If you’ve decided to postpone having children, whether for health or personal reasons, preservation options are available to help you conceive in the future. While your fertility doctor will discuss the most viable treatments for your needs, prepare for the consultation with this overview of the most common options.

3 Ways to Preserve a Woman’s Fertility

1. Freezing Embryos

This method utilizes a male partner’s or donor sperm and may be an option if you have completed treatments for cancer or are at risk of developing early menopause.

Embryo freezing requires two weeks from the start of the menstrual cycle and may take up to six weeks for successful completion. During this time, the ovaries will be stimulated to produce mature eggs, which are then removed and fertilized in a lab with sperm from your partner or a donor. These embryos will then be frozen for future use. Success rates vary based on age but can be more viable than fresh embryos for older women. 

2. Freezing Eggs

Freezing eggs is another common option for women looking to have children in the future or those who do not want to use donor sperm for embryo freezing.

This outpatient procedure takes up to two weeks to finish and requires ovary stimulation to produce several mature eggs. These eggs are then removed and frozen for future use. Advancing technology has made freezing and thawing eggs much more successful than in the past. 

3. Ovarian Tissue Freezing

Currently considered an experimental procedure offered by fertility doctors, ovarian tissue freezing is recommended for pre-pubescent girls facing cancer treatments or women at risk of early menopause.

During this procedure, partial or complete ovarian tissue containing hormone-producing cells and immature eggs is removed and divided into strips to be frozen. In the future, this can be used during the re-implantation process to mature eggs.

If you’re looking for the most suitable option to preserve your fertility, consult the team at Pacific In Vitro Fertilization Institute in Honolulu, HI. For more than 30 years, these fertility doctors have provided the solutions women need to conceive, whether they’re looking to have their eggs frozen or are considering in vitro fertilization. To learn more about your options, visit their website, or call (808) 946-2226 to make an appointment.