EGG FREEZING

Understand and plan for your future

Revolutionary advancements in technology have resulted in our ability to successfully cryopreserve human eggs, making egg freezing an exciting and increasingly popular treatment opportunity for women and all people with ovaries. Vitrification is an advanced freezing method used to preserve oocytes effectively and – from a scientific perspective – indefinitely, with more than 85 per cent of frozen eggs expected to survive the warming process without any cryodamage.

As the founder and Medical Director of Women’s Health Melbourne, Dr Raelia Lew has extensive experience in egg freezing. Over the past decade Raelia has become a leading clinician and researcher in the space, during which time she has developed effective, forward-thinking strategies to maximise her patients’ treatment success. Raelia’s proven track record is demonstrated by the many patients she has helped to achieve their best potential outcome when undertaking egg freezing, in addition to assisting patients using vitrified eggs to conceive.

Women’s Health Melbourne partners with Life Fertility Clinic Melbourne, an innovative, progressive laboratory. Raelia’s approach to egg freezing is driven by achieving both the best possible outcome and the most enjoyable patient experience, setting you up for success in every dimension of your care experience. Our highly qualified fertility nurses and laboratory team have been hand-picked as elite experts in their roles, allowing us to collaborate across specialisations as your very own fertility ‘dream team’.

By combining the most advanced, cutting-edge techniques alongside individualised timing and treatment planning, we’re able to offer world-class, outcome-driven patient care that sets a new standard in fertility treatment.


Egg freezing is an option for you

There are many reasons why you might be considering freezing your eggs, including changing life, health or career circumstances, unexpected events or perhaps you’re simply seeking further knowledge about any potential age-related fertility barriers.

At Women’s Health Melbourne, our philosophy is to make access to egg freezing as straightforward, empowering, enjoyable and affordable as possible. No matter what your motivations might be, exploring your options will allow you to make an informed, intelligent plan for the future.

Our respected, highly qualified team will ensure that you feel confident and supported with a personalised strategy that is best-suited to your unique goals.


Industry-leading expertise for exceptional care

Raelia is a supportive, caring doctor with advanced training and a pioneering approach to the field of infertility. A RANZCOG Board Certified Reproductive Endocrinologist & Fertility Specialist (CREI), Raelia provides her patients with the highest level of expertise.

With state-of-the-art technology, beautiful and modern facilities and an industry-leading team supporting Raelia, Women’s Health Melbourne ensures that every patient feels safe, comfortable and fully informed throughout every stage of the egg freezing process.

In collaboration with Life Fertility Clinic Melbourne, Women’s Health Melbourne unites a compassionate, supportive experience with the highest standard of patient care for anyone looking to freeze their eggs.

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EGG FREEZING FAQ’S

  • Egg freezing – medically termed human oocyte cryopreservation – is the process of extracting and storing a woman’s unfertilised eggs. This treatment enables women to extend their future opportunities to conceive; think of it as becoming your own future, younger egg donor. For many women and all people with ovaries, freezing your eggs is an obvious decision with numerous motivating factors, including proactive forward fertility planning, genetic and other medical disorders that may impact fertility, experiencing early menopause, or undergoing cancer treatments.

  • International studies demonstrate an overall 6 to 12 per cent chance of full-term birth per egg warmed. This means that the majority of women who freeze 20 eggs when they are young and healthy would be able to successfully use those eggs to have a baby through IVF in the future.

    While there are no guarantees in life, younger women who freeze more eggs can always expect better outcomes. Women who can’t immediately try for a baby are recommended to freeze a good number of eggs (ideally 20 to 30) at an age where eggs are likely to be of high quality. This allows for greater reproductive freedom, with a high chance of future pregnancy.

    If you are contemplating egg freezing and would like to know more about your options, contact Women’s Health Melbourne to arrange a Well Woman Fertility Health Check assessment.

  • Freezing your eggs creates a future reproductive resource for women approaching or over 30, where immediate pregnancy is not always a viable option. This strategy maximises a woman’s chance of having her own family at a time that she feels ready.

    Having chosen to freeze eggs, many women will then go on to utilise those frozen eggs and successfully conceive in the future. However there will come a time to consider the fate of any eggs that remain in storage. Eggs may remain in storage because:

    ● Natural pregnancies were achieved without using frozen eggs

    ● Pregnancies were achieved using some frozen eggs, with additional eggs remaining.

