Jenny Saft, co-founder of the fertility benefits platform Apryl, shares her tips on how to prepare for your first egg freezing consultation.

Egg freezing is a procedure that involves collecting a woman’s eggs from her ovaries and freezing them for use in the future.

There are a number of reasons why women may choose to freeze their eggs. Often, women want to preserve their fertility so that they can try and have a family when they are ready at a later date.

This is known as ‘social’ egg freezing. Women may also choose to freeze their eggs before undergoing medical treatment that may impact their fertility, such as chemotherapy. When a woman is ready to use the frozen eggs, they are defrosted and fertilised, before being transferred to the womb.

How to prepare for an egg freezing consultation

1. Research your clinic

Not all fertility clinics are created equal. So before selecting a clinic for your egg freezing procedure, it’s important to do your research.

Start by making a list of your priorities, such as cost, location or your connection with the fertility doctor. Also consider the areas where you might be willing to compromise. Once you’ve decided on your criteria for a clinic, you’ll be able to narrow down your options.

Comparing different clinics, visiting their facilities and reading reviews are excellent ways to obtain valuable information and build a bigger picture of the clinic before you commit.

2. Think through the questions you want to ask at your consultation 

A fertility consultation can feel daunting. Preparing the questions you want to ask in advance can help you ensure you cover everything and don’t forget to ask about something that’s important to you.

A great question to ask (which people often forget) is ‘who are the clinic’s embryologists and how experienced are they?’. The quality of the embryologists will determine the quality of the egg freeze and thaw (should you eventually wish to use them).

Don’t be afraid to ask difficult questions and ask again if the answers you’re given aren’t clear.

3. Get clarity on costs 

The exact cost of egg freezing procedures varies significantly from clinic to clinic – and will also vary depending on whether you eventually use the frozen samples, and how long they are in storage for.

Typically, one egg freezing cycle tends to cost between £3,800 to £5,000 in the UK, with an annual storage fee of up to £350. Sometimes, it can take women two or three cycles to collect the number of eggs they want to freeze.

There is no ‘perfect’ number, and the number of eggs you choose to freeze will depend on your age, ovarian reserves and reason for freezing. However, data does show that if you freeze at least 20 eggs before the age of 35, you have a 90 per cent chance of having at least one birth.

If you choose to fertilise the eggs and go for embryo transfer further down the line, this procedure can cost up to £5,000. So the whole process for egg freezing, thawing and transfer can cost anything up to £10,000, and sometimes more.

Getting clarity on estimated costs at the clinic you choose will help you to prepare financially and will prevent ‘surprise’ or unexpected costs from setting you back.

4. Check your workplace policy 

Increasing numbers of employers are wrapping fertility support into their employee benefits packages. So, before you embark on your egg freezing journey, check what support is in place where you work.

From giving staff paid time off for consultations and treatment-related sickness, to actually funding fertility treatments themselves and supporting people with fertility counselling, there are lots of great ways employers are helping. If your company has a fertility benefits policy in place, use this to your advantage.

5. Mentally prepare for treatment side-effects

Egg freezing impacts different people’s bodies in different ways. Knowing about the potential side effects will help you to prepare for the ways in which your body might change.

For example, injecting yourself with medication to stimulate ovulation can feel difficult and invasive to begin with; and the drugs themselves can lead to side effects including bloating and mood swings.

The egg retrieval procedure can lead to cramps (similar, for many women, to bad period pains) and bruising around the abdomen. For most women, these side effects are more than worth it for the outcome. But if you know what to expect, you can be better prepared.

Overall, freezing your eggs should feel like an empowering experience and being prepared for your first consultation will help.

It’s important that you feel comfortable throughout the process, are able to trust your clinic and doctor and ask any questions that are on your mind.