How Long Can Frozen Eggs Be Stored

How long can frozen eggs be stored? Indefinitely

Many women choose egg freezing because they know they want to become mothers someday, but they aren’t certain what the future holds. Life is full of uncertainty, which is why many women ask us, “How long can frozen eggs be stored?”

The answer from our Southern California egg freezing center is: as long as you need them to be.

The science: how long can frozen eggs be stored

After your eggs are retrieved, through a process that is similar to that used for IVF, they will be immediately frozen. The vitrification process used by our Southern California egg freezing center is the same process used to cryopreserve embryos, which have been successfully stored for decades and used to achieve pregnancy.

Our IVF lab’s vitrification process involves dehydrating the eggs and replacing their fluid with what is essentially a special “antifreeze.” This fluid prevents ice crystals from forming that could damage your eggs when they are thawed. Your eggs will be frozen and stored at a temperature of -196 degrees Celsius, the same temperature at which embryos are preserved.

Available research to date – as well as our own success in using frozen eggs to conceive healthy babies – indicates that freezing and storing eggs does not reduce their quality.

  • Thousands of healthy babies have been born from frozen eggs.
  • Some babies have been born from frozen eggs stored longer than 14 years.
  • Studies show no increase in birth defects or genetic defects with frozen eggs.
  • There is no increased risk of pregnancy complications after egg freezing.

At our Southern California egg freezing center, we believe our live birth rates with frozen eggs will be dependent on the age at which you freeze your eggs, with the best results occurring under the age of 35.

Because egg freezing remains a relatively new procedure, we continuously track the research and collect our own data about pregnancy rates as more and more women come to us to use cryopreserved donor eggs or their own frozen eggs to have a baby.

Preserve your fertility

Nothing compares to the peace of mind that comes from knowing your eggs will always be there if and when you need them to grow your future family. How long can frozen eggs be stored? It’s up to you.

To explore your options for fertility preservation, contact us to schedule a consultation at our Southern California egg freezing center.