    In such circumstances, your choices would include:

    ● Keeping your eggs in storage (with the option of trying for another baby later)

    ● Warming and discarding your frozen eggs

    ● Becoming an egg donor (providing a precious gift to a woman or family with infertility)

    An appointment with a specialist fertility nurse from Dr Raelia’s treatment team. Your nurse will go through (in minute detail) exactly what you will need to do during your treatment. Your nurse will write you a timeline, and give you specific written instructions on when and what you need to do (e.g. administering medications, attending ultrasound scans and blood test appointments). We also use a personalised scheduling app to help you keep track of your cycle.

  • Single women, same-sex female couples, and couples affected by a severe male factor infertility may be interested in exploring IUI (Intra-Uterine Insemination) or IVF (In Vitro Fertilization) using donor sperm. Sperm can be donated by a “known donor” (such as a friend) or alternatively, from a clinic-recruited “anonymous” sperm donor.

    There are many factors to consider when using donated sperm, including related Australian legislation which tends to differ between states. Having a baby using sperm from a donor may be an option for you to consider now (rather than freezing your eggs), but it can also be an option you can consider in the future if you want to conceive using your frozen eggs but don’t have a partner.

  • Medicare Australia does not fund egg freezing when undertaken for elective reasons, as treatment is currently regarded ‘non-essential’ (in the same category as cosmetic procedures) and is therefore fully-patient funded.

    There are few exceptions to this – if your ovarian reserve is dangerously low, if you have a serious fertility-threatening condition or if you are about to start chemotherapy for life-saving cancer treatment. At Women’s Health Melbourne, we endeavour to make the highest-quality care as affordable as possible.

  • If you’re interested in exploring your options for egg freezing, the first step is to make a fact-finding appointment at Women’s Health Melbourne. Our team will take this opportunity to learn more about you, get a thorough understanding of your medical history and discuss your goals. From this initial appointment, our team will arrange all the important preliminary tests required to educate you about your current fertility status and future planning choices.

    Dr Raelia Lew has both the qualifications of FRANZCOG (Fellow of RANZCOG), and higher certification in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility medicine and surgery (CREI). Fewer than 2% of specialists currently practising in the field of fertility medicine are RANZCOG Board Certified CREI Subspecialists, making Raelia’s level of expertise truly unparalleled.

    Raelia also has a PhD in the field of genetic preconception health promotion. Coupled with her vast long-term research, clinical experience and social interest in egg freezing, Raelia is a recognised expert in the field with a strong proven track record, both in helping women to freeze their eggs and also when it comes to using frozen eggs to create pregnancies. At your initial consultation and investigations, Raelia will have a discussion with you about your results, taking the time to explain every aspect of the egg freezing process to ensure that you’re made aware of the full range of fertility treatment options available to you.

    As a patient under Raelia’s care, you will undertake a thorough assessment of your fertility, including measuring your ovaries’ potential to develop eggs (ovarian reserve testing) including your AMH (Anti-Mullerian Hormone) level, and a pelvic ultrasound assessing your ovarian anatomy and antral follicle count . She will also review results of routine antenatal screening tests (Varicella IgG, Rubella IgG, Syphilis, HIV, Hepatitis B and C serology, full blood examination, blood group and antibody screen) and will request a Karyotype evaluation. If your GP has previously arranged these tests for you they do not need to be repeated – please bring your results with you to your initial appointments with us.

    Women’s Health Melbourne doctors will also discuss the opportunity for genetic carrier screening with all our patients, including options specifically for carrier detection of cystic fibrosis, fragile X and spinal muscular atrophy and also broader expanded panel genetic carrier screening options which analyse your carrier status for over 500 rarer genetic conditions of reproductive relevance.

  • Once you have made the decision to freeze your eggs, you will be requested to register as a patient of Raelia at our egg freezing laboratory, Life Fertility Clinic Melbourne. Raelia is the Clinical Director of Life Fertility Clinic Caulfield, located within our Women’s Health Melbourne Practice Precinct. You will then have several appointments preparing you for your treatment cycle:

    1. A planning appointment with Raelia to ensure that you have a thorough understanding of your personalised egg freezing strategy. You will decide with Raelia whether to proceed during your natural cycle (beginning when you have a period) or with a start date scheduled to suit your convenience, timed around any important commitments you may have. This is known as a random or chosen start egg freeze cycle and your medication plan will be adapted accordingly (depending on the timing of your egg freeze treatment start relative to your phase of natural menstrual cycle).

    2. An appointment with an ANZICA qualified fertility counsellor. This is a wonderful and engaging experience that presents an opportunity to explore your current and future fertility plans, as well as learning important information about the Victorian Assisted Reproductive Treatment Act and how to keep your eggs in storage for as long as you may require.

