Egg freezing is the new normal for couples who wish to have children when they are ready for parenthood considering their commitments towards their personal or social goals. Assisted reproduction technique offers egg freezing i.e. oocyte cryopreservation as a viable option to such couples as they can become parents whenever they wish to in the future.
Dr Hrishikesh Pai, one of India’s leading IVF specialists says, ‘Egg freezing is a reliable option for women who wish to delay their pregnancy. I recommend egg freezing in their early thirties so that better quality eggs are available to ensure high chances of a successful pregnancy in the future. If essential, proper genetic testing is done for abnormalities, while the healthiest eggs are used for fertilization.'
Dr Hrishikesh Pai is Consultant Gynaecologist & Infertility Specialist at Lilavati Hospital Mumbai and Fortis Hospitals Delhi Gurgaon and Mohali Chandigarh. Apart from gynaecological tests, egg freezing is a special multi-step procedure. The female patient will be given medicines to stimulate ovaries to produce eggs followed by retrieving eggs under mild sedation. A transvaginal ultrasound probe is inserted into the vagina to locate and retrieve the eggs from the follicles. Normally, fertility experts retrieve 10 to 15 eggs depending upon the ovarian reserve of the patient. These retrieved eggs are preserved in sub-zero temperatures for future use.
Gynaecologists recommend egg freezing when women have other priorities to fulfil before they wish to proceed with motherhood. These women may be in their late twenties or early thirties but have not yet selected their life partner or wish to marry late or conceive later. They may be diagnosed with cancer and need to undergo chemotherapy or radiotherapy. Doctors recommend egg freezing to women who have endometriosis or genetic disorders responsible for lowering the quality of eggs over time. To sum it up, egg freezing has proved to be one of the most convenient, affordable, and reliable procedures for women who wish to postpone their pregnancy.
Highly experienced infertility specialist, Dr Hrishikesh Pai states, ‘Freezing is best done before women till 35 years of age which can be extended to 38 – 39 years. It is advisable to freeze at least 10 – 12 eggs as the number and quality of eggs are likely to decrease over time. They also need to remember that some eggs are likely to fertilize and form embryos leading to a successful pregnancy. Hence, it makes sense to freeze eggs in the early thirties rather than later to enjoy successful pregnancies at a later date.
Ms Diana Hayden, Ex-Miss World, was one of the first Indian celebrities to go ahead with the egg freezing procedure. She froze her eggs in 2007 and subsequently had three babies through her frozen eggs 8/10 years later.
Other celebrities who have given serious thought to egg freezing are Ms Jwala Gutta, ace Indian badminton player, Ms Tanisha Mukherjee, and Ms Mona Singh, both Indian actresses and a host of western film celebrities.
Women of today can look forward to fulfilling their dreams or achieve their goals or overcome health conditions in the best possible way and proceed to plan their pregnancy whenever they are ready for it.
Pre-natal sex selection and sex determination are illegal in India. It is a punishable offence
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