How Many Times Should I Freeze My Eggs?

The ability to freeze human eggs has been a major breakthrough in reproductive technology. It has provided egg freezers with the option to delay childbearing, preserve their fertility in the face of medical conditions or treatments, and allow them to focus on their careers or personal goals without feeling so much of the pressure of the "biological clock." 

At Cofertility, we help people navigate egg freezing and make it more affordable (and even free if you qualify for our Split program). One common question we get about egg freezing is how many times you should, or can, freeze your eggs. In this article, we’ll address this question.

Should I do multiple rounds of egg freezing?

As much as we wish egg freezing was a “one and done” thing, for many people, multiple rounds are recommended. The number of times you should freeze your eggs depends on several factors, including your age, ovarian reserve, and desired number of children. The younger you are when you freeze your eggs, the higher the chance of success. Those who freeze in their 20s and early 30s tend to have higher success rates compared to those who freeze in their late 30s and 40s. That’s not to say those in their late 30s or 40s can’t be successful, it just may take more cycles.

So the question really isn’t how many times should you freeze your eggs, but how many times do you need to freeze your eggs in order to get the number of frozen eggs you desire. 

The right number of eggs to freeze for your age

The optimal number of eggs to freeze really comes down to your age. That’s because the number of eggs in the body isn’t the only thing to decrease as you get older — egg quality decreases too, and egg quality is the number one factor in determining whether an egg can eventually result in a live birth. 

Studies show that for a woman under age 35, nine eggs give you a 70% chance of at least one child. As medicine and technology advances, we hope to see this number increase even further!

Studies show that for a woman under age 35, nine eggs give you a 70% chance of at least one child. 

Once you’ve decided how many eggs you want to freeze to give yourself a good chance at success down the line, you can back into the number of cycles. The good news is that the number of eggs you’ll retrieve is highly predictable, and your clinic should be able to give you a range based on your follicle count and hormone levels. From there, you can estimate how many cycles may be necessary to get to your target number 

But of course there are other considerations. One is how many cycles you can afford. Egg freezing is expensive, and most of us don’t have insurance coverage.  Read more in How to Pay for Egg Freezing.

You’ll also need to determine how many cycles you can physically and mentally handle. For some people, the procedure is a breeze. But for others it can be hard and exhausting. It’s okay to do one round and decide you don’t want to put yourself through that again.

How long do you have to wait between egg freezing cycles?

You may be wondering how long you’ll need to wait between egg freezing cycles, or if you can do them back to back. It is generally recommended to wait at least one menstrual cycle before starting another cycle. Some people like to give their body a break and wait three to six months between cycles, while others prefer to get it over with and complete back to back egg freezing cycles. We suggest talking to your fertility doctor for guidance.

How many times can I freeze or donate my eggs?

While there’s no limit on how many times you can freeze your eggs, the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) recommends that egg donors undergo no more than six cycles of egg donation in their lifetime. At Cofertility, we follow these ASRM guidelines.

Does egg freezing increase the risk of cancer?

There is currently no scientific evidence to suggest that egg freezing increases the risk of cancer, including invasive ovarian and breast cancers. The hormones used to stimulate the ovaries to produce multiple eggs for freezing are similar to those used in fertility treatments and are generally considered safe. However, like any medical procedure, there are potential risks and side effects associated with egg freezing.

If you have concerns about the potential risks of egg freezing, it's important to discuss these with your fertility doctor who can provide you with personalized advice based on your individual health history and circumstances.

Making egg freezing more affordable

One option to make egg freezing better is working with Cofertility. Through our Split program, qualified freezers can freeze their eggs for free when donating half of the eggs retrieved to a family who can’t otherwise conceive. 

Through our Keep program — where you keep 100% of eggs retrieved for your own future use — we offer exclusive discounts on expenses, such as frozen egg storage. Keep members also still gain free access to our Freeze by Co Community, a safe space for those engaging in the egg freezing process (or gearing up for it) to connect and lean on each other. It also enables access to exclusive guidance, free expertise, and community events. 

By making egg freezing easier and more accessible, our programs further strengthen the American Society of Reproductive Medicine (ASRM)’s Committee Opinion that egg freezing can help promote social justice and strengthen gender equality.

Bottom line

When trying to determine how many egg freezing cycles you should undergo, you’ll first want to answer the question of how many eggs do you want to freeze. Based on your age, ovarian reserve, and experience, it may end up being one or more egg freezing rounds. The good news is that your doctor can help you determine how many eggs you are likely to retrieve based on your antral follicle count and hormone levels. Wishing you an abundance of eggs!