I'm ready to use my frozen eggs, now what?

Egg freezing is a whole journey on its own. The medications, the chat with the doctors, the surgery, and finally, you get to know that you’ve frozen a specific number of mature eggs. 

Years later, you accomplish your career goals, meet your special someone, or decide you’re finally ready to have kids (or a combination of all 3 🤭)

And when you’re ready to finally unfreeze your eggs, you may be thinking: How do I even go about this? What is the process? How do I use them?

So grab that coffee, as we explain the how-to and the process behind thawing and using your frozen eggs.

Where are frozen eggs stored?

Once your egg freezing process is done, your mature eggs are dipped into a cryo-protectant solution and stored in cryolocks or devices, in liquid nitrogen tanks.

Basically, the solution is to prevent any harm during the freezing process, the device is for them to comfortably hibernate, and liquid nitrogen is to maintain the temperature at which things are frozen at a cellular level. 

So when they are warmed, your eggs stay the same way they were when they were frozen.

Time-machine, much? 🕰️

How long can I store my eggs for?

With recent changes in UK legislation, you are now allowed to store your eggs for up to 55 years. However, you will be required to renew your consent every 10 years. The cost of egg storage starts from £350, with some fertility clinics in London offering the first year free as well. Based on the clinic, this process requires initial consent and a fee for the first year or the second.

While this is the limit, the storage duration depends on your choices, as well as your finances and budget as egg storage comes with an annual cost attached.

How many eggs should I thaw?

Regardless of the number of eggs frozen, the number you want to thaw is completely up to you, and the discussion you have with your healthcare provider. If you have 10 eggs frozen, you might want to thaw 4 and leave the rest frozen for another fertility procedure in the future. 

If you do happen to get pregnant with your frozen eggs, or have a natural pregnancy, you can choose not to store the rest of the eggs, or use them for your chance at a second or third child. 

If you do not plan to use your remaining eggs, you can either discard them, donate them to others undergoing their treatment, or donate them for research and training. Your clinic can help you decide and take the necessary steps based on what you choose.

How to thaw frozen eggs?

To thaw your eggs, the first step would be to contact the clinic and let them know. The eggs will be thawed, and undergo a cycle of ICSI (Intra cytoplasmic sperm injection) to be fertilised with sperm.

Before undergoing a thawing cycle, you will require a consultation with your healthcare provider. This helps you decide how many eggs to thaw, decide on the sperm sample (either partner or donor sperm) and a treatment plan to prepare the inner lining of your uterus (the endometrium) to receive the fertilised egg or embryo. 

Here’s a breakdown of the process:

Stage 1: Treatment and monitoring for the thawing cycle

1. The medication protocol is to thicken the lining of the uterus (endometrium) to prepare for receiving the fertilised egg.
2. You may either be advised a natural cycle or a stimulated cycle for preparing your endometrium.
3. For stimulated cycles, you may receive different dosages of oestrogen and progesterone to support the growth of the inner lining and simultaneously prevent ovulation for that cycle. The most common protocols start medication from day 21 of the previous cycle or 7 days before the expected date of menstruation.
4. The growth of the endometrium is monitored until it reaches a thickness of 7-10mm. Once this ideal thickness is reached, the embryo transfer is planned.

Step 2: Thawing eggs at the laboratory

1. On the laboratory end, the thawing cycle starts with the embryologist taking the cryostorage device out of the liquid nitrogen tank and immersing the part of the device with the frozen eggs, into a warming solution.
2. These solutions are designed to cause minimal damage and bring the eggs back to the ideal temperature during the warming process. Post-warming, the eggs are collected and collectively put in a dish with supporting media.

Step 3: Fertilising the egg

1. When eggs are frozen, their outer layer known as the cumulus layer is stripped. This makes it more vulnerable to temperature and environmental changes.
2. Since eggs are extremely sensitive, once warmed, fertilisation must occur via ICSI in the next couple of hours.
3. The sperm sample can either be of a partner or a donor. 
4. The next step is for the embryologist to prepare all the dishes and the media required for the fertilisation step, which is ICSI (intracytoplasmic sperm injection)
5. This is when sperm is injected into the mature egg and fertilisation is checked for.
6. If fertilisation and further growth occurs, the fertilised egg develops into an embryo which can be grown and maintained in the lab for about 5 to 7 days.
7. Once the embryo reaches the blastocyst stage (day 5-7) is when the embryo transfer occurs.

Step 4: Transferring the fertilised egg

1. The embryo transfer process is a short and often painless one. However, you might also be offered the option of anaesthesia during the process.
2. The embryologist uses a device called the catheter to load the embryo with supporting media
3. You may be advised to fill your bladder before the procedure to help your gynaecologist visualise your uterus better
4. The catheter is soft, flexible and inserted by the gynaecologist into the cervix and uterus, where the embryos are released near the fundus of the uterus, so as to allow the embryos to settle in and implant (and possibly, make this their home for the next nine months 🏠)

What do egg-freezing success rates look like?

When you are using your frozen eggs, the most common way to calculate the success rate is to look at the live birth rate. This is given by the number of life, birth or babies carried to full term divided by the number of eggs frozen. 

While the life birth rate is influenced by factors, such as age, response to ovarian stimulation, medical history, health conditions, lifestyle etc, freezing success rates have been improving over the last few years. 

In terms of age, women below 35 years of age would need around 15 eggs for an 80% chance at a live birth rate or a successful pregnancy. And as per the table, the statistics reduce for women older than 35 and 40. 

Of all the metrics, age is the most important factor that affects success rates. Interestingly, the age at which you freeze your eggs matters more than the age at which you use them.

Nerd it out 🥸: Read all about egg freezing success rates or check out our egg-freezing calculator

How Amilis can guide you on your egg-freezing journey

After reading up on how to use your frozen eggs, the egg-freezing cycle just seems like part one of a movie 🍿 

Using your frozen eggs is a whole other cycle of its own. But it’s important to remember that at the end, it’s still your choice.

And by choice, we mean, you can end up using your frozen eggs for fertility treatments, or even choose not to, by discarding or donating it to other couples or for research. 

Regardless of your choice, we at Amilis are here to support you on your journey. 

We provide you free 1-1 consultations, a personalised quiz, and all egg freezing resources on a single platform so you’re informed and confident about your reproductive health and choices. 

Coupled with our fertility clinic comparator, you'll be able to choose the right clinic for your egg-freezing journey, from vetted, egg-freezing clinics across the UK.

We hope to make this journey informed, supportive and easy to navigate, at every step.

You’ve got this🤞🏻