Since early times, women have been reminded that “fertility has an age limit.” The older a woman is, the less chance she has of conceiving and the higher the risk of complications in pregnancy and fetus. Even though assisted reproductive technology continues to advance technologically, there is still no way to reverse the decline and loss of fertility in women as they age. In this regard, TMC Fertility Center Medical Director and Consultant Obstetrician, Gynecologist, and Fertility Specialist, Dr. Lee Chi Man, said that each woman could only produce a certain number of ovum during her lifetime, so ovum will become fewer and fewer as she ages, and the quality will also decline. “There is still no technology to increase a woman’s number of an ovum. We can only save the healthy ovum while we still have it.”
A few years ago, Paris Hilton, an American socialite, had an operation to freeze her eggs. In an interview, she said, “I think every woman should do it [ovum freezing] because then you can really control yourself and not get married until you’re old enough.” Lee emphasized that just because you can freeze your ovum for up to 10 years doesn’t mean you can keep getting pregnant forever. Ovum is only one part of a successful pregnancy. The health of a woman’s uterus is also essential. “An aging uterus can also make it hard to get pregnant or cause a miscarriage.” And there are still higher health risks with later pregnancies at an older age. For example, women with high blood pressure or diabetes are more likely to need an early C-section, and babies born too early are more likely to have health problems. “If you ask me, I would still tell women not to be afraid to get married or have children if they already have a stable partner,” she said.
He said there is no best age to freeze ovum, but the younger the period, the more ovum can be collected and the better the quality will be.
“We can get a good idea of how many eggs a woman has, but we can’t tell when she will stop having her period,” he said that the more AMH there is, the more eggs are available. The more eggs can be gotten from each ovulation stimulation. But the AMH value still needs to be looked at with age. Even if your AMH is low, you still have a chance of getting pregnant if you are under 35 and still young. But if you are over 35, your chances of getting pregnant are low.
Ovum Freezing FAQs
First, can any woman benefit from ovum freezing?
Every woman can benefit from ovum freezing.
Regarding ovum freezing in China, which types of women are most in demand?
As with any medical procedure, the doctor will inquire about the goals and intentions behind ovum freezing.
To increase the number of mature oocytes, ovulation can be induced with injections or pills, and the development of the follicles can be tracked via ultrasound and blood tests.
Ovulation freezing: Once the follicles have matured, an ovum retrieval needle punctures the vaginal wall and extracts the follicular fluid from the ovaries. This procedure is typically performed under general intravenous anesthesia. The retrieved ovum is flash-frozen in liquid nitrogen at -196°C in a collection tube.
What are the potential drawbacks of ovum freezing?
Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome is one of the potential risks associated with ovum freezing, as with any medical procedure (OHSS). That’s what happens when your ovaries get bloated from all the hormones you’ve been taking to encourage their growth. Mild to severe abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting are some symptoms.
After being frozen, how long do eggs keep?
Even though the uterus ages more slowly than the ovaries, there are still significant health risks associated with late pregnancy. For example, women with hypertension or diabetes have a higher risk of having a cesarean section, and infants born too early are more likely to have congenital disabilities.
To what extent does thawing frozen ova result in a higher rate of live births?
After thawing frozen ova, the live birth rate is nearly 95 percent. Like IVF, embryos must be fertilized in vitro and reintroduced to the uterus after the ovum has been thawed; however, in IVF, typically performed with fresh ova, the ovum is fertilized in vitro and then reintroduced to the uterus.
Is there a risk to the baby’s health from being frozen?
Numerous studies, including a poll of roughly 900 newborns, have concluded that there is no discernible distinction between children conceived traditionally and those created using frozen ovum.
