Egg Freezing Near Freehold, NJ | Damien Fertility Partners
In 2023, approximately 39,000 egg freezing cycles were started at member clinics of the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology (SART), and nearly half (46%) were started by patients under 35. Most patients who freeze eggs do so before any fertility problem has been diagnosed.
For patients in Freehold, the practical questions come first. A cycle involves roughly two weeks of treatment and several early-morning monitoring visits, so your clinic’s location and schedule matter as much as the protocol.
Damien Fertility Partners has provided fertility care in Monmouth County since 1989, when we began as East Coast IVF, the first successful IVF program in Monmouth and Ocean County. Our Shrewsbury office is approximately 30 minutes from Freehold and houses our on-site embryology lab. The lab is accredited by the College of American Pathologists (CAP), the FDA, and the NJ State Department of Health, with zero deficiencies.
Request a consultation, or begin with a virtual consultation with Dr. Barry Perlman.
Egg Freezing for Freehold Patients at Our Shrewsbury Office
Getting to Shrewsbury From Freehold
Our Shrewsbury office at 655 Shrewsbury Avenue is approximately 18 to 20 miles from Freehold Borough, a drive of roughly 30 minutes east on County Route 537. We see patients from Freehold, Manalapan, Marlboro, Howell, Englishtown, and Colts Neck.
Planning Visits Around Work
A cycle typically requires four to six monitoring visits, mostly in the second week of stimulation. The office opens at 7:00 a.m. on weekdays, so most patients reach work by mid-morning.
Your initial consultation can be virtual, and injections are given at home. Our patient education resources include video injection lessons you can review in advance.
Retrieval and Freezing Under One Roof
Eggs move directly from the procedure room to our embryology lab. If you return to use them, the same lab thaws and fertilizes them.
We also see patients in Newark (Essex County) and Jersey City (Hudson County), with Spanish-speaking providers at all three offices.
A Two-Week Egg Freezing Timeline
Egg freezing (oocyte cryopreservation) follows the first half of an IVF cycle, but the eggs are frozen instead of fertilized.
Before Day One
Your cycle is planned after a fertility evaluation that includes bloodwork and a transvaginal ultrasound. Stimulation usually begins at the start of a menstrual cycle.
Stimulation and Monitoring
You take injectable medications at home for approximately 8 to 14 days to grow multiple follicles at once. Monitoring visits occur every one to three days. A second medication, a GnRH antagonist, is usually added to prevent early ovulation.
Trigger and Retrieval
When follicles reach the target size, a trigger injection completes egg maturation. Retrieval follows approximately 36 hours later under sedation, so you will need a driver home.
Our embryology team freezes the mature eggs (MII oocytes) by vitrification, a rapid-freezing method that prevents ice crystals from forming.
Recovery
Most patients return to normal activity within a day or two, with mild bloating for several days.
Ovarian Reserve Testing Before Your Cycle
Anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) bloodwork and an antral follicle count (AFC) estimate ovarian reserve. The American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) defines ovarian reserve as the number of eggs remaining in the ovaries.
AMH Predictions
ASRM finds that AMH and AFC are good predictors of egg yield but poor independent predictors of reproductive potential. Your physician uses them to set your medication dose and estimate how many eggs one cycle may produce. AMH may read lower in patients taking hormonal birth control.
The Significance of Age
A low AMH does not rule out egg freezing. ASRM advises using low values for counseling, not to refuse treatment. It also states that age is a much stronger predictor of reproductive success than ovarian reserve.
Setting an Individual Egg Freezing Target
There is no universally recommended number of eggs to freeze. The right target depends on your age, ovarian reserve, and how many children you hope to have.
Research Findings and Evidence
ASRM’s 2021 practice guideline finds insufficient evidence to set an exact egg count needed for a live birth after planned freezing.
A 2024 systematic review and meta-regression in Human Reproduction Update pooled data on 8,750 women who froze eggs for planned reasons. Among those who returned to thaw their eggs, the live birth rate was 52% for patients who froze at 35 or younger and 19% for those who froze at 40 or older.
Twenty mature eggs is often cited as a target. That figure comes from a large cohort summarized in Reproductive BioMedicine Online, which found a 70% cumulative live birth rate among patients under 38 who froze at least 20. It is a benchmark, not a universal recommendation.
Family Size and Multiple Cycles
Patients hoping for more than one child generally need more eggs. Reaching a higher target may require additional cycles, each adding medication, time, and cost.
Your physician combines these factors into an individualized plan. If frozen eggs do not result in a pregnancy, donor egg IVF remains an option.
