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What Is Egg Freezing and How Does It Work?

For many women, planning a family doesn’t always align with the traditional biological timeline. Whether you’re focusing on your career, haven’t met the right partner, or simply want to keep your options open for the future, egg freezing offers a way to take control of your fertility on your own terms.

At the Pacific Centre for Reproductive Medicine (PCRM), we believe knowledge is empowering. Here’s a closer look at what egg freezing is, how it works, and why more Canadians are choosing this option than ever before.

Understanding Egg Freezing

Egg freezing — also known as oocyte cryopreservation — is a process where your eggs are retrieved, frozen, and safely stored for future use. The goal is to preserve your fertility potential by freezing your eggs at a time when they are healthiest and most abundant.
When you’re ready to use them later, the eggs can be thawed, fertilized with sperm through ICSI, and transferred to your uterus, a partner’s uterus, or that of a gestational carrier to achieve pregnancy.

Why Women Choose to Freeze Their Eggs

Fertility naturally declines with age, particularly after 35, as both egg quantity and egg quality decrease. Egg freezing allows you to preserve eggs from your younger years, giving you the flexibility to pursue parenthood later in life when you’re ready.

Common reasons for considering egg freezing include:

• Personal or career timing: You may wish to delay parenthood while focusing on education, career, or personal goals.
• Medical reasons: Individuals undergoing cancer treatment, surgery, or other health conditions that may affect fertility can preserve eggs before treatment.
• Not yet partnered: Many people choose egg freezing to keep their family-building options open while waiting to find the right partner.
• Empowerment and peace of mind: For many, egg freezing offers emotional reassurance and a sense of control over their reproductive future.

The Egg Freezing Process

The egg freezing process typically takes two to three weeks from start to finish. At PCRM, your care team will guide you through each step with compassion, clarity, and personalized support.

1. Consultation and Testing
   Your journey begins with an initial consultation and fertility testing, which may include bloodwork to measure your Anti-Müllerian Hormone (AMH) level and an ultrasound to assess your ovarian reserve. These results help your doctor create a customized treatment plan.
2. Ovarian Stimulation
   You’ll take injectable fertility medications for about 10–12 days to encourage your ovaries to produce multiple mature eggs. During this time, your progress is closely monitored through ultrasound and hormone checks.
3. Egg Retrieval
   Once your eggs are ready, a minor procedure is performed under light sedation to retrieve them. The process usually takes about 20 minutes, and most patients return home the same day.
4. Freezing and Storage
   Your eggs are frozen using an advanced technique called vitrification, which rapidly cools the eggs to prevent ice crystal formation. This method ensures optimal survival rates when the eggs are thawed in the future.
   Your frozen eggs are safely stored in PCRM’s embryology lab until you’re ready to use them.

How Successful Is Egg Freezing?

Success rates depend on factors like age at the time of freezing and number of eggs retrieved. Generally, eggs frozen at a younger age (ideally under 35) are more likely to result in a healthy pregnancy later.

Your physician will review your specific circumstances and help you understand your likelihood of success based on your test results and overall health. If you wish to learn more about PCRM’s success rates, you can click here.

Your Egg Freezing Journey at PCRM

At PCRM, we combine advanced science with compassionate care. From your first consultation through every step of treatment, our team provides the education, guidance, and emotional support you need to make confident, informed decisions about your fertility.
We also offer flexible options, including travel credits for Vancouver Island patients, so accessing high-quality fertility care is as easy and comfortable as possible.

Take the First Step

If you’ve ever wondered whether egg freezing is right for you, start by booking a consultation with one of PCRM’s fertility specialists. We’ll review your unique situation, answer all your questions, and help you explore your options for preserving your fertility.

Your future is yours to plan, and we’re here to help you every step of the way.

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