Want to Start a Family But You’re Just Not Ready? Embryo Banking Could Be Your Answer
More and more women are looking to start a family on their own terms, once they are ready. Readiness means different things to different people. Some women want to achieve career aspirations before starting a family. Others may have personal goals like traveling the world or purchasing a home in their ideal neighborhood that they want to achieve first. For women who are in a committed relationship, or who intend to use donor sperm, embryo banking may be the ideal fertility preservation method.
Fertility Preservation
Biologically, a woman’s eggs begin to decline in quality after age 35. This quality decline accounts for a significant portion of infertility diagnoses. However, harvesting eggs early on, a woman is able to preserve her fertility until she is ready to start a family. The eggs can either be frozen and stored unfertilized or they can be fertilized and then stored, in a process known as embryo banking.
For both fertility preservation methods the process begins the same way:
- Testing is done to ensure a woman is medically a good fit for fertility preservation
- At the beginning of her cycle, the woman is prescribed fertility medication in order to stimulate the production of multiple eggs
- The woman is closely monitored using both blood work and ultrasound
- When the eggs reach the desired maturity, they are harvested via microsurgery during an outpatient procedure
The eggs are then reviewed for quality. During embryo banking, suitable eggs are fertilized using either a woman’s partner’s sperm or donor sperm. The embryos are then frozen via vitrification and stored until they are needed.
Why Embryo Banking Could be Your Answer
Embryos are able to be observed as they develop. Because of this, embryologists are able to more clearly identify which are of the highest quality. Additionally, genetic testing may be done on embryos in order to identify any chromosomal issues. Genetic testing cannot be performed on eggs. Therefore, selecting to bank embryos provides a more accurate understanding of the quality and number of embryos that are well suited for transfer and a healthy baby.
Receive additional information on the benefits of embryo banking by contacting the experts at New Hope Fertility Center today. Please click the link below to enter your information and New Hope will contact you, or simply call 212-517-7676.
