The Process of Egg Freezing

Phase 1: Pre-Cycle Preparation & Ovarian Suppression (1-4 weeks prior)

• Comprehensive Fertility Workup: Before any medications begin, you will undergo a series of tests. This includes a transvaginal ultrasound to assess your Antral Follicle Count (AFC) and blood work to check your Anti-Müllerian Hormone (AMH) and Follicle-Stimulating Hormone (FSH) levels. These markers help us predict your ovarian response and customize your medication protocol.
• Birth Control Pills (Optional): In some protocols, you may be prescribed birth control pills for a short period prior to stimulation. This is not for contraception, but to temporarily suppress your natural cycle. This “quieting” of the ovaries allows for synchronous follicular growth once stimulation begins, leading to a more productive cycle.

Phase 2: Ovarian Stimulation (Approximately 8-12 days)

• Injectable Hormone Medications: You will begin daily subcutaneous injections of hormonal medications. These typically include:
  • Follicle-Stimulating Hormone (FSH): Mimics your body’s natural FSH, encouraging multiple follicles (the fluid-filled sacs that contain eggs) to grow simultaneously, rather than the single one selected in a natural cycle.
  • Luteinizing Hormone (LH) or hMG: Often added to support FSH and optimize follicular development.
• Monitoring Appointments: This is a critical component. You will visit the clinic every 1-3 days for monitoring, which involves:
  • Blood Tests: To measure your estradiol levels, which rise as the follicles develop.
  • Transvaginal Ultrasounds: To track the number and size of the growing follicles.
  • Based on this real-time data, your medication dosages may be adjusted to ensure optimal growth and minimize risks.

Phase 3: Final Maturation & Trigger Shot (36 hours before retrieval)

• The “Trigger” Injection: Once the leading follicles reach an optimal size (typically 18-22mm), you will administer a final “trigger shot.” This is usually an injection of human Chorionic Gonadotropin (hCG) or a GnRH agonist.
• Purpose: This medication precisely mimics the natural LH surge, causing the eggs within the follicles to undergo their final maturation step, detaching from the follicle wall in preparation for retrieval. The timing of this shot is non-negotiable and is scheduled exactly 36 hours before your retrieval procedure.

Phase 4: Egg Retrieval Procedure (Day of Procedure)

• The Procedure: The retrieval is a minor surgical procedure performed under intravenous sedation, so you will be asleep and feel no pain. It typically takes 20-30 minutes.
• The Technique: Under ultrasound guidance, a fertility specialist will guide a thin needle through the vaginal wall into each ovary. The fluid from each follicle is gently aspirated.
• Immediate Post-Procedure: You will recover in a comfortable room for about an hour. You may experience mild cramping or bloating, and you will need someone to drive you home. Most patients resume normal, non-strenuous activities the next day.

Phase 5: Laboratory & Cryopreservation (Post-Retrieval)

• The Embryology Lab: The aspirated follicular fluid is immediately handed to our embryologists, who use high-powered microscopes to identify the retrieved eggs.
• Vitrification: This is the state-of-the-art freezing technique we use. The eggs are dehydrated and cryoprotectants are added to prevent ice crystal formation. They are then flash-frozen at ultra-fast speeds in liquid nitrogen. This “glass-like” state preserves the egg’s cellular integrity far more effectively than older, slow-freezing methods.

Phase 6: Storage & Future Use

• Cryogenic Storage: Your vitrified eggs are stored in secure, labeled tanks filled with liquid nitrogen at -196°C. At this temperature, all biological activity ceases, and eggs can be stored safely for many years.
• Future Thawing & Fertilization: When you are ready to use your eggs, they will be carefully thawed. The survival rate for vitrified eggs is exceptionally high. The viable eggs will then be fertilized with sperm via Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI), where a single sperm is injected directly into each egg, to create embryos for transfer.