Resources & FAQ

Normally, one egg matures each month, but when we stimulate the ovaries for IVF or ICSI, we attempt to mature multiple eggs for fertilization. In vitro fertilization (IVF) involves removing eggs from the ovaries and fertilizing them outside of the body (“in vitro”). With conventional IVF, many sperm are placed in a dish with a healthy egg, whereas with Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), a single sperm is carefully injected directly into each egg.

Ovarian stimulation usually requires 10-14 days of hormonal stimulation and monitoring before the eggs are retrieved. Once the eggs are in our care, we need to consider several key steps:

• Fertilization: Conventional IVF or ICSI? 
• When to plan your transfer: How long should we care for your embryos before transferring or freezing them? 2-3 or 5-6 days?
• Embryo Transfer: Fresh or frozen? If frozen, do we transfer them in the future using a controlled or natural cycle?
• Genetic testing: Do we test your embryos before transferring them?

Based on your history, assessment, and goals, we’ll help you navigate several steps and decision points depending on your particular situation and requirements.

“I was 34 when I decided to be a single mom by choice. Who knew I could create my own love of my life.” -- Regina

Want to build a family on your own? Congratulations on making this choice. It may take a village to raise a child, but not to make one. We’re here to help.

Here’s what it takes:

• A healthy egg from you or an egg donor
• Healthy sperm from someone you know or an anonymous donor
• A way for the sperm and egg to meet: either IUI or IVF

Whatever your needs, we can help. We’ll work with you to assess any obstacles, plan your family and secure appropriate donor sperm, eggs or gestational carriers from our network of stellar agencies.

Let’s find a plan that works for you.

Single Moms by Choice is an excellent community group that supports individuals seeking to have a family on their own.

There are many causes of infertility. For a successful pregnancy to occur, a healthy egg needs to meet healthy sperm, fertilize, develop and find a good place to grow (a receptive uterus).
Problems at any of these steps can cause difficulties in getting pregnant.

An ovulating person’s body might not release an egg each month due to hormone imbalances, or perhaps an individual’s body isn’t producing enough motile sperm. The fallopian tubes can be blocked or non-functional, preventing the egg and sperm from meeting. Or maybe infertility is because of abnormal uterine conditions like polyps, fibroids, or infections.

Not necessarily, and at Spring, there’s no such thing as “most people”. While we work with proven protocols, everyone is an individual and each treatment plan is customized to each patient. In order to determine which treatment options are right for you, we’ll conduct a thorough review of your medical history and assessment of both partners to evaluate what’s happening. Then we’ll form a plan to move forward. To get started, book a consult.

PGT-A allows patients the highest chance of success (a live birth) with each embryo transfer. Regardless of age, a chromosomally normal embryo has about a 50% chance of live birth. This allows us greater confidence with each embryo transfer such that most patients transfer only one embryo at a time. Keep in mind that while PGT-A helps us more easily identify the healthiest embryos to transfer (resulting in a higher live birth rate per transfer), it does not increase the chances overall.

The Pros: Highest implantation and live birth rate per transfer, fewer miscarriages, and you are less likely to experience (and pay for) an unsuccessful embryo transfer.

The Cons: Higher upfront cost in order to perform the procedure on the embryos and genetic analysis on sampled cells. And although this procedure is considered safe and effective, the test is about 90% accurate: 4% of cases will result in a "False Positive" (calling a potentially normal embryo "abnormal"), about 4% in a "False Negative" (embryos are determined to be "normal" but later miscarry and are found to have an abnormal chromosome complement), and approximately 2% of the time we do not get sufficient amplification of DNA for the scientists to make a determination on your embryo.

Lastly, it’s important to understand that with PGT-A, it’s possible that you will not have any normal embryos to transfer. Although this is very disappointing to experience, it also means that you did not have to endure a transfer that resulted in a miscarriage, with the associated pain and lost time before a successful transfer.

