What is Ferti Freeze?
Ferti Freeze, also known as Female Fertility Preservation, Social Egg Freezing or Oocyte Cryopreservation, is a technique used to preserve your current fertility by retrieving your eggs in their current healthy and quality condition, freezing (vitrifying) them and safely storing them for future use, for when the time is right for you. Meaning your future older self will have access to your younger quality eggs. Women experience a decline in egg number and quality as their age increases. Therefore, an increasing number of women are turning to egg freezing as a means of temporarily freezing their biological clocks.
Female Fertility Timeline
What makes our Ferti Freeze better?
Designed for you
You are unique, as is your body. As a boutique fertility clinic, we focus our attention on one patient at a time. This means that we personalise your treatment to your needs. A one-size-fits-all solution is simply not an option.
Preserve Egg Quality
Your future older self will have access to your younger quality eggs.
Better Success Rates
Our cutting-edge laboratory freezes (vitrifies) the eggs using a procedure called cryopreservation, keeping them in their quality and enhances survival rates after thawing.
Access to Your Own Genes
In the future, should you require assisted reproduction as you have difficulty falling pregnant naturally, you will have access to eggs with your own DNA before considering the use of donor eggs.
Puts you in Control
Freezing your younger quality eggs eliminates the continual anxiety of a ticking biological clock, so you can to focus on your life goals and leave family building to your older self, ultimately putting you in control and empowering you.
Is Ferti Freeze the right treatment for me?
Yes. And we have the success rates and client stories to prove it. You can benefit from Ferti Freeze if you:
- Are between 18 and 35* years old.
- Have a regular period and low to no fertility disturbances.
- Would like to empower yourself by taking your future fertility into your own hands.
- Are wishing to delay building a family as you want to focus on your studies or career goals, have not found the right person or simply the time is not right.
- Have recently been diagnosed with cancer or are starting cancer treatment.
- Have recently been diagnosed with premature ovarian failure.
- Have been diagnosed with endometriosis.
* Ferti Freeze can be recommended if you are older than 35, depending on your overall health and circumstances.
Please contact us to talk about your options.
How Ferti Freeze works
Naturally, your dedicated NatuVitro fertility specialist will have an in-depth conversation with
you that is aligned with your specific fertility preservation needs.
But here is a simplified version of how Ferti Freeze works:
READ OUR FAQS
PHASE 1
Ovarian Stimulation
Before beginning ovarian stimulation you will have undergone thorough fertility testing, allowing your doctor to propose a treatment plan that is right for you and your body. Ovarian stimulation is the process of administering fertility medications designed to stimulate your ovaries to produce multiple eggs and assist in their growth and maturation. During the 10-12 day period that these fertility medications are being utilized, you will need to be monitored through ultrasound and hormone testing to measure your response to the fertility medications and to pinpoint when your eggs are ready to be retrieved.
PHASE 2
Ovulation Control
When your eggs are mature and ready to be retrieved ovulation will be induced by means of a trigger shot. However, unlike traditional clinics that use Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (HCG) which replaces the natural Luteinizing hormone (LH) surge, NatuVitro only uses medication that induces the natural LH surge.
PHASE 3
Egg Retrieval
Your egg retrieval is done under sedation via transvaginal ultrasound aspiration, where multiple eggs are retrieved. This procedure is less than 30 minutes and has a rapid recovery rate. When it is confirmed that you are stable, usually within 1-2 hours following your treatment, you will be discharged from the clinic.
PHASE 4
Egg Cryopreservation
The embryologist prepares your eggs in our state of the art laboratory after they have been collected. The first stage is to select your best eggs and then the embryologist begins the process of vitrification, which will allow the eggs to be perfectly frozen in their current state. With this method, your eggs remain unchanged, frozen in time.
PHASE 5
Egg Storage
Once frozen, your eggs are stored in their frozen state in a liquid nitrogen storage chamber, indefinitely, until you are ready to use them. We take safety and traceability extremely seriously. Our IVF lab is equipped with one of the most sophisticated double security systems (among others), designed to eliminate any handling errors.
PHASE 6
Future Use
When the time arrives for you to use your cryopreserved eggs, you will simply need to notify us and we will guide you on the next steps.
