Embryo freezing, also known as embryo cryopreservation, is a service offered by many fertility Centres, including Radiant Fertility & IVF Centre in Haldwani. It allows couples or individuals to preserve embryos for future use. This is especially helpful in situations where conception might not be immediate, but there is a desire to retain the opportunity for future pregnancy.
What is Embryo Freezing?
Embryo freezing involves creating embryos through IVF (In Vitro Fertilization), and once the embryos are formed and cultured, they are frozen for later use. This can be done for various reasons, including:
Preserving fertility for medical reasons: If you’re undergoing treatments (like chemotherapy) that might affect fertility, freezing embryos provides a chance to have biological children later.
Age-related fertility preservation: Women may choose to freeze embryos at a younger age when their fertility is optimal, especially if they wish to delay pregnancy.
Multiple IVF cycles: If IVF results in the creation of multiple healthy embryos, some can be frozen for future transfers, potentially avoiding the need for another full IVF cycle.
Avoiding multiple pregnancies: If a couple is concerned about the risks of transferring multiple embryos at once, freezing extra embryos allows for more controlled future transfers.
How does the process work at Radiant Fertility & IVF Centre?
IVF process: The first step is the IVF process, where eggs are harvested from the ovaries and fertilized with sperm in the lab to create embryos.
Embryo development: The embryos are cultured for several days, typically until they reach the blastocyst stage (usually day 5 or 6).
Freezing: Once the embryos reach an optimal developmental stage, they are frozen using a process called vitrification, which helps prevent ice crystal formation and damage to the embryos.
Storage: The frozen embryos are stored in liquid nitrogen tanks until they are needed for future use, such as an embryo transfer.
When might you consider embryo freezing at Radiant Fertility & IVF Centre?
Before starting IVF: If you’re undergoing IVF, you can discuss with your doctor the option of freezing extra embryos if not all will be transferred immediately.
Fertility preservation: If you're not yet ready to have children but want to preserve your fertility for later years.
Medical treatments: If you’re going to undergo treatments that could affect fertility (like chemotherapy), freezing embryos before treatment can give you a chance to have biological children later.
What are the benefits of embryo freezing?
Future fertility options: Provides an opportunity for future pregnancies without needing to undergo another IVF cycle.
Avoiding fertility decline: Freezing embryos while fertility is optimal ensures higher success rates down the line.
Controlling the number of embryos transferred: You can make informed decisions about how many embryos to transfer in future cycles, reducing the risk of multiple pregnancies.
