Embryo freezing uses in vitro fertilization to create embryos and vitrification to freeze them for future use. It is a technique to preserve fertility when eggs are younger for a future pregnancy.
EGG VS EMBRYO
The PROCESS
This process requires coordination with a partner (or sperm donor) and looks something like this:
(30–45 minutes)
A simple blood test of your anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH) and a transvaginal provide our doctors with an understanding of your fertility.
(Up to 1 hour)
In a 1x1 meeting with one of our doctors, we discuss your medical history and the results of your fertility assessment, and review the science, the process, and personalized expectations of embryo freezing, including recommendations for pre-screening for partner (male checklist, infectious diseases) and genetic screening for the couple.
(Up to 2 hours)
When you’re ready to move forward, we will teach you everything you need to know for a successful cycle, including how to administer prescribed hormone injections.
(8–12 days)
You will administer daily hormone injections to stimulate the ovaries. We monitor your progress approximately every other day in short, 20–30-minute visits.
During a 15-minute surgical procedure, your doctor will remove follicular fluid, containing eggs, from your ovaries. You’ll be under mild sedation, so it won’t hurt. It’s done by needle through your vaginal wall—no cuts or stitches. Most people return to work the next day. The sperm from the male patient or a sperm donor is prepared through a process called “sperm washing” which isolates healthy sperm from the remainder of the seminal fluid in order to improve chances of fertilization.
Eggs are fertilized to create one or more embryo(s). In some cases, the doctors may recommend a procedure called intracytoplasmic sperm injection (or ICSI) in which a single sperm is injected directly into the eggs. The embryos are then incubated in a specialized environment in the lab for 5–6 days, during which the embryologists monitor and support them to ensure they are developing properly.
Your embryos are frozen in liquid nitrogen in our lab by our team of experienced embryologists. Your embryos are stored on-site before being transferred to our secure storage facility. When you are ready to use these embryos, we will thaw and transfer them to your uterus.
Pricing
Ready to learn more about embryo freezing? Speak with one of our fertility advisors.
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