Egg freezing rises as more women look to preserve fertility

Record numbers of women are freezing their eggs successful the anticipation of having a household aboriginal successful life, according to a caller report.

More than 4,000 patients froze their eggs successful 2021, compared to 2,500 successful 2019, the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) said.

The "dramatic rise" could beryllium linked to the pandemic, a foundation said.

But doctors warned determination needed to beryllium much consciousness of the pros and cons.

"Restrictions connected socialising whitethorn person prompted immoderate women to deliberation much astir their fertile window, and determine to effort to summation their reproductive choices," she said.

Despite the fig of ovum collections increasing, little women decided to donate their eggs for different pistillate to use, according to the report.

There were astir 1,500 caller ovum donors successful 2019 but this dropped to conscionable implicit 1,400 successful 2021.

Helen Henry, from Thurrock successful Essex, donated immoderate of her eggs erstwhile she had hers frozen 10 years agone astatine the property of 34.

She was successful a semipermanent narration with a spouse astatine the time, who did not privation children.

"I retrieve having counselling explaining the crushed wherefore I wanted to frost my eggs and being fixed the accidental to donate arsenic well. I took that enactment arsenic I wasn't conscionable doing it for myself.

"After donating I started to consciousness rather guilty. I wasn't definite that I had done the close thing. What if the parent of the kid isn't a bully one? What if the kid ends up successful foster care? What if it's neglected?

"Fast guardant a fewer years, I recovered retired that a babe miss was calved successful December 2011 from my donation. Finding retired a kid was calved made those blameworthy feelings spell away," she said.

Ms Henry went connected to person her ain children with a caller partner, and ne'er utilized her frozen eggs, which person present been disposed of.

"I fell large people and rather rapidly and had my archetypal girl astatine property 39 and I americium presently connected maternity permission again having had my lad past December, aged 44," she said.

"This volition beryllium an ongoing speech with my 2 children that they person a familial sister retired determination successful the world. I commune that I volition spot this kid 1 day. It is 1 of my past wishes."

TV presenter and podcaster Vicky Pattison, who besides lives successful Essex, has conscionable had immoderate of her eggs frozen, aft deciding she was not yet acceptable for children.

Three of her eggs were turned into embryos with her partner's sperm, which she was told person a 20% accidental of resulting successful a baby. She has besides kept 3 arsenic unfertilised eggs, which person a 10% chance.

Success is powerfully babelike connected the property of the pistillate astatine the clip of freezing her eggs, the HFEA said, with higher occurrence rates successful those aged nether 35.

Consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist Bassel Wattar said much enactment was needed to pass patients and enactment them done their fertility journey.

"Unfortunately, determination is constricted nationalist consciousness connected the pros and cons of this attraction and however it could beryllium champion planned to optimise chances of starting a household successful the future," helium said.