We take enormous pride in delivering the highest chances of successful IVF, anywhere. Your success will depend greatly on your age at the time your eggs are retrieved. Nationally, individuals under 35 have nearly 50% success rates, while individuals over 42 have a 5% chance of success with each attempt using their own eggs. As people with eggs age, the number of eggs available declines, and the miscarriage risk increases due to ovarian aging, making it harder to conceive. Many individuals require multiple attempts with IVF. Our job is to help you achieve a live birth in as few attempts as possible. Although aging is the biggest predictor of success, this is due to the age of the eggs and not the uterus. Success rates with donor eggs are over 50% per attempt and depend on the fertility and age of the egg donor.

There are many causes of infertility. For a successful pregnancy to occur: A healthy egg needs to be meet healthy sperm, fertilize, develop and find a good place to grow (a receptive uterus).

Problems at any of these steps can cause difficulties in getting pregnant:

1. An ovulating individual’s body might not release an egg each month due to hormone imbalances.
2. An individual’s body might not produce enough sperm for successful fertilization.
3. The fallopian tubes can be blocked or non-functional (for example, as a result of scarring from previous infections or inflammatory conditions like endometriosis). This would prevent the egg and sperm from meeting.
4. It’s also possible that the uterus might not be receptive to implantation due to abnormal conditions like polyps, fibroids or infections.

It’s important to note that 30-40% of infertility cases are due to sperm factors. We need enough motile, swimming sperm to fertilize an egg. A “normal” ejaculate has over 18 million motile (swimming) sperm. Some people produce fewer or no sperm. Other people produce plenty of sperm but have obstructions in their tubes (the vas deferens), preventing sperm from being released. Just because a semen sample appears normal, doesn’t mean that there are sufficient numbers of sperm inside. We need to check with a microscope.

An individual’s ovarian reserve is directly related to age and the potential to produce multiple eggs with ovarian stimulation. Ovarian reserve, or egg supply, begins to gradually decline beginning at the age of 30. The amount of medication required to stimulate the ovaries will increase, and the number of follicles and eggs produced from the ovaries will decline. These factors lower a person’s chances of pregnancy with our best treatments. Several tests are used to determine an individual’s fertility potential, including blood tests such as Anti-Mullerian Hormone (AMH), FSH, and Estradiol, and a pelvic ultrasound to evaluate Antral Follicle Count.

Normal ovulation requires a well-choreographed interplay of numerous hormonal events involving the brain, pituitary gland and ovaries. Stress, medical conditions and other events can throw these off and cause hormone imbalances that affect ovulation. If you are not ovulating every month, we will need to screen for conditions like Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS), Hyperprolactinemia, Thyroid Problems, as well as other less common conditions. In order to evaluate your case, we may test for additional hormones.

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The long answer is that the optimal number to ensure a single healthy pregnancy varies by age, reproductive history (have you been pregnant before?), and other factors that could make it easier or harder to get pregnant in the future.

The short answer: we recommend having at least 20 mature eggs frozen before your 37th birthday. Why? The largest study to date looking at the average number of mature eggs needed per live birth in patients using IVF suggested that 20 eggs were needed, up until age 37. Beyond age 37 the number was higher (about 40 eggs per baby at age 40 and 60 eggs by age 42). These numbers correlate very well with the national IVF success rates in the United States, as reported by the CDC.

EGG FREEZING CALCULATOR

Although there are several molecular tests of uterine receptiveness, most current tests are not very predictive. The most important tool right now is to make sure the uterus is free of any lesions like polyps or fibroids. This is best done by either a Sonohysterogram, also known as a Saline Infusion Sonogram (SIS) or hysteroscopy. Occasionally, an endometrial biopsy can be performed to rule out chronic infections, or to perform experimental molecular testing.

For sperm producers, the evaluation is even simpler. We perform a Semen Analysis to see if there are enough motile (swimming) sperm to reach and fertilize an egg. Low or absent sperm counts can be due to problems producing sperm or in a blockage preventing the sperm from being released. Appearing to ejaculate normally does not mean there are enough quality sperm being emitted.

