What is egg freezing?
As women grow older, the quality and quantity of their eggs can decline; making it more difficult to have a baby with their own eggs.
Egg freezing is a treatment which offers women who may not be ready to start a family the option to freeze younger, healthier eggs for use in the future. The process involves stimulating the ovaries to mature eggs, so they are ready to be collected and then frozen in the laboratory using the latest technology called vitrification (fast freezing).
Chances of success from egg freezing are usually affected by the age at which you freeze your eggs. If you freeze your eggs before the age of 35, your success rate will be higher than if you freeze them later, as your eggs will typically be of a higher quality and quantity.
If you have any questions about egg freezing or how to start treatment please contact our experienced team who will be happy to help.
Egg freezing treatment is also available from as little as £65 per month with our payment plan options*.
For more details visit our payment plans page.
*What's included in your Egg Freezing package?
Our abc IVF egg freezing package is a comprehensive and affordable fertility package which includes:
- Treatment consultation
- Screening tests (Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C & HIV)
- Monitoring scans & blood tests (Oestradiol & Luteinizing Hormone)
- Ovarian stimulation and trigger medication
- Expert clinical advice
- Egg collection & sedation
- Follow up consultation
- 1 year storage
Frequently asked questions
How many egg freezing cycles could I need?
We are aiming to freeze 10 - 12 eggs per cycle and a patient may need more than one cycle to be confident they have an appropriate number of eggs stored.
If have irregular periods, is egg freezing still an option for me?
Yes, it is still an option. We will tailor the treatment for you. Sometimes we induce your period by giving you some progesterone tablets, and then you can begin your egg freezing cycle.
Can I fertilise my eggs and freeze the embryos?
Yes, you can. If you wish to fertilise them using donor then you will need to pay an additional charge of £1,300 for the donor sperm. If you wish to fertilise them with a partners sperm then you need to be aware of the laws around consent of both partners for using these embryos in the future. To freeze your embryos you will pay for an egg freezing cycle plus £495 to fertilise the eggs.
If you wish to freeze half of your eggs and fertilise half your eggs then you will also need to be additional freezing and storage for the fertilised eggs. This is £1,140 for freezing and 2 years of storage. Annual storage is £395 after that.
Egg freezing success rates
The success rates of egg freezing and thawing have increased, particularly following the development of vitrification technology.
Eggs frozen using vitrification can have a higher survival rate - up to 80% of frozen eggs can now survive thawing. This high survival rate can help increase the success of conceiving when using thawed eggs in the future. For women who freeze their eggs under the age of 35 the live birth success rate per embryo transferred can be up to 40% and for women who freeze their eggs in their late 30's or early 40's the success rates could be in single digits.
As with any fertility treatment, egg freezing success rates depend on a number of factors, including the age of the woman at the time of freezing. The optimum age to freeze your eggs is in your 20s or 30s, when egg quality and quantity tends to be best, resulting in higher chances of success. However, it is important to check your individualised success rates with your fertility consultant before making a decision.
For further information on egg freezing please visit the HFEA website.
*£65 payment plan is based on our Egg Freezing package with a 50% deposit, paid over 36 months with an interest rate of 9.9% APR fixed. Payment plans provided by third party humm financial services, eligibility criteria apply, application process required.
Egg freezing success
Figures from St Paul's clinic - January 2020 to December 2022
On the HFEA website, abc ivf London (satellite centre) success rates are included within the success rates of CREATE Fertility St Paul's (licensed centre). For more information please visit the HFEA website.