Many professional women these days start thinking of marriage in their 30’s and of having kids only after 35. But experts point out that the chances of conceiving a “healthy child” steadily gets dimmer after 35.
A growing number of women are opting to freeze their eggs so that they can be used later. This not only ensures that they conceive healthy babies, but also rids them of the guilt of marrying late.
The process of drawing eggs from a woman’s body and freezing them requires a surgical intervention. Dr Preethi Reddy, consultant infertility specialist at Rainbow Hospitals says, “There are two types of woman who approach us. Those who delay their marriage and motherhood due to social and professional pressures of work and those who have menstrual problems and whose reserves are medically identified to be limited or exhausted. This is confirmed after numerous pathological tests. Also doctors advise young women who are suffering from cancer to freeze their eggs before going in for chemotherapy.”
At present, in Hyderabad, most women who freeze their eggs do so due to medical conditions. A handful of “high society women” and those scaling the corporate ladder also approach the clinics to check the pros and cons of freezing their eggs.
Doctors say that the concept has spread mainly through word of mouth. “If a woman in some Metro opts for it, she gives confidence to her friends to follow her.”
Dr Firuza R. Parikh, director, department of Assisted Reproduction, Jaslok Hospital in Mumbai, says, “It is presently at a niche stage in India. But there is also a growing feeling that why must they deprive themselves of a child at a later stage when there are options available for freezing of their eggs.”
The cost of freezing one’s eggs and the renewable charges vary from Rs 50,000 to Rs 1,00,000 per annum. The eggs are re-used in the same manner as in-vitro fertilisation, which costs between Rs 2 lakh to Rs 5 lakh.
The procedure
- A hormonal injection is given to a woman during her menstrual cycle whereby more eggs are produced. These are then extracted from the uterus via a surgical procedure and stored in nitrogen tanks.
- The eggs can be kept for as long as 15 years but the woman is called at regular intervals to discuss her future plans of motherhood.
- Freezing does reduce the quality of eggs. Also the fertilization with the sperm has to be done in the laboratory.
- It has to be an informed choice of the woman as there are chances of success in in-vitro fertilisation but some cases have seen failures too. They have to be prepared for it.
