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Egg freezing: what it involves and who it suits
Egg freezing means a woman's own eggs are collected after about ten to twelve days of injections, frozen, and kept for her own later use. Heartbeats IVF offers egg freezing in Goa. It keeps an option open for later. It is not a promise of a baby, and it works better at a younger age.
Most women who ask about egg freezing are not in a hurry today. They are thinking about a few years from now: studies to finish, a career, a marriage that has not happened yet, or a treatment ahead that may harm the ovaries. This page explains, in plain words, what egg freezing involves, who it suits, and where its limits lie.
What is egg freezing?
A woman is born with all the eggs she will ever have. Their number falls every year, and so does their quality, which is why age matters so much in fertility. Egg freezing collects some of your eggs now, while you are younger, and keeps them frozen. If you need them later, they are thawed, fertilised with your husband's sperm in the laboratory, and an embryo is placed in your womb, as in IVF.
The eggs are frozen by vitrification, a rapid-freezing method used in modern IVF laboratories. Only mature eggs are frozen, and not every egg collected is mature.
Who should think about egg freezing?
- Women who want to delay pregnancy for studies, work or marriage, and who know that time works against egg numbers and egg quality.
- Women facing treatment that can harm the ovaries, such as some cancer treatments or an operation on the ovaries. Speak to your treating doctor and to us as early as possible, because a cycle of injections takes about two weeks.
- Women whose egg reserve is falling, shown by a low AMH or a low follicle count, who are not ready for pregnancy yet. More on our page about low AMH and ovarian reserve.
- Couples in IVF when the husband cannot be there on egg collection day, for example because he works far away or abroad. The eggs can be frozen and used when his sample is available; freezing his own sample in advance is another way. The doctor advises which suits you.
Is there a right age to freeze eggs?
There is no single medical cut-off, though under the ART (Regulation) Act 2021 these services are for women above the legal age of marriage and below 50. In general, eggs frozen at a younger age tend to do better later, because egg quality falls with age and no test or medicine can restore it. The number of eggs collected in one cycle also falls as the reserve falls.
That is why the decision is made with your own reports in front of you: your age, your AMH result and the follicle count on the scan. If your reserve is already low, we will tell you plainly that fewer eggs may be collected, and that more than one cycle may be needed to store a useful number. We would rather say this before you start than after.
Which tests come first?
Two tests show roughly how many eggs remain: the AMH blood test, which can be done on any day of the cycle, and an ultrasound early in the cycle that counts the small resting follicles on each ovary (the antral follicle count, AFC). Routine blood tests, and screening for infections before any sample is handled in the laboratory, are done as well. What each test shows is on our page about fertility tests for couples.
What happens in an egg freezing cycle?
- Consultation, then tests. Your history, the tests above, and a plan for the injections built around your own reserve.
- Stimulation. Daily injections for about ten to twelve days ripen several eggs together, with short scans along the way. Many women can keep working.
- Egg collection. A short day-care procedure under light anaesthesia, about twenty minutes. Guided by ultrasound, a fine needle draws fluid from each follicle, and the eggs are found in it. You go home the same day; someone should be with you, and you should not drive yourself home.
- Freezing. The mature eggs are frozen and stored in our own embryology laboratory in Goa. As in IVF, we tell you where you stand at each stage, on the day.
Stimulation for egg freezing carries a risk of OHSS (ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome), as an IVF cycle does: the ovaries over-respond to the injections. We dose carefully and monitor by scan to keep that risk low.
What happens when I want to use the eggs?
The eggs are thawed in the laboratory. Thawed eggs are usually fertilised by ICSI, where a single sperm is injected into each egg. The embryos grow for a few days, and an embryo is placed in the womb through a soft, thin tube, without anaesthesia, as in a frozen embryo transfer. Then comes the wait of about two weeks before the pregnancy blood test.
What are the honest limits of egg freezing?
- Not every egg survives freezing and thawing.
- Not every thawed egg fertilises, and not every embryo implants.
- So the number of eggs in storage is not the number of babies, and one cycle may not store enough eggs.
- Eggs frozen at a younger age usually do better.
We will not give you a number and call it a promise. What we will do is explain your own chances from your own reports, before you spend anything.
Is freezing eggs the same as freezing embryos?
No. An egg is frozen before it meets sperm; an embryo is frozen after fertilisation. A married couple going through IVF usually freeze any extra embryos, for a later transfer. Egg freezing is for a woman who wants to keep her own eggs for later, before fertilisation.
How much does egg freezing cost?
Egg freezing is not on our price list. For IVF and frozen embryo transfer, see IVF cost in Goa. Our fee for egg freezing, and the charge for storing the eggs, is explained at the consultation, once your tests show what your cycle is likely to need.
What does the law say?
Freezing and storing eggs is regulated in India under the Assisted Reproductive Technology (Regulation) Act 2021, which allows these services for women above the legal age of marriage and below 50. Your eggs are frozen for your own use only. The consent forms, how long eggs can be stored, and what happens to them if you no longer need them are explained to you before you start.
How do I start?
Call reception on 095459 20817 (call timings 9am to 7pm), or send a WhatsApp message to 095185 02773 (no phone calls, only messages). Appointments are compulsory, so please book before you come. Reception books your consultation when you call. What you tell us stays in your file.
Booking a consultation
Book a consultation with our fertility specialist at whichever of our clinics suits you: Panjim, Margao, Mapusa or Vasco.
What to bring
Bring any reports you already have, and the date your last period started.
Questions women ask about egg freezing
At what age should I freeze my eggs?
There is no single medical cut-off, though under the ART (Regulation) Act 2021 these services are for women above the legal age of marriage and below 50. Eggs frozen at a younger age generally do better, because egg quality and egg numbers both fall with age. Your age, AMH result and follicle count together guide the advice at your consultation.
Is egg collection painful?
It is done under light anaesthesia, so most women feel little or nothing during the procedure, which takes about twenty minutes. Mild cramping afterwards is normal, and you go home the same day. Pain that keeps getting worse, fever or heavy bleeding is not normal, so ring us.
Will one cycle be enough?
Not always. The number of eggs collected depends on your age and your egg reserve. With a lower reserve, fewer eggs are collected, and more than one cycle may be needed to store a useful number. The doctor tells you honestly after your tests.
Do frozen eggs mean I will have a baby later?
No one can promise that. Not every egg survives thawing, not every thawed egg fertilises, and not every embryo implants. Egg freezing keeps an option open, and eggs frozen younger usually do better.
How much does egg freezing cost?
Egg freezing is not on our price list. The fee for egg freezing, and the charge for storing the eggs, is explained at the consultation, once your tests show what your cycle is likely to need.
Is egg freezing allowed in India?
Yes, for women above the legal age of marriage and below 50. It is regulated under the Assisted Reproductive Technology (Regulation) Act 2021. The eggs are frozen for your own use, and the consent forms and storage rules are explained before you start.
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This page is for general education and is not personal medical advice. Fertility treatment depends on your individual assessment. Please consult a doctor about your own situation. We do not carry out or offer sex determination of any kind, which is prohibited by law in India under the PCPNDT Act.