The procedure for egg freezing is a five-step process that involves birth control, ovarian stimulation, trigger injection, egg retrieval, and freezing.

Birth control pills can be used with egg freezing to provide scheduling flexibility, allowing us to manipulate the menstrual cycle and coordinate ovarian stimulation and egg retrieval to align within a specific timeframe.

Ovarian stimulation involves the use of fertility medications to stimulate the growth of multiple eggs instead of only one egg during your menstrual cycle. During this stage in the egg freezing process, your doctor will order blood tests to measure and monitor your response to treatment, in addition to vaginal ultrasounds to monitor the development of the eggs.

Once most of your follicles are between 16 and 20mm, a trigger injection will be provided that helps the eggs fully mature to allow for easier egg retrieval.

The egg retrieval procedure will occur in your doctor’s office under sedation. In total, the egg retrieval procedure should take between 20 and 30 minutes to complete, although you will spend around one to two hours in a recovery room after the procedure. Before the procedure begins, you will receive IV anesthesia. The eggs are collected from the ovaries using a needle attached to a transvaginal ultrasound probe with a suction device that separates the egg from the follicle.

After the eggs are retrieved, they will be examined by an embryologist, and the mature eggs will be cooled through vitrification, which is a fast-freezing method that prevents harmful ice crystal formation. The eggs can be stored on either a short-term or a long-term basis here at The New Hope Center for Reproductive Medicine in our cryo tanks.

Your reproductive endocrinologist can let you know all about how to prepare yourself for the egg freezing procedure during an initial consultation.

During the initial consultation, your reproductive endocrinologist will review your medical history, perform a physical exam, and conduct various tests to determine hormone levels, the quantity and quality of your eggs, ovarian function, and other measures. In addition, your reproductive endocrinologist will also talk with you about the egg freezing process, the number of eggs you can expect to retrieve, and instructions for medications, and your ovarian stimulation treatment plan.
How long is the egg freezing process?

From the birth control stage to the completion of the egg freezing process, it can take between three and four weeks. The birth control stage takes approximately two to three weeks, followed by 10 to 12 days of ovarian stimulation. After the egg retrieval procedure, you will be contacted the next day to let you know the number of eggs that were frozen.

For a consultation with our reproductive endocrinologist or more information about egg freezing services at The New Hope Center for Reproductive Medicine, please give us a call or schedule an appointment with us right here on our website! We serve patients from Virginia Beach VA, Rudee Heights VA, Lynnhaven VA, Linkhorn Estates VA and Dam Neck VA.