing, 2 to 3 reaching blastocyst, and roughly a 50% to 70% cumulative chance of at least one live birth.

What to consider

Egg freezing is fertility insurance, not a guarantee. The technology has improved enormously, but outcomes vary by age, egg quality, and lab quality. Choose a clinic with a strong vitrification program and ask about their thaw survival rates specifically (not just their fresh IVF rates).

Find a fertility specialist through the Baaby provider directory to discuss whether egg freezing is right for your timeline.