The basic sperm evaluation can be addressed with two key questions:

Do you produce a sufficient number of “swimming” sperm to total sperm?
Fertile sperm producers typically produce tens of millions of sperm per ejaculate. It’s not enough to produce sperm; the job isn’t done until they reach the egg and fertilize it. Unfortunately, it’s a long journey, and therefore nature provides millions of sperm in the hope that one is able to make it to the egg, attach and fertilize.

Are the sperm able to leave your body?
Just like how the fallopian tubes can be blocked, the same is also true for sperm producers. The vas deferens is the tube that carries sperm from the testes to the penis. Sometimes these tubes can be blocked or congenitally absent. With an obstructed vas deferens, an individual’s ejaculation may appear normal but lack sperm.

We evaluate sperm with a Semen Analysis, which tests the percent motility, or the number of sperm per ejaculation. We also examine direction and speed, shape, and other factors that can give your doctors insight into your ability to conceive without assistance.

The typical fertility assessment of both partners can be completed within a month (or one menstrual cycle) of an initial consult.

We are one of only a handful of clinics across the country to offer everything onsite, including HSG, AMH testing, and semen analysis. Doing so allows us to shorten your wait for results. We know your time is important, so we’ve designed our workflow around your needs.

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The IVF process is a series of steps that we’ll help you understand so you know exactly what to expect. Typically, the first 8-12 days encompass ovarian stimulation leading up to the egg retrieval. The egg retrieval coincides with preparing sperm for fertilization.

Then, depending on your situation, we’ll decide on what’s best for next steps:

Fertilization: Conventional IVF or ICSI?
When to plan your transfer: How long should we care for your embryos before transferring or freezing them? 2-3 or 5-6 days?
Embryo Transfer: Fresh or frozen? If frozen, do we transfer them in the future using a controlled or natural cycle?
Genetic testing: Do we test your embryos before transferring them?

We can help you decide what to do for each step based on your unique case and requirements.

BOOK A CONSULT

Individuals under 35 have a 2 in 3 chance of having a chromosomally normal blastocyst, so they would need about 3 blastocyst-stage embryos (on average) per live birth. As the individual ages, the chances of having a chromosomally normal blastocyst decline.

At 40, egg-producing individuals have a 1 in 3 chance of having a chromosomally normal embryo at the blastocyst stage, so would need about 6 blastocysts for a successful pregnancy. At 42, they have a 1 in 4 chance of having a chromosomally normal blastocyst, so they might need about 8 blastocyst-stage embryos (on average) per live birth. Individuals over 42 years have a 1 in 5-6 chance of finding a chromosomally normal embryo. This is why many people over 42 are using donor eggs, unless they froze their own eggs earlier.

For carrying individuals using donor eggs, the chances of a successful pregnancy depend on the age of the donor. Since most donors are in their 20s, far fewer embryos will be required per live birth.

Please don’t despair! Although the numbers above may seem discouraging, everyone is an individual and we have patients that beat the odds and have successful outcomes with a 2% chance. The above numbers are to give you a sense of overall probability. Please discuss your case with your doctor to get more individualized answers.

You do not need to transfer every embryo. After you transfer your desired and recommended embryo(s) we can cryopreserve any additional embryos with the potential for implanting. These are saved for a future pregnancy or if this attempt isn’t successful. Embryologists have been cryopreserving embryos since the 1980s. Today, embryo survival is better than 98% and many studies have shown the outcomes with frozen embryo transfers to be as good or better than with fresh embryos. See how we prepare your embryo for transfer:

WATCH NOW

Several recent studies have been published that suggest frozen embryos may have higher pregnancy and live birth rates and may even have better live birth outcomes. Our interpretation: For some patients a frozen embryo transfer is going to be safer and result in a higher pregnancy rate. However, not all patients benefit from this approach so we do not recommend freezing all embryos to every patient. We believe we can identify the patients who will benefit from a “freeze all” approach and frozen embryo transfer during their monitoring. In these cases, we recommend cryopreserving all of your embryos without transferring them in order to increase your chance of a successful and healthy pregnancy.

