Freeze your options, not your timeline.
Egg freezing preserves oocytes at their current quality so they can be fertilized later through IVF. Here's what the process involves, what it costs, and how to read the numbers clinics quote you.
The process at a glance
01
Consultation & testing
02
Ovarian stimulation (~10–14 days)
03
Egg retrieval
04
Vitrification (flash freezing)
05
Long-term storage
Timing matters most
Egg quality declines with age. Freezing in your late 20s to early 30s yields the highest live-birth rates per egg; freezing after 38 works but typically needs more eggs.
How many eggs?
A common benchmark: 15–20 mature eggs per intended child. Many people need more than one cycle to get there, especially after 35.
Average cost
A single cycle typically runs $6K–$15K plus $1K–$2K per year in storage and separate costs when you later use the eggs through IVF.
Success is never guaranteed
Clinics should quote live-birth rates by age at freezing and by thawed-egg survival — not vague 'success' percentages. Ask for both.
Storage & logistics
Vitrified eggs keep indefinitely. Ask where they're stored, what happens if the clinic changes labs, and how transport works if you move.
Choosing a clinic
Ask how many freezing cycles the clinic performs annually, their thaw-survival rate, and whether an embryologist is on-site every day.