    3. An appointment with a specialist fertility nurse from Raelia’s amazing team. Your nurse will go through (in minute detail) exactly what you will need to do during your treatment. They will develop a timeline with specific written instructions for you on when and what you need to do (e.g. administering medications, attending an ultrasound scan or blood test appointment). When you are in active treatment, you will be able to choose between two cycle monitoring locations for your ultrasound assessments – within our WHM Caulfield precinct (330-338 Balaclava Road, Caulfield North) or at Life Fertility Clinic Melbourne (located at 11 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy).

  • Your ovaries will be examined with a dynamic ultrasound assessment, timed early in your menstrual cycle, so that we can see and assess the number of antral follicles present in your ovaries. The number of antral follicles between 2-9mm in diameter is a good predictor of how many eggs you are likely to produce in an egg freezing treatment cycle. Raelia will also measure blood markers of your ovarian reserve (the AMH or Anti-Mullerian hormone) and combine these findings to estimate how many cycles of egg freezing you will need to achieve at least 20-30 eggs to freeze. The AMH is produced by ovarian follicles that are too tiny to be seen on an ultrasound scan.

  • Raelia will recommend that you freeze at least 20-30 eggs to ensure that you have the highest possible chance of having a baby if you need to rely on your frozen eggs. There is no magic number of eggs that can guarantee your ultimate success, but the more eggs you are able to freeze, the better your likelihood of conception.

  • We recommend taking the below steps to maximise the quality of your eggs ahead of the treatment process:

    1. Take folic acid 500mcg daily for one month prior

    2. Take vitamin D 1000mg daily for one month prior

    3. Take melatonin 4mg before bed for one month prior

    4. Quit smoking (ideally three months prior)

    5. Quit alcohol (during the treatment cycle)

    6. Avoid excessive caffeine (one espresso daily is permissable)

    7. Some women with a lower egg reserve may benefit from DHEA pre-treatment

    In your fact-finding initial appointment, personalised pre-treatment ovarian priming supplements will be recommended and prescribed for you to use in preparation for egg freezing.

    Acupuncture is a fantastic treatment option to add to your egg freezing cycle as it encourages blood flow to your ovaries. Blood carries antioxidants and nutrients to your ovaries, therefore, optimising the environment in which the follicles are growing. Acupuncture also helps manage the negative effects stress plays on the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis which ultimately controls ovulation and ovarian stimulation. Acupuncture can also help minimise any side effects that a woman may experience from her ovaries being stimulated. Acupuncture after egg pick up is helpful with recovery and post-surgical discomfort.

    High dose antioxidants can also be prescribed to help enhance egg quality.

  • Egg freezing is an amazing scientific breakthrough and is the best pre-emptive back-up option we currently have for women who want to be mothers in the future. However if you are considering egg freezing, you should strongly consider what it would mean if you were to have a baby now. If this is a viable possibility for you it should be seriously considered, as the only way to guarantee you will be able to have a baby, is to have a baby.

    We believe women and all people with ovaries should have knowledge and opportunity to freeze their eggs, as this creates greater future choice and reproductive chances for success. However egg freezing is not fail-safe, so we encourage you to perceive frozen eggs as the ability to attempt conception through IVF in the future, rather than viewing stored eggs as a baby in the freezer.

OUR EXPERT
EGG FREEZING
PROCESS

  • “I WOULD’VE GIVEN ANYTHING IF SOMEONE HAD SAID TO ME, ‘FREEZE YOUR EGGS. DO YOURSELF A FAVOUR’. YOU JUST DON’T THINK IT. SO HERE I AM TODAY. THE SHIP HAS SAILED.”

    – Jennifer Aniston

  • FREEZING 30 EGGS AT AGE 30 PROVIDES A GREATER THAN 90% PROBABILITY OF BEING ABLE TO HAVE TWO BABIES.

    – Dr Raelia Lew

  • "I FEEL THAT LUCK IS PREPARATION MEETING OPPORTUNITY."

    -Oprah Winfrey

01

Stimulating Egg Growth

An egg freezing cycle is often described as similar to an IVF cycle. However, there are several important differences.

The end point of an egg freezing cycle is the vitrification of mature eggs. This is different from IVF where the goal of treatment is an embryo transfer, with the aim of conceiving a pregnancy.
Several treatment choices used in IVF, which are designed to achieve development of the embryo and endometrium (uterine lining) in synchrony, are not relevant to egg freezers.

