Fertility Preservation: Freezing Eggs vs Embryos

Which option is right for me?

Many patients these days are choosing to have children later in life for a variety of reasons! Fertility preservation involves freezing eggs or embryos to be used in the future. Our staff at Damien Fertility Partners are experts when it comes to fertility preservation. However, which option is best for you: freezing eggs vs embryos? Each option has its own advantages!

Whether freezing eggs or embryos, the process begins the same way. You will use self-administered injectable medications for 8-11 days to stimulate the ovaries to grow more mature eggs. Another injection called hCG is then used to complete the egg maturation and ovulation. You will then have a procedure called an egg (oocyte) retrieval 35-36 hours later.

Freezing Eggs:

This option is ideal for a single woman without a committed partner
Sperm is not required, as there is no fertilization involved
Allows woman to be proactive to protect their future fertility
Preserves the ability to fertilize the frozen eggs with the sperm of any future partner
This technique limits the ability to predict expected success per egg. Success can only be predicted by the patient’s age and hormonal testing.

Freezing Embryos:

This option is ideal for couples who wish to delay conception
Sperm is required to fertilize the eggs, which then become embryos
Same sex couples or single woman desiring to conceive with donor sperm can create embryos for future use
Having frozen embryos offers a more accurate ability to predict future success at conception. Embryos allow better evaluation for prediction of success per embryo than is available with eggs.
However, once embryos are created the sperm source cannot be changed.

Are you thinking about fertility preservation?

Call our office to make an appointment with one of our providers today!
732-758-6511 | hello@damienfertilitypartners.com

Want to learn more?
In depth—Fertility Preservation: Freezing Eggs vs. Embryos for the Future