Reasons we might cryopreserve without transferring an embryo:

Elevated early progesterone. The uterus has a “window of receptivity” when it will allow a good embryo to implant. Before and after that window, even a good embryo won’t be successful. Sometimes, the elevated hormone levels seen with ovarian stimulation can “confuse” the uterus into thinking the embryo will be arriving before it is ready. By the time the embryos arrive, the uterus is not receptive to implantation. So, instead of transferring a good embryo into a uterus that is no longer “receptive,” we’ll wait and use a frozen embryo when the timing is better.

New concerns about the uterine lining. Rarely, we detect a new polyp or bleeding that was missed before starting the IVF process.

Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome. In patients who produce many eggs and embryos, ovaries can become hyperstimulated and need time to ‘cool down’ to allow for successful implantation. This is quite rare, and although it’s disappointing to experience an unplanned delay, it usually means there’s a good chance at a successful pregnancy the next month with a frozen embryo transfer.

Patient choice. One of the most common reasons is that a patient or couple wants to create embryos to transfer later, either for medical or personal reasons.

One decision we’ll consider together is whether you’ll want to do a natural or controlled (medicated) frozen embryo transfer.

If you’ve decided to get genetic testing or are otherwise using frozen embryos, then we’ll work with you to time your transfer. Compared to a “fresh” IVF cycle with ovarian stimulation, a frozen embryo transfer is much easier. Depending on your preferences for timing and your medical history, we can do a controlled cycle or a natural cycle.

• Controlled Cycle: We give you medications to prevent your body from ovulating. We provide all the estrogen and progesterone you need for about 10 weeks.
  
  • Advantages: You can schedule the transfer to your convenience and have more control over the process.
  • Disadvantages: Cost and inconvenience of taking medications for 10 weeks.
    
    
• Natural Cycle: We allow your body to ovulate on its own. As a result, you produce your own estrogen and progesterone and require minimal additional medication.
  
  • Advantages: Lower cost of medication.
  • Disadvantages: There is more initial monitoring to make sure we know when you ovulate and as such, it’s more unpredictable. We cannot control the exact date of the embryo transfer, since your body will ultimately determine when we need to transfer the embryo. We are also unable to give supplemental estradiol before you ovulate, so patients with thin lining may do better with a controlled cycle to supplement endometrial growth.

If you are struggling with infertility, you may have heard of endometrial testing options, such as the ERA (endometrial receptivity analysis), CD138 for chronic subclinical endometritis, or Receptiva Dx which claims to diagnose patients with endometriosis. All these tests boast strong claims of significantly improving patients' chances of carrying a successful pregnancy. Please know that your Spring providers will always recommend any test or intervention that they think will help you be successful. While we are our patients' strongest advocates, we are also data-driven scientists. For a full breakdown on how these tests work, the validity of their claims, and to learn more about specific cases in which we may recommend, you can read more here.

At Spring, we counsel patients who are planning for an egg retrieval when they are 45 or older, and we suggest that they consider using donor eggs. We have had successful live births from individuals aged 44, 45, and 46 with their own eggs, and successful pregnancies have been reported above age 46. However, these chances are low, and we transparently counsel and educate patients to make decisions that are right for them. We recognize that the decision to use an egg donor requires careful consideration, and we are here to support you. Our primary goal is to help our patients in their journey to have a family, and we strongly believe that DNA is only one component of parenthood. An embryo must implant, develop, and spend 9 months in your womb before you deliver your baby and devote a lifetime of care. The primary determining factor of the health and happiness of your future child is your parenting.

Although protocols can vary, typically the process is two weeks involving:

1. 8-14 days of hormone stimulation, culminating in a final “trigger shot” 36 hours before the egg retrieval
2. Usually 5 monitoring appointments
3. The egg retrieval: a 20 minute procedure under sedation (you are asleep with an anesthesiologist present but you are not intubated or paralyzed).