Three medications are necessary during an egg freezing cycle:

  1. Follicle stimulating hormone (of which several options exist) – to help follicles and eggs grow

  2. GnRH antagonist – a class of medications that prevent ovulation before eggs have been collected

  3. GnRH agonist – a class of medication used to reverse the GnRH antagonist, allowing for final egg maturation and collection to proceed

For most egg freezers, a GnRH antagonist cycle is the safest treatment choice. Complications of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS), which can sometimes occur in IVF cycles are virtually eliminated using our advanced egg freezing treatment strategy. However, there are many intricacies in fertility management and ovarian stimulation is as much an art as a science. In your individual circumstances, an alternative tailored approach may achieve better results for you.

Furthermore, because the thickness and “synchrony” of the endometrium is not a consideration in egg freezing, stimulating follicles for longer than usual in standard IVF can achieve more eggs collected per cycle of egg freezing.

Our specialist team will perform monitoring ultrasound assessments of your cycle progress and keep you fully informed. We are passionate about achieving the very best outcomes for our patients, both in terms of egg numbers achieved per cycle and the ease of our patients’ treatment experience.


02

Egg Collection

The procedure for egg collection in an egg freezing cycle is identical to how eggs are collected for IVF. When your follicles have grown to approximately 2-3cm in diameter, the time has come to collect your eggs.

Egg collection is achieved through a technically precise surgical procedure known as an OPU (Ovum Pick Up), sometimes called EPU (Egg Pick Up). While you are asleep, under ultrasound vision, we will gently collect your eggs. Using a fine needle introduced trans-vaginally (through the vagina, into the ovary), fluid from the follicles is aspirated. Our scientist then searches under a high-power microscope to locate your eggs.

In IVF timing is everything. From many years of practice, we know that having a gentle, skilled and reassuring doctor perform critical IVF procedures with excellence is an imperative part of IVF success.

We want to make sure our patients are provided this care with certainty. We also want to ensure optimal timing of every assisted reproductive treatment procedure. Working collaboratively allows us to ensure your egg collection or embryo transfer timing will optimally timed. Around your cycle, not our schedule. You can know for sure and be confident, whatever day of the week or time of the day your treatment needs to occur, you will be cared for by an elite IVF specialist.

Dr Raelia Lew and Dr Rachael Knight will always put you first. When timing your egg freezing procedure – your successful outcome will always be our top priority.  


03

Egg Assessment

Once in the IVF lab, your eggs are assessed for maturity, and immature eggs are given time to catch up.

A proportion of eggs will be deemed immature (germinal vesicles (GV) or metaphase I (MI) oocytes) or may be degenerating (losing their cellular integrity) and these will be unsuitable to freeze (this is usually about 10% of the total number of eggs collected).


O4

Vitrification

Vitrification is a revolutionary method for freezing eggs, resulting in over 85% of eggs surviving the freeze/warming process. Vitrification reduces the risk of ice crystals forming within eggs while they are in the process of freezing and warming. This is achieved by gently dehydrating the egg, then drawing out the water content by bathing the egg in a series of cryoprotectant solutions.

Eggs are then frozen instantly by plunging them into liquid nitrogen at temperatures of less than -200 degrees celcius. Once vitrified and safely stored, eggs can remain frozen indefinitely until you may need to use them to have a baby.

We use the Rapid-I vitrification system to freeze your eggs.


05

Down Time & Recovery

The process of egg freezing takes between 10 days to two weeks. During the first part of your cycle, you will be able to continue your normal routine. With the exception of needing to attend your treatment monitoring appointments, you won’t be impaired in your daily activities.

You will need to take two days off for the day of your egg collection and probably the day after in order to take it easy. The following day, you will feel very well. We advise you should avoid sexual activity during your egg freezing cycle and in the week immediately after.

This is to avoid unwanted pregnancy and the risk of trauma to your ovaries which will be enlarged due to treatment. It is also advisable that you avoid contact sports during this time. You will get your period within 1-2 weeks after your cycle is completed. It is normal for the timing of this period to vary from your regular cycle.

If you are planning more than one treatment cycle, a break in between of at least one month is usually advised.


06

Attempt Pregnancy

When you are ready to have a baby, make an appointment to see Raelia. Whether you ultimately use your frozen eggs or not, she will look after you and help you achieve your goal.

Below are the expected pregnancy outcomes from frozen eggs

  • Approximately 85-90% of eggs survive the freeze and thaw process

  • An egg that survives the freeze and warming process, is expected to behave like a fresh egg

This means that:

  • Approximately 50-70% of eggs would fertilise (by ICSI, using sperm from your partner or a donor)

  • Approximately 90% of fertilised eggs develop into embryos on day two but only 30-40% develop on to reach the blastocyst stage. This is when we select an embryo for transfer to your womb.

  • A single embryo would have a 25-40% chance of developing into a pregnancy depending on a woman’s age when eggs were frozen.