Do you need to freeze the fertilized egg, or can unfertilized eggs also be frozen?
Also, if you freeze eggs in your early 30's could you be more fertile through a later age with your own eggs?
Also, if you freeze eggs in your early 30's could you be more fertile through a later age with your own eggs?
July 11, 2007
The most notorious age is around 37, the more bleak age is 43. It is unbelievable even for me as a doc, how quickly I see pregnancy rates drop of after these age, practically on a year by year basis according to age. IVF using one's own eggs becomes difficult and all REs pull out all the stops, especially in women in their early 40s who have lost a lot of fertility potential; pregnancy rates are substantially diminished. Although we along with other REs do have live births in women who are 43 or 44, these are the exceptions...most births that occur to women in this age bracket already are through IVF with egg donation.
That is correct, and something many do not want to admit to society about fertility after their early forties...hence you see these movie stars, singers, friends who state they used their own eggs...when in reality, they most likely all used eggs from a donor who was younger. This gives many the false impression that one's own fertility can be easily extended into the perimenoupause or early menopausal years.
Women in their early 30's should have a reasonable chance of attaining a pregnancy, assuming they have a normal FSH and antral follicle counts. Sometimes though, endometriosis and/or other unexplained factors can diminish the fertility potential in a few in this age group. We REs have all had a patient in this age group fail one or two IVF cycles, yet the prognosis remains good. Further evaluation from both the male and female should be considered by your RE if this is the case to maximize the chance of someone in this age group to come out with a successful pregnancy.