FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

You are never too old to learn more about your fertility and the options you have in regards to it. As you age beyond 35 and especially beyond 40, the change of achieving a future pregnancy by freezing your eggs starts to decrease. However, this still may be your best option to start a family in the future. If you’re considering egg freezing, it is a topic that needs to be given the time and attention it deserves so you can receive personalised advice. It would be our pleasure at Prologue to provide this for you.

The whole point of egg freezing is to give yourself reproductive autonomy, options and opportunities in the future. In other words, you freeze your eggs not to necessarily use them but to have the OPTION of using them later in life and that is an opportunity that can not be matched in any other way. Many women with frozen eggs may go on to conceive naturally or decide they do not want children which are great outcomes for them. 

Due to modern science, your eggs can stay frozen indefinitely. At what age you can use them to carry a pregnancy that is safe for both you and the baby, is the most relevant consideration. For most women this is into their mid to late forties. In general egg freezing is a fantastic way of maximising your chances of extending your reproductive options.

In general, the medications used in an egg freeze cycle are very well tolerated. The most common symptom experienced by women during their treatment is a feeling of pelvic heaviness or bloating owing to the fact that the ovaries increase in size. Some women also notice a feeling of getting tired more easily and/or a difficulty in concentrating. Most women work right up to the day of egg collection and are able to return to work within 2 days after it. Due to advancement in medications, the condition known as ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome which characterised by swelling, shortness of breath and severe bloating, is extremely rare in an egg freeze cycle.

Freezing your eggs will only increase your chances of conceiving in the future. Whilst it is true that you are born with a finite number of eggs, the majority of these progressively deteriorate rather than ever having the chance of being released as part of natural ovulation. Therefore, collecting eggs as a part of an egg freeze cycle does not “steal them” from your future but rather gives eggs a chance of conceiving that they would not have otherwise had. 

No. The average age of menopause in Australia is 51 and egg freezing has no influence on when you will enter menopause.

In response to the medications used in an egg freeze cycle, your ovaries will increase in size. This can cause a feeling of pelvic heaviness and can often make a woman not feel like performing rigorous exercise. There is a very small chance that these bigger ovaries can twist on themselves, which is called ovarian torsion. Theoretically, intense exercise, especially that involves dynamic changes in body position, could increase this risk and is therefore not recommended during and immediately after an egg freeze cycle. However, more gentle exercise such as walking, swimming and resistance training are very much supported. 

Absolutely. For those women with a Mirena or other type of IUD in place, there is no need to have this removed prior or during an egg freeze cycle. Leaving it in place will in no way influence how your body responds to the medication used in an egg freeze cycle or decrease your chances of a great outcome. 

Absolutely not. At Prologue, our main aim is to work with you to share both our experience and resources to help you learn more about your fertility now, as well as how it will change over time. As part of this, we often discuss the options and opportunities that egg freezing may offer you. However, we encourage and support you in moving forward in a way that is aligned with your preferences and priorities. 

At Prologue, we pride ourselves on being transparent and available so that you are completely on top of any and every fee that is associated with getting your eggs in the freezer, as well as keeping them there. Understanding the total out of pocket cost of freezing your eggs can be complex and we have outlined things in detailed here.

At Prologue, we join you in wanting you to get the absolute best result possible from your egg freeze cycle. It is important to remember that just by freezing your eggs you are doing the one greatest thing available to maximise your chances of starting or adding to a family in the future. No lifestyle change will lead to a better opportunity than that offered by getting your eggs out and on ice! However, for those already committed to freezing their eggs and are wanting to focus on lifestyle changes in preparation for this, we need to keep things sensible and achievable. Stopping smoking or vaping (if you do it) is a very good place to start. Leading a balanced and active life will also have some general benefits as you prepare for what is involved in an egg freeze cycle. Supplements are rarely needed and evidence around them is conflicting but for those that are particularly keen, Co Q 10 may improve egg quality and is readily available and safe. 

It is important to remember that a major reason for freezing eggs is to have reproductive options and opportunities in the future. If you have frozen your eggs and get to a point where you are confident that your reproductive goals have been met, you have several options in relation to what you can do with your eggs. These will be discussed with you in detail at the time and all decisions will be documented so you are feeling informed and confident in your choice. You can have the lab dispose of your eggs, you can donate them to research or you can donate them to someone you know.