Nashville Fertility

Who Should Freeze Eggs

Discover who should freeze eggs and preserve their fertility

Our Tennessee egg freezing specialists can help patients determine who should freeze eggs. While not all women are in need of egg freezing, this form of fertility preservation brings peace of mind to many.

Candidates for egg freezing

Many factors can make a woman a candidate for egg freezing. Individuals wondering whether to preserve their eggs should consider these factors when making this important decision.

  • Women wanting to delay motherhood. Because a woman’s fertility peaks in her 20s, and begins to decline when she enters her 30s, a woman wanting to postpone motherhood until her late-30s or 40s should consider egg freezing. While those who should freeze eggs would ideally move through the process in their 20s, viable eggs are often retrieved until the age of 34. Our Tennessee egg freezing specialists do not recommend egg freezing for women over the age of 37.
  • Individuals at risk for premature ovarian failure. A woman with a family medical history of early menopause, or the loss of ovarian function before the age of 40, would be a good candidate for egg freezing.
  • Cancer patients. Many women needing to undergo cancer treatments are choosing to preserve their eggs through egg freezing. Chemotherapy and radiation could harm the ovaries and result in the reduction of a woman’s ovarian reserve.
  • Women in the military. If a woman’s ovaries are damaged while in combat, egg freezing can help ensure she still has the opportunity to have children.

These are the primary reasons that determine who should freeze eggs. However, any woman seeking to extend her fertility can use this method.

Next steps for women who should freeze eggs

The extensive experience of our fertility specialists can benefit women who would like to learn if egg freezing is right for them.

  • Consult. The first step for women interested in pursuing egg freezing involves a consult with one of our Tennessee egg freezing specialists, who will explain the process of egg freezing in detail and answer any questions.
  • Transvaginal ultrasound. Many women elect to receive a transvaginal ultrasound. This test evaluates the number of small follicles, or egg sacs, present in the ovaries.
  • Bloodwork. Bloodwork can help determine who should freeze eggs by assessing the quality of a woman’s eggs. It checks levels of certain hormones, including follicle-stimulating hormone, estrogen and anti-Mullerian hormone.

Egg freezing is an excellent option for women hoping to preserve their fertility. Advances in cryopreservation methods, such as the flash freezing vitrification technique, have caused increased rates of pregnancy after a frozen egg has been fertilized and transferred.

Contact us for more information about who should freeze eggs.

(615) 321-4740