Egg Freezing: Key To Delayed Parenthood!

Delayed parenthood is a term used to describe people who want to have their first child later than the conventional age of parenthood, which is in 30s.¹ Several couples may voluntarily choose to walk down this path; while, many couples also delay parenthood due to medical conditions that can affect fertility. Fortunately, medical science has made advancements providing women with options, such as egg freezing, to help them preserve fertility for later!

Let's explore how women or couples who are struggling with infertility can preserve their fertility for the future. But before we dive into that, let us first explain what egg freezing is.

What Is Egg Freezing?

Egg freezing is the process of extracting mature (unfertilized) oocytes from a woman's ovaries and freezing them for later use.² Furthermore, all retrieved eggs are cryopreserved via the vitrification process (technique of freezing oocytes in a few hours at the cryogenic temperature of -196° Celcius³).⁴ In addition, once cryopreserved, the eggs can be kept safely for over a decade and can be easily retrieved when the individual (or couple) thinks it's the perfect time to welcome a baby!⁵

Why Parents May Consider Delayed Parenthood?

In addition to the well-known health and fertility concerns, there are several other reasons why couples all over the world are delaying having children. Let's take a look at some medical as well as non-medical reasons given below:

Medical Reasons

• Genetic Conditions: When a person has a genetic problem, they are more likely to struggle with infertility. Moreover, since some genetic diseases increase the likelihood of passing on the genetic problems on to baby.^6,7 Couples may want to consider delayed parenthood until they undergo genetic testing or find a suitable alternative to conceive safely.
• Chronic Health Conditions: Life-long health conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and autoimmune conditions can potentially increase the risks related to infertility (in both the partners) and pregnancy. In such cases, delaying parenthood could allow couples more time to address these diseases and manage pregnancy & childbirth, accordingly.^{8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15}
• Cancer & Its Treatment: Cancers that invade reproductive organs in both men and women can have an effect on fertility.^16,17 Furthermore, cancer treatments such as chemotherapy, hormone therapy, radiation therapy, and surgery might result in infertility.^18,19 This may encourage couples to take their time and consider postponing parenting until the treatment is finished.

Other Reasons²⁰

• Career Commitments: Greater opportunities for women to pursue higher education and careers have led to a shift in the timeline for starting a family. Women now have more emphasis on education and career resulting in them choosing to have children later in life.
  Modern Family Approach: Couples may choose delayed parenthood due to financial reasons, with both partners working to support the household under the "nuclear family" model.
• Suitable Partner: Finding a compatible partner is a challenge for couples who want to start a family, leading to delayed parenthood as they take the time to ensure they find the right person.
• Financial Stability: Housing and economic uncertainty due to the rising economy also play a role in delaying parenthood.

3 Reasons To Opt For Egg Freezing

Egg freezing benefits women in a variety of ways; some of which are discussed below:

1. Medical Conditions

Some medical conditions such as endometriosis (a condition in which the endometrium (the layer that borders the uterus, develops outside the uterus²¹) and POI (or Primary ovarian insufficiency is a disorder wherein the ovaries can’t function completely, leading to early menopause^22,23) could potentially inhibit women from having children later in life.^24,25 In such a case, choosing egg freezing can help them secure their future motherhood plans. 

2. Cancer

Cancer treatments often involve radiation or chemotherapy, which may affect the reproductive organs or hormone-producing regions of the brain. However, egg freezing could potentially help female patients undergoing such therapy to preserve their fertility.^19,26

Furthermore, cancers that affect reproductive organs such as ovarian or cervical cancer can also lead to female infertility. Ovarian cancer can disrupt ovulation and damage the ovaries, while cervical cancer may require the removal of the cervix or uterus, making natural conception impossible.¹⁹ Anyway, whether a woman has a cancer or is undergoing its treatment, both the cases impose high risk on her fertility, which can be potentially preserved by opting for  egg freezing.

3. Assisted Reproductive Treatment (ART)

Most of you are probably aware of assisted reproductive techniques, such as IVF treatments, that assist couples in becoming parents. In layman's terms, it’s the process of fusing eggs (from the female partner) and sperms (from the male partner) in a laboratory setting.²⁷ Furthermore, if a couple wishes to postpone their parenthood journey for any reason, they can separately save their eggs and sperm for the future. In such a case, sperm preservation for men and  egg freezing for women can be  of help!²⁷ 

Final Note!

Considering delayed parenthood may be a personal choice for a woman (or couple), but it's important to acknowledge that it’s a challenging path to take. Nonetheless, with adequate knowledge about the risks associated with getting pregnant at a later age, one can navigate a “geriatric pregnancy” (being pregnant at 35 years of age, or above) easily by utilizing the benefits of egg freezing! 

So, if you're looking for a way to preserve your fertility for the future, we have the perfect solution: LifeCell’s OvaVault. This innovative reservoir enables you (or your partner) your precious eggs. Additionally, you can select a storage plan for 1, 5, or even 10 years. If you're interested in learning more about how it all works, simply sign up for OvaVault online, and one of our specialists will get in touch with you.

Dear women, opt for OvaVault and safeguard your chance to have your own family in the future!