Some patients may additionally benefit from two weeks of hormonal preparation prior to beginning stimulation. The addition of these medications helps follicles grow at the same rate to optimize the number of eggs retrieved.

The idea of giving yourself injections can be intimidating. While many people feel anxious the first or second time, hundreds of thousands of individuals have safely undergone hormone stimulation and find that they quickly get used to administering their own medications. Some patients have a friend or partner help with the injections. We also work with several nurses who offer home visits to administer nightly injections. 

The night before, you’ll have a hearty dinner and then abstain from any food or drink after midnight. The morning of your retrieval, you’ll check in about an hour before the procedure. Your nurse will guide you over to the lab where you’ll change into a warm robe and place your belongings in a secure locker. You’ll meet the anesthesiologist and embryologist who will be caring for you and your eggs. Under their watchful eye, you’ll fall asleep under anesthesia, while our specialists aspirate your eggs using a very fine needle. 20 minutes later, you’ll awaken in our recovery area.

If a fresh semen sample is used, your partner will produce the sample while your eggs are being retrieved. Otherwise, we will thaw a frozen sample.

Our care team will be there to look after you and ply you with juice and snacks. Most patients walk out the door about 45 minutes later. Most patients take the rest of the day off to rest.

HOW IT WORKS    WHAT TO EXPECT

The transfer itself takes a few minutes and is not painful. The primary discomfort you may experience will likely be from having a full bladder. A full bladder will help your organs stay in the right place so our team can have the best images for transfer.

You’ll arrive early to change and get ready. There’s no anesthesia required, but we recommend Valium to minimize uterine contractions. You’ll watch us on a closed circuit television as we gently draw your embryo into a thin soft catheter for transfer. You’ll then watch by ultrasound as the embryos are returned to your uterus.

HOW IT WORKS

Curious about what you can do to make the most of your treatment plan? Here are some basic modifications we recommended.

In general, considering fertility options or going through treatment can involve a few steps, a bit of a learning curve for most, and some flexibility in your schedule. While you won't need to miss a significant amount of time in your usual routine (aside from a handful of 30-60 min. appointments, travel to get here, and a morning off if you do an egg retrieval), this is a good time to slow down and take it easy, to maximize your mental health and well-being.

More specifically:

• Food: eat whatever you like! A balanced diet is best.
• Alcohol: is fine in moderation, or about ~2 drinks daily
• Exercise: is fine until 1 week before/after retrieval, then you'll want to avoid any activity that involves a lot of jumping. Walking, yoga, biking are fine.
• Sexual intercourse: is fine with protection until day 5 of ovarian stimulation.
• Caffeine: in moderation, with a recommended max of about ~2 cups daily.
• Travel: during ovarian stimulation, you'll be coming in for 5-6 morning monitoring appointments, and will want to get lots of rest. While you can travel if you absolutely must and can do an outside monitoring appointment with a local doctor, we do recommend you staying in town if possible.
• Socializing: many patients say they benefited from having some quiet time, to take care of to-do's within the home and even enjoy complementary therapies like acupuncture and massage, spa treatments, and whatever else helps them relax.

That said, we know our patients lead very busy lives! Please know our goal is to minimize the impact and ease your care experience however we can. Get in touch to learn more or come to a free monthly info session.

Many people find this a good time to pursue their healthiest habits. Alcohol is fine in moderation (1 drink/day) until 2-3 days before your egg retrieval but should be avoided post-transfer. Your provider will help you understand when is appropriate to drink again post-transfer based on your unique biology.

We prefer that patients stay local during their egg freezing cycle so that they can be monitored by their Spring provider. If you need to be out of town for a few days, we will help you find a fertility center there to do a monitoring appointment as needed. When traveling long distances, you can keep refrigerated meds in a cooler pack and the TSA should let you through airport security just fine (though it's wise to bring a note from your doctor which we can provide upon request).

