IVF
Everything You Need to Know About Having a Baby With Your Frozen Eggs (If and When You're Ready)
Everything You Need to Know About Having a Baby With Your Frozen Eggs (If and When You're Ready)
In recent years, freezing eggs has become an increasingly popular option for those who want to delay having children and keep their options open. Whether it's to focus on their career, to wait for the right partner, or for medical reasons, egg freezing can give you more control over their reproductive futures. But what happens when the time comes to use those frozen eggs? In this article, we'll explore everything you need to know about having a baby with your frozen eggs, if and when you're ready.
Using your frozen eggs down the line
Before we dive into using frozen eggs, let's first review how egg freezing works. The process, called oocyte cryopreservation, involves harvesting your eggs and freezing them for later use. This is typically done through a process called controlled ovarian hyperstimulation, which involves taking medication to stimulate the ovaries to produce multiple eggs. The eggs are then harvested through a minor surgical procedure and frozen using a process called vitrification.
As part of our Split program, where you can freeze your eggs for free when you donate half of the eggs retrieved to another family that can’t conceive, our members get 10 years of frozen egg storage included for free. When the time comes to use those frozen eggs to have a baby, the process is called in vitro fertilization (IVF). IVF involves thawing your frozen eggs, fertilizing them with sperm in a laboratory, growing the embryos, and then transferring the resulting embryos to the uterus.
Here are the steps involved in using frozen eggs to have a baby:
- Thawing the eggs: The frozen eggs are carefully thawed in a laboratory to ensure their survival.
- Fertilization: Once the eggs are thawed, they are fertilized with sperm in a laboratory. This can be done using either conventional IVF or intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI).
- Embryo culture: The fertilized eggs, or embryos, are then cultured in a laboratory for several days to allow them to develop.
- Embryo transfer: Once the embryos have developed, one or more are transferred to the uterus using a thin catheter. Any remaining embryos can be frozen for later use.
Choosing a fertility clinic
You do not have to use the same clinic you used to freeze your eggs to then fertilize those eggs and transfer the embryos. Some people choose to switch clinics because they moved or because they found a doctor they like better elsewhere. If you’re looking for a new clinic, you will want to review the clinic's success rates. The success rates can be found through the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology (SART) website. Be sure to compare the success rates of the clinic to national averages. You can also look up the clinic’s reviews online, or ask friends for suggestions.
One thing to keep in mind when switching clinics is that different clinics may have different protocols and procedures for thawing and using frozen eggs. This is usually not a problem, but it will be important for your new clinic to know how your eggs were frozen.
Ultimately, the decision to use the same clinic or transport your eggs to another clinic is a personal one that should be made based on your individual needs and preferences.
Getting your eggs out of storage
If you’re staying at the same clinic, many clinics choose to store eggs in a long-term storage facility versus at the clinic itself. If that’s the case, the clinic is usually responsible for transporting the eggs back to the clinic and laboratory to create embryos.
If you’re moving clinics, you’ll likely need to coordinate getting your eggs out of long-term storage. Transporting frozen eggs is relatively straightforward and there are several carrier options you can use to safely get your eggs out of storage. If you worked with Cofertility to freeze your eggs, we can help put you in touch with the storage facility to coordinate moving the eggs to a clinic of your choice.
So how much will it cost for me to unfreeze my eggs?
The cost of using frozen eggs to have a baby can vary depending on several factors, including the location of the fertility clinic, the number of cycles needed to achieve a successful pregnancy, and whether you have any underlying medical conditions that could affect the process.
Here are some expenses you can expect when thawing your eggs:
- Egg thawing and fertilization
- Genetic testing (optional)
- Medication if necessary
- Embryo transfer
In total, this can range from $3,000-$10,000 totally depending on the clinic and the medication you may require pre-transfer. It’s best to reach out to clinics you are interested in to get real pricing.
Success rates with frozen eggs
The success rates of using frozen eggs to have a baby can vary depending on several factors, including your age at the time the eggs were frozen, the quality of the eggs, and the number of embryos transferred. Generally, the younger you were when freezing your eggs, the higher the chances of success.
