Freezing eggs at age 39

Dear Dr

I am a 39 year old, single woman. Up until now, I have had very regular periods. I am worried about my advancing age and not having children.

For the first time ever, I have just had a second "period" 10 days after the end of my previous (regular) period. I have some small uterine fibroids and a 3cm cyst on one ovary. I have become very concerned now as I am worried that I may be experiencing the onset of early menopause. My doctor thinks otherwise but I have asked about the possibility of freezing my eggs. He told me to think about it and let him know as it is possible for us to do this.

I have no history of infertility in my close family nor of early menopause. I have however been a heavy smoker since my twenties. I have never had PID or chlamydia or any other fertility threatening diseases. I have read that whilst it may be possible to extract eggs, there is no way to tell the quality and whether they will lead to a healthy pregnancy. These are  my questions:

1- How invasive is this procedure, how long does it take and how many eggs have to be extracted?

2- Is there any way to know the quality of the eggs (from hormone tests, etc)?

3- I have read that by doing an FSH test, it is possible to determine if one has an adequate reserve of eggs. Is this true?

4- If I decide to go ahead with the procedure, what lifestyle changes (other than quitting smoking) should I make and how far in advance of treatment or is the damage already done?

5- Should I start taking prenatal vitamins and Folic acid supplements? What would increase my chances of producing healthier eggs?

Appreciate your advice.

[Elaine Brown, MD]

Hi!
Freezing and storing eggs is very new and still in the experimental stages.  Some centers have had more success than others.  Most centers still advocate freezing and storing embryos rather than eggs (which opens up a new can of worms).  Egg retrieval is not terribly invasive, can be done under IV sedation, and is relavtively painless afterwards.
The number aspirated is determined by the number of mature follicles at the time of retrieval.  Embryo quality can't be determined until the eggs are fertilized.
There are some tests of ovarian reserve ( such as CD3 FSH which can predict the response to medications and the number of eggs that might be obtained.
Heavy smoking has been shown to deplete the ovarian reserve faster than might otherwise happen, and quitting would definitely be in your best interest! Taking Folic acid helps to reduce birth defects in embryos, and would be recommended if you were to begin an IVF cycle.
Good luck!
Dr B

[sassygirl123]

Dear Dr B

Many thanks for your response and advice.

I hope to embrace a healthier lifestyle and get rid of the toxins before I start the treatment in a couple of months. I wish I had done it a few years ago but here's to hoping that it will go well.

Best regards