More big companies are offering egg freezing as a benefit to female employees who want to delay having children in order to focus on their careers. Women can work without worrying about declining fertility rates as they get older, thanks to eggs that are being kept in frozen storage until they are ready to start a family. While companies covering the cost of this expensive procedure is seen as a huge benefit to female employees, is egg freezing really all it is cracked up to be?

One of the most important factors of successfully freezing your eggs is how old you are when your eggs are frozen. The quality of your eggs decline as you age, so the earlier you can freeze them the better. If you are already in your mid- to late-30’s, freezing your eggs may not be the answer you are looking for when it comes to ensuring future fertility. It’s also worth noting that the American Society for Reproductive Medicine does not endorse egg freezing as a way to delay motherhood. They recommend it only for certain groups of women, such as those who may lose fertility during chemotherapy. Egg freezing isn’t risk-free for women, either. There is a risk of injury to the bowels and bladder, as well as pelvic infections and swelling or overstimulation of the ovaries.

It’s also important to know that freezing your eggs, no matter how early you do it, is no guarantee that you’ll be able to have children in the future. If you want to delay starting a family, make sure you familiarize yourself with other options as well, including embryo adoption. Unlike freezing your eggs, embryo adoption is done with embryos that have already proven viable and offer a greater rate of successful pregnancies and births. This is a great option for women who have already surpassed the age to freeze viable eggs but who want to experience the joy of pregnancy and birth. Remember that your end goal is to create a family and that these other options can help you do that if freezing your eggs doesn’t work.

To learn more about embryo adoption, visit www.embryoadoption.org.

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