Studies show that for a woman under age 35, nine eggs give you a 70% chance of at least one child. As medicine and technology advances, we hope to see this number increase even further!
Summing it up
Egg freezing provides the flexibility and peace of mind that comes with knowing your eggs are safely stored and available for future use while you live your best life. You may not even need those eggs to get pregnant down the line; but if you do, you’ll be so glad you froze them.
Freeze your eggs with Cofertility
Cofertility is a human-first, tech-enabled fertility ecosystem that provides people agency over if, how, and when they have babies — today or someday. We have two programs for egg freezers:
- Our Split program offers women a chance to freeze their eggs for free when donating half of the eggs retrieved to a family who cannot otherwise conceive. If you qualify for the program and decide to donate half of your retrieved eggs, every expense associated with the egg freezing procedure — medications, supplements, travel if necessary, insurance, and 10 years of storage — are completely free of charge. We don’t even need a payment or credit card up front, as the family you match with covers all the expenses.
- Our self-pay Keep program allows women to freeze their eggs and keep them all for their future use. Through Keep, we offer our members partnerships and discounts to lighten the financial load of egg freezing, as well as access to our member community.
The benefits of working with Cofertility include:
- Power of choice: Freeze your eggs more affordably or, if you qualify, freeze for free when you give half to a family who can’t otherwise conceive.
- Community: Our inclusive online spaces allow you to connect with others going through the process in our private online community.
- Compassion: We’ll always treat you with care, and our Split program gives you the opportunity to make someone’s family building dreams a reality.
- Data-driven: We provide you with trustworthy guidance and evidence-based research so you can make informed decisions about your fertility.
- Free egg freezing: Freeze and store your eggs for 10 years, entirely for free if you qualify for our Split program.
Ready to learn about more affordable (even free!) egg freezing with Cofertility? Fill out this quick quiz to learn about our accessible egg freezing options and see if you qualify for our programs — it only takes one minute.
Egg Freezing for Lesbian Women: What You Need to Know
In this article, we’ll provide a comprehensive overview of egg freezing, discussing its benefits, fertility options, and the process of in vitro fertilization (IVF) specifically for lesbian couples.
In recent years, advancements in reproductive medicine have provided more options for LGBTQ+ individuals and couples who desire to have children. Egg freezing has become an increasingly popular opportunity to help people preserve their fertility and plan for future family-building.
In this article, we’ll provide a comprehensive overview of egg freezing, discussing its benefits, fertility options, and the process of in vitro fertilization (IVF) specifically for lesbian couples.
Egg freezing
Egg freezing, also known as oocyte cryopreservation, is the process of extracting and freezing eggs for later use. It offers several advantages, including:
- Increasing chances of a healthy pregnancy and baby down the line. By freezing your eggs at a younger age when egg quantity and quality is higher, lesbian women can preserve their chances of conceiving in the future, even if you are not ready to start a family at present.
- Relationship timing. Egg freezing allows you to better synchronize your desire for children with relationship, career, or personal goals in the meantime.
- Transitioning. The World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH) and Endocrine Society both recommend that all transgender patients be counseled on options for fertility preservation (egg freezing) prior to transition. The American Society of Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) also put out a statement that providers should offer fertility preservation counseling to individuals before gender transition.
Ultimately, egg freezing gives you more options down the line, especially if you plan to do reciprocal IVF (more on that below).
How much does it cost to freeze your eggs?
This is always a difficult question to answer, because it depends! It depends on the clinic you’re going to, where you are located, the medications you are prescribed (it differs based on your age and body), and where/how long you store the eggs. Average egg freezing cycle costs range from $10,000 - $20,000 for consultations, testing, ultrasounds, medications, and the egg retrieval, plus the ongoing cost of annual storage.
But, there are ways to make egg freezing more affordable. Here are a few options to consider when paying for egg freezing:
- Insurance coverage: A minority of insurance plans may cover a portion of the cost of egg freezing and/or medications. It's always best to check with your insurance provider to see if they cover the procedure, and if so, what the specific coverage details are.