Treatment cost
FERTILITY PRESERVATION IN NATURAL CYCLE
Dedicated Patient Assistant
Stimulation Follicle/Cycle monitoring
Scans and/or hormonal tests at NatuVitro
IVF Witness Security
1 Egg retrieval
Vitrification and 3 years storage
__
Does not include:
Medicine if any
Mandatory blood tests required by law
(Only If requested) Anesthesia +€300
Total cost €1,495
FERTILITY PRESERVATION
Dedicated Patient Assistant
Follicle/Cycle monitoring
Scans and/or hormonal tests at NatuVitro
IVF Witness Security
1 Conventional or mild stimulation
1 Egg retrieval with anaesthesia
Vitrification and 3 years storage
__
Does not include:
Medicine
Mandatory blood tests required by law
Total cost €2,595
Ferti Freeze Success Rates
Women experience a decline in egg number and quality as their age increases and therefore reducing the odds of pregnancy year after year, until having children naturally becomes challenging and an egg donation from another woman may becomes necessary. As a result, the younger you Ferti Freeze your eggs, the better your chances of success. However, if you are older, don’t be deterred.
34 years and under
- 17%
- 61%
35-37 years
- 10%
- 54%
38-40 years
- 10%
- 41%
Over 40
- 5%
- 28%
Success Rate with Ferti Freeze
Monthly Pregnancy Success Rate without Ferti Freeze
Common Questions
Visit the FAQ page
Why should I freeze my eggs?
Your future older self will have access to your younger quality eggs. Women experience a decline in egg number and quality as their age increases. Therefore, egg freezing is a means of temporarily “pausing” your biological clock and to ensure that you have access to your own eggs, which gives you the option to use your eggs first, rather than a donor egg.
How long does the FertiFreeze process take?
The egg freezing cycle takes around 3 weeks to complete and is similar to the first phases of traditional IVF, which include:
- Birth control tablets for 1-2 weeks to temporarily switch off natural hormones (this step can be skipped if there is urgency, such as prior to cancer therapy).
- Hormone injections for 10 to 14 days to stimulate the ovaries and mature numerous eggs.
Can I freeze my eggs if I am on the pill or have an IUD?
Where are my eggs stored and for how long?
At NatuVitro, we understand that preserving eggs, sperm, and embryos for our patients is a significant responsibility that requires the highest care and consideration. As a result, we have state-of-the-art secure access rooms with sensors and alarms that are monitored 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Your eggs may be stored indefinitely.
Treatment Options
Artificial Insemination in Natural Cycle
Artificial Insemination (AI) – also known as Intrauterine Insemination (IUI) – is when healthy washed sperm is introduced directly inside the uterus when you are ovulating. This greatly improves your chances of conceiving without having sexual intercourse.
Natural Cycle IVF
Natural Cycle in vitro fertilisation (IVF) is an advanced alternative to conventional intrauterine insemination (IUI). It can be done in subsequent cycles without your body needing rest in between so you can make the most of the time you have. At the time of ovulation, we aspirate one natural egg in a simple procedure that doesn’t require anaesthesia.
Natural Reciprocal IVF
Reciprocal in vitro fertilisation (IVF) in Natural Cycle, or Natural Reception of Oocytes from the Partner (ROPA), enables a woman to carry the fertilized egg of her female partner. The genetic mother is typically younger than 35 and has had no fertility issues, while the mother carrying the baby can be up to age 50.
Mild IVF treatment
Mild in vitro fertilisation (IVF), also known as mini IVF, is our advanced alternative to conventional IVF. It is a good treatment to explore if you are under 45, have a low or very Low Ovarian Reserve, Endometriosis or other similar reproductive obstacles, and have been told that you can no longer use your own eggs in traditional infertility treatments.
IVF with Egg Donation
The desire to experience the joy of pregnancy and the bond that forms between a mother and her child during pregnancy is powerful and natural. If you have exhausted all other fertility treatment options with your own eggs – including Mild IVF – our IVF with Egg Donation treatment could help you become a mother with the help of an egg donor.
Ferti Freeze
Ferti Freeze, also known as Female Fertility Preservation, Social Egg Freezing or Oocyte Cryopreservation, is a technique used to preserve your current fertility by retrieving your eggs in their current healthy and quality condition. Your eggs are frozen (vitrified) and safely stored for when the time is right for you.