Many top employers offer progressive fertility benefits to support their employees. Contact your HR department to see if yours does.

We accept coverage through fertility-specific benefits providers such as Progyny and Carrot in addition to Cigna and Health Plan Services. For our patients with out-of-network benefits, we can provide all appropriate paperwork to submit claims for reimbursement directly to insurance carriers.

This depends on your specific plan. Group plans are more likely to have infertility coverage than individual plans but each case should be verified.

We accept coverage through fertility-specific benefits organizations such as Progyny and Carrot. At this time, we also work with Cigna and Health Plan Services. Additionally, we can provide all appropriate paperwork for patients with out-of-network benefits to submit claims for reimbursement directly to their insurance carrier.”

What it is: A blood test done at any time during your menstrual cycle. Anti-Mullerian Hormone (AMH) is produced by the cells surrounding the follicles. It correlates well with the AFC and also with the number of eggs your body will produce with ovarian stimulation.

How it helps: The AMH level helps us determine your ovarian reserve (how many eggs you can make), and the appropriate dose of your medications. Spring Fertility offers the AMH test on site as part of a comprehensive fertility consultation for both partners.

All initial visits include a pelvic ultrasound. If this is your first visit, we’ll need to determine the answers to four basic questions:

• Are you producing and releasing a healthy egg every month?
• Are there a sufficient number of swimming sperm?
• Are the fallopian tubes open and allowing the egg and sperm to meet?
• Is the uterus receptive to implantation?

Initial consult costs range from $250 - $545, depending on market. This appointment with your doctor includes ultrasound, physical exam, and a physician consult. Because most patients want to become pregnant as soon as possible, we can move quickly. Most testing can be completed within a month (or one menstrual cycle) of an initial consult. Based on your availability and the timing of your menstrual cycle, we’ll plan your specific tests.

BOOK YOUR CONSULT

Options. You may not be ready to be a parent yet, but want to preserve that option. Egg freezing provides the greatest opportunity to have a baby using your own eggs instead of donor eggs in the future. Freezing your eggs is about giving yourself some peace of mind and minimizing stress, so you can pursue your goals. It’s okay, now we can hit snooze on that biological clock.

Yes. Numerous studies investigating the long-term consequences of ovarian stimulation show little to no significant risk. Serious complications are rare. Most individuals report mild bloating and fatigue.

No. Most people with uteruses can get pregnant naturally, and their eggs become a backup plan or insurance policy. We encourage you to think about how many children you want when freezing your eggs. Although it may be easy to get pregnant naturally the first time, depending on how many children you want, consider freezing eggs for that second, third, or fourth child (if that’s your desired plan). You can use our egg calculator to help you plan accordingly.

Cryopreservation places cells into a “glass-like state” where all biologic processes stop by rapidly changing the temperature to -196°C using liquid nitrogen. The cell can be maintained in this state for years without aging. Your doctor will determine a protocol that’s right for you. Bioidentical hormones are used to help the ovaries produce multiple eggs from multiple follicles. These eggs are then retrieved from your body and cryopreserved a few hours later.

An egg-bearing individual's age at the time an egg is released is the single most important factor affecting fertility. Beginning in your 20s, there's a gradual decline in the ability to become pregnant. Around age 35, fertility begins to decline more rapidly. Freezing your eggs gives you more options for the future by preserving your eggs (and their current quality) today.

Two factors lead to this decline: fewer and lower-quality eggs.

Fewer: Eggs, unlike sperm, are only produced before a baby is born. At birth, an individual with ovaries is born with 1-2 million eggs. These eggs are called primordial follicles and are suspended in a state of partial maturity that is not completed until ovulation (often decades later). They are gradually released over the next 50 years. Total eggs remaining in the ovaries:
At birth: ~1-2 million
At puberty: ~400-500,000
At age 35: ~25,000

Quality: While the total number of eggs available declines daily, egg quality also starts to drop as the long-term effects of minor environmental damage add up. The cumulative effects of aging become apparent by your mid 30s, when eggs are more likely to produce chromosomal errors (called “aneuploidy”), leading to miscarriages and infertility.