- Employer-provided benefits: Some employers offer coverage for egg freezing as a benefit to their employees. Check with your handbook or HR department to see if this is an option for you.
- Financing options: At Cofertility, we partnered with lenders to offer you fertility financial resources and support
- Donate half your retrieved eggs: Our Freeze by Co Split program allows you to freeze and store your eggs for free for 10 years, when you give half to a family who can't otherwise conceive.
To see if you're eligible for our Split program, take our quiz to tell us more about yourself.
Why do people freeze their eggs?
So we’ve covered the “what”, now it’s time for the “why”. Like I mentioned earlier, egg freezing is a way to keep your reproductive options open for later by preserving younger, healthier eggs for future use. Our team spends hours each week chatting one-on-one with our members and almost everyone says the same things:
- “I’m going back to school and focusing on my career right now.”
- “I want to travel more first.”
- “I haven’t found my ‘person’ yet, and don’t want to feel rushed to settle down just based on my biology.”
- “I’m not even sure if I want to have kids or not, so I want to keep my options open.”
Seeing a pattern here? Nearly everyone who works with us knows that even if right now is the best time biologically to have children, it’s just not something they’re ready for yet. While you’ll never find us referring to freezing your eggs as an “insurance policy,” it does allow optionality for owning your future fertility by being proactive and giving yourself choices later in life.
Fertility options for lesbian couples
Whether you are single or coupled, or if you want kids or down the line, it’s important to know what fertility care options are available to cis-gendered lesbian couples when it’s time to have kids:
- Donor sperm insemination: This method involves inseminating one partner with donor sperm, either at home or via intrauterine insemination (IUI) at a fertility clinic. The chances of IUI working is 5-15% per cycle.
- In vitro fertilization (IVF): IVF is a popular option for lesbian couples. One partner's eggs are retrieved and fertilized with donor sperm in a laboratory setting. The resulting embryos are then transferred into the other partner's uterus for pregnancy in what is called Reciprocal IVF. The chances of IVF working is 30-50% per cycle.
If you choose to go the IVF route, the chances of success depend greatly on the quality of the eggs. As females age, their egg quality and quantity decreases, which can lead to lower rates of successful fertilization, implantation, and live births.
In fact, your age when the eggs are retrieved is far more correlated to IVF success than the age you are when carrying the pregnancy.
What is reciprocal IVF?
Reciprocal IVF, sometimes known as shared motherhood, is a form of IVF specifically designed for lesbian couples (and for some couples where at least one partner is transgender or nonbinary).
Here's how it works: one partner undergoes ovarian stimulation and egg retrieval. The resulting eggs are then fertilized with sperm and transferred to the other partner's uterus for pregnancy.
Since one partner's egg is used and the other partner carries the pregnancy, each partner gets to play a role. This could help both partners feel super involved in the pregnancy and connected to the baby.
How is IVF done for lesbian couples?
IVF for lesbian couples (aka reciprocal IVF) involves several steps:
- Ovarian stimulation. The partner who will provide the eggs undergoes ovarian stimulation, which involves the administration of fertility medications to stimulate the development of multiple eggs.
- Egg retrieval. Once the eggs are mature, they are retrieved from the ovaries using a minimally invasive procedure called transvaginal ultrasound-guided follicle aspiration. The eggs are then either frozen for future use, or fertilized to make embryos.
- Fertilization. The eggs are then fertilized with donor sperm in a laboratory setting. This can be done using standard IVF or intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), depending on the specific circumstances.
- Genetic testing. Many couples opt to have the embryos genetically tested. This can help rule out embryos that are chromosomally abnormal. Preimplantation genetic screening (PGT) can also tell you the sex of the embryo.
- Embryo transfer: Finally, one or more embryos are transferred into the uterus of the other partner, with the goal of achieving pregnancy.
Egg freezing is simply doing the first two (or even three and four) steps in advance, and waiting to transfer any embryos until you are ready. By retrieving eggs at a younger age, you increase the chances of IVF success.
Freeze your eggs with Cofertility
We’d love the opportunity to support you on your egg freezing journey.
Through our Split program, qualified freezers can freeze their eggs for free when donating half of the eggs retrieved to a family who can’t otherwise conceive.
Through our Keep program — where you keep 100% of eggs retrieved for your own future use — we offer exclusive discounts on expenses, such as frozen egg storage. Keep members also still gain free access to our Freeze by Co Community, a safe space for those engaging in the egg freezing process (or gearing up for it) to connect and lean on each other.
By making egg freezing easier and more accessible, our programs further strengthen the American Society of Reproductive Medicine (ASRM)’s Committee Opinion that egg freezing can help promote social justice and strengthen gender equality.
The bottom line
Egg freezing can provide cis-gendered lesbian women with the opportunity to preserve their fertility and plan for future family-building. With advancements in reproductive medicine, various fertility options, including IVF and reciprocal IVF, are available to lesbian couples. By knowing your options, you can make an informed decision about your reproductive journey and take steps to fulfill your dreams of having a family… some day!
Commonly asked questions
Should I freeze my eggs if I'm not sure I want children yet?
If you are not sure about wanting children in the near future, but still want to preserve the option, freezing your eggs can be a good idea. Egg freezing allows you to preserve your eggs at a younger age when the quality and quantity are typically better. By freezing your eggs, you give yourself the flexibility to delay parenthood while increasing the likelihood of having biological children later in life.
How much does it cost to freeze your eggs?
This is always a difficult question to answer, because it depends! It depends on the clinic you’re going to, where you are located, the medications you are prescribed (it differs based on your age and body), and where/how long you store the eggs. Average egg freezing cycle costs range from $10,000 - $20,000 for consultations, testing, ultrasounds, medications, and the egg retrieval, plus the ongoing cost of annual storage.
Can two women's eggs make a baby?
While today two human eggs cannot directly create a baby, two cis-gendered women can both contribute to the process of family-building process. One woman's eggs can be fertilized using donor sperm, and the resulting embryos can be transferred into the uterus of the other woman, who carries the pregnancy.
Can a woman carry another woman's egg?
Absolutely! In IVF, fertilization of eggs is separated from implantation. That means you can retrieve and fertilize eggs from one person, then turn them into embryos and have them transferred to the uterus of someone else. When someone can’t carry a pregnancy for medical reasons, this process is called gestational surrogacy. When one partner is carrying an embryo made with their partner’s sperm, it’s called reciprocal IVF.
How can a same sex female couple have a baby?
A same-sex female couple can have a baby through assisted reproductive techniques such as donor sperm insemination, in vitro fertilization (IVF), or reciprocal IVF. These options allow for one or both partners to have a biological connection to the child.
Can two females have a baby without sperm?
No. Sperm is necessary for fertilizing an egg and initiating the process of conception. However, same-sex female couples can explore options such as donor sperm insemination, IVF, or reciprocal IVF to achieve pregnancy and have a child together.
Can a lesbian couple have a baby without IVF?
Yes, a lesbian couple can have a baby without IVF. They can choose donor sperm insemination, where one partner undergoes artificial insemination using donor sperm, or explore options such as fostering or adoption to build their family.
I'm Interested in Donating My Eggs: Will I Be Anonymous?
Anonymity is often a primary question for potential donors as they may believe that anonymity to be a way to protect themselves from the emotional complexity that is egg donation. They may believe that by remaining anonymous they can avoid forming any type of relationship with the child or recipients thereby also potentially avoiding feelings of guilt, responsibility, or attachment. Or they may not want it to interfere with future relationships or their own family dynamics. While anonymity is no longer realistic, disclosed and undisclosed egg donation offers benefits and the chance for meaningful future connections.
Egg donation is a medical procedure where a woman donates her eggs to individuals or couples who are unable to have children using their own eggs. The egg donor undergoes a series of medical and psychological screenings and hormonal treatments to stimulate egg production. Once the eggs are mature, they are retrieved through a short surgical procedure done on an out-patient basis. The eggs are then fertilized with sperm (either from the intended father or sperm donor) and the resulting embryos are either transferred to the recipient's uterus (intended mother or gestational carrier) or frozen for later use.
Many times donors have seen first hand their own friends or family struggling with infertility. Witnessing this creates a desire to help and motivates them to donate their eggs. This act of giving can be deeply fulfilling on a personal level knowing that they are creating family trees or relationships (parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, etc.) that might otherwise have never existed.
Anonymity is often a primary question for potential donors as they may believe that anonymity to be a way to protect themselves from the emotional complexity that is egg donation. They may believe that by remaining anonymous they can avoid forming any type of relationship with the child or recipients thereby also potentially avoiding feelings of guilt, responsibility, or attachment. Or they may not want it to interfere with future relationships or their own family dynamics. While anonymity is no longer realistic, disclosed and undisclosed egg donation offers benefits and the chance for meaningful future connections.
Donor anonymity
The traditional concept of anonymous donation prioritizes privacy and confidentiality for donors, the intended parents, and any resulting children. In traditional anonymous donation, there is no exchange of identifying information between the egg donor and the intended parents. If there is contact, it is very limited and is facilitated by the fertility clinic or agency.
But in recent years, DNA testing services, like 23andMe, have had a profound impact on egg donor anonymity. The ability to uncover genetic connections through these tests undermines the anonymity promised in traditional egg donation arrangements. Even if donors and recipients agreed to anonymity, individuals who were conceived using donor eggs may take one of these tests and uncover genetic connections to relatives, including their egg donor.
In the past, when anonymity was promised in egg donation arrangements, it was often based on the understanding that the identities of both the donor and the recipient would remain confidential and undisclosed to each other. However, as mentioned above, with the increasing popularity of direct-to-consumer genetic testing services, maintaining complete anonymity in egg donation is basically impossible. If an egg donation agency or egg bank promises anonymity, be very weary. They are not able to guarantee it due to DNA testing.
There is an increasing trend towards greater openness in egg donation arrangements in many countries, with increasing recognition of the importance of providing donors and offspring with the option for contact. For example, the United Kingdom has a regulated system for egg donation overseen by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA). Donors are required to provide non-identifying information that may be shared with offspring at the age of 18.
Disclosed and undisclosed donation
At Cofertility, we offer donors and the families they match with two general types of relationships.
In a disclosed relationship, the egg donor and recipient exchange contact information and can communicate directly. So, both the donor and the recipients are aware of each other's identities. The scope and degree of communication (both during and post-match) is what both parties make of it. This can range from occasional updates to ongoing relationships and involvement in each other's lives.
In an undisclosed relationship, identifying information is not exchanged and communication is facilitated through Cofertility. With an undisclosed donation, the donor and the family can choose to allow the donor-conceived child to receive the donor’s contact information when they turn a certain age (usually 18). This is called Open ID, an increasingly popular option.
Benefits of non-anonymous donation
Non-anonymous donation offers a more personalized approach. It provides donors and intended parents the opportunity to establish meaningful relationships and make informed choices based on mutual understanding and respect. This openness can offer opportunities for building positive relationships and can enable donors and intended parents to provide emotional support to one another throughout the donation process. This support network can be valuable in navigating the emotional complexities and challenges associated with egg donation.
Considerations for potential egg donors
The level of desired openness in egg donation is a personal choice and can vary significantly from individual to individual. Some individuals may prioritize transparency and openness in all aspects of their lives, including reproductive choices, while others may prefer privacy and discretion. Some may feel comfortable with potential future contact whereas others do not. Both are completely acceptable.
Summing it up
The concept of egg donor anonymity has evolved over time, with increasing recognition about the benefits of disclosure in egg donation. Initially, anonymity was commonly practiced to protect the privacy of all involved. However, as attitudes towards third party reproduction in general have shifted and advancements in technology have made maintaining anonymity difficult, there has been a growing trend towards disclosure and openness in egg donation. Every donor needs to prioritize their own comfort and values while understanding the positive possibilities of connection. It's essential for individuals considering egg donation to be aware of the potential risks and limitations regarding anonymity and to carefully consider the implications before proceeding with the donation process.
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