National Egg Freezing Data by Age
According to SART’s 2023 national outcome tables, member clinics initiated 18,070 egg freezing cycles in patients under 35 and 11,939 in patients aged 35 to 37. Roughly three in four cycles were started before age 38.
Cancellation before retrieval rose with age, from 3.1% in patients under 35 to 12.3% in patients over 42. Cancellation usually means the ovaries did not respond enough to justify retrieval.
Safety, Side Effects, and Recovery
Egg freezing is a low-risk procedure, and its main risks come from stimulation.
Common Side Effects
Bloating, breast tenderness, mild pelvic discomfort, and injection-site bruising are common. These usually resolve within days of retrieval.
Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome
Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) is an exaggerated response to stimulation medications. ASRM reports the risk of severe OHSS at approximately 1% to 2% per retrieval cycle.
ASRM’s 2023 OHSS prevention guideline finds strong evidence that a GnRH agonist trigger reduces this risk. Because egg freezing involves no fresh transfer, that approach is often available to higher-risk patients.
Procedure Risks
ASRM’s committee opinion on repeated egg donation reviews the same stimulation and retrieval process. It estimates acute retrieval complications at under 0.5%. It also notes that the data do not show a significant increase in future cancer risk.
Egg Freezing and Embryo Freezing Compared
Freezing Eggs
Eggs are frozen unfertilized, so no decision about a sperm source is needed until you return. This is the standard option for patients without a partner.
Freezing Embryos
Eggs are fertilized with partner or donor sperm before freezing. This shows in advance how many eggs are fertilized. It also allows preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidy (PGT-A); see our physicians’ guide to PGT-A and who may benefit.
Embryos develop in our time-lapse incubators monitored by CHLOE by Fairtility, an AI system that tracks growth without disturbing the culture environment.
We support single patients and LGBTQ+ families, and place no BMI-based limitations on care.
Insurance and Cost for Monmouth County Patients
New Jersey Coverage Rules
New Jersey’s mandate covers egg freezing only when a medically necessary treatment, such as chemotherapy, may cause infertility. Egg storage is excluded, according to ASRM’s summary of New Jersey law.
Planned egg freezing is generally not covered, and self-funded employer plans are usually exempt. Our bilingual Insurance Verification Specialist confirms your benefits; see our insurance and financial resources page.
Cost and Financing
Cost depends on medication dose, the number of cycles, and storage time.
CapexMD financing offers pre-approval within 24 hours, with loans from $3,000 to $50,000.
Physicians Who Manage Your Cycle
Board-Certified Specialists
Both of our reproductive endocrinologists hold ABOG board certification in reproductive endocrinology and infertility.
Dr. Miguel Damien has been named a Castle Connolly Top Doctor six times (2005, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2017, 2018) and is fluent in Spanish. Dr. Barry Perlman completed his REI fellowship at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School and focuses on elective egg freezing and ovarian aging.
One Physician Throughout
The physician who reviews your AMH also adjusts your doses and performs your retrieval.
In 2023, we reported an 81.8% live-birth rate per new IVF patient under 35, according to SART data. That is an IVF figure, not a frozen-egg outcome. Clinic comparisons should be made with caution; see our success rates.
Frequently Asked Questions
How far is the nearest egg freezing clinic from Freehold, NJ?
Our Shrewsbury office is approximately 30 minutes from Freehold via County Route 537, with retrieval and freezing on-site.
How many eggs should I freeze?
There is no universal number. ASRM finds insufficient evidence to set an exact target. Your physician will build a plan based on your age, ovarian reserve, and family-size goals.
Is egg freezing safe?
Yes, it is low-risk. ASRM estimates severe OHSS at approximately 1% to 2% per cycle and acute retrieval complications at under 0.5%.
Should I freeze my eggs or embryos?
Egg freezing keeps the sperm-source decision open. Embryo freezing shows fertilization results in advance and allows genetic testing.
Does a low AMH mean I can’t freeze my eggs?
No. A low AMH predicts a smaller yield, but ASRM advises it not be used to refuse treatment.
Does New Jersey insurance cover egg freezing?
Only when a medically necessary treatment may cause infertility, and storage is excluded. See our insurance and financial resources page.
Egg Freezing Consultations for Freehold and Western Monmouth County
We provide egg freezing at three offices: Shrewsbury (Monmouth County), Newark (Essex County), and Jersey City (Hudson County). For Freehold-area patients, our Shrewsbury office handles monitoring, retrieval, and freezing in one place.
Dr. Damien and Dr. Perlman manage each cycle personally, and virtual consultations are available with Dr. Perlman. Spanish-language information is on our fertility preservation page in Spanish.
Request a consultation with Dr. Damien or Dr. Perlman to plan the next step in your fertility journey.