Egg freezing has been around for many years but didn’t become a common form of fertility preservation in the United States until a little over a decade ago!

When it came to understanding egg freezing as a form of fertility preservation, many potential patients wanted to know how many eggs they needed to freeze to be successful. In the early days, fertility doctors weren’t sure what number to actually give patients as preliminary data on success rates for elected egg freezing were still too new. Because of this, the safest answer for patients was something along the lines of “as many as possible.” The consensus was that women give themselves the best chance of getting pregnant the larger their stash of young, more fertile, eggs is.

IVF attrition rates and Egg Freezing

IVF attrition rates play a large role in the number of eggs needed to see success. An embryologist might thaw 10 eggs at a time, but generally, only 80% might survive. This percentage will continue to lower as each stage of the IVF lab/transfer process happens. For each embryo transfer procedure of one to three embryos, depending on a patient’s age and egg quality, she has a 30 to 50 percent chance of becoming pregnant.

Fertility doctors have found the sweet spot regarding the number of eggs to put away. For women under 35, saving 20 eggs gives a woman an 85 percent cumulative chance of bringing home one baby. It’s an 80 percent chance for women ages 35 to 37.

How many eggs should I freeze for my age?

It depends! The research suggests that the older you are, the more eggs you need to freeze to achieve the same result as a younger woman.
A large 2020 study looked at the likelihood that women will achieve a 70% live birth rate from their frozen eggs after doing just one or two egg-freezing cycles. In this study, the optimal outcome was freezing enough eggs to attain an estimated 70% chance of a live baby being born from these eggs in the future. Their results showed the highest success in those under 35 freezing at least 9 eggs. For patients 35 and above 10 eggs or higher was the sweet spot, and 40+ was 16 and above.

What if I don’t get enough mature eggs?

It is important to note that these numbers are not a guarantee. In the end, it only takes one high-quality egg to conceive and egg quality is greatly impacted by age! So an egg that is frozen at 25 naturally has a higher chance of fertilizing than an egg frozen at 35 or 45.  But if you are 35 and not ready for children your current egg quality and supply are still considered higher than if you chose to try naturally at 45!
If you are doing an egg-freezing cycle and just not maturing enough eggs to hit the estimated amount for your age, you can freeze as low as one egg!

Why New Hope?

New Hope Fertility Center is home to world-renowned fertility specialists. We custom-design fertility treatments for the individual to increase the chances of a successful pregnancy. Our specialists believe in putting the patient first and being with them through every step of the fertility journey. Our team is well-versed in helping women of all ages reach their fertility goals and we are passionate about educating, and supporting our patients throughout their journey. If you want compassionate fertility care, New Hope is the right place for you. Call us at (347) 970-8479 or schedule your initial consultation today!