Egg freezing (or 'oocyte cryopreservation') stops eggs from aging by placing them into a state of 'biologic pause' (vitrification) until an individual is ready to get pregnant. The health of those eggs is safely maintained at the age and time they were frozen.

Your uterus is amazing and is not affected by age the way eggs are. In fact, many individuals have conceived after menopause with donor eggs and a little estrogen to support the uterus.

Turns out, cryopreservation of eggs takes lots of expertise. Prior to freezing, the embryologist safely replaces all the water from an egg with cryoprotectants. Your embryologist then rapidly moves the egg cell through different solutions and then must freeze (vitrify) the eggs in 1 microliter of water (that is 1/1000 of a milliliter). The whole process is still done by hand, and the best protocols are still considered trade secrets. At Spring, we’re proud to work with the best embryologists who have the best equipment to innovate and improve existing protocols.

Everyone has different plans, and when egg freezing is the right option for one person, it might not be the right time for another. There's no clear answer, and this is a personal choice, but we know that eggs are healthiest when individuals are in their mid-20s. This is when people have the most follicles and eggs free of chromosomal abnormalities. This is why most egg donor programs only work with individuals between the ages of 21 to 30.
Everyone has different reproductive horizons: some people go through menopause at 51 while others might have their last menses at 41. Freezing eggs can seem expensive for younger individuals who are earlier in their careers, but the process is actually less expensive when you are younger. Older individuals commonly need to do more cycles at a greater expense because they produce fewer eggs and require more medication.

The best way to decide on whether and when to freeze your eggs is to have an initial consult. During this 60 minute appointment, we'll perform a pelvic ultrasound and blood test to assess your ovarian function. Then we can discuss your treatment plan. The plan we choose depends on your unique situation. We want to understand your goals and concerns, and provide the best option for you.

This all depends on your “ovarian reserve” (or the number of eggs present in the ovaries at any given time). Younger individuals usually have more follicles (immature eggs) and can retrieve and preserve more good quality, mature eggs per stimulation cycle. At your first consult, a pelvic ultrasound with an antral follicle count gives us a good idea of how many to expect.

Again, this all depends on your age and antral follicle count, as well as your family-building goals. Some individuals retrieve all the eggs they need in one cycle. Others may require several cycles, especially if they think they might like to have multiple children when they’re ready. Your initial consult is the best way to get started. We’ll assess your ovarian reserve and discuss your options. Together we’ll make a plan.

At Spring, we believe it’s our responsibility to provide our patients with transparent and realistic expectations as to the likelihood that freezing your eggs will result in a successful future pregnancy. The oldest reported individual to successfully freeze and warm an egg that resulted in a live birth was 42 at the time she froze her eggs. Therefore, our age limit for egg freezing is 43 (before a patient’s 43^rd birthday).

For individuals aged 43 and up, the probability of having a baby from frozen eggs is too low, and the success rate is unproven. Patients over 43 years old and under 47 will be counseled to consider embryo cryopreservation to give them the best possible chances of success.

Protocols can vary but egg freezing is typically a two week process involving:

1. 10-14 days of hormone stimulation, culminating in a final “trigger shot” 36 hours before the egg retrieval
2. Usually 5 monitoring appointments
3. The egg retrieval: a 20 minute procedure under sedation (you are asleep with an anesthesiologist present but you are not intubated or paralyzed)

Some patients may additionally benefit from two weeks of hormonal preparation prior to beginning stimulation. The addition of these medications helps follicles grow at the same rate to optimize the number of eggs retrieved.

HERE'S WHAT TO EXPECT

The idea of giving yourself injections can be intimidating. While many people feel anxious the first or second time, hundreds of thousands of individuals have safely undergone hormone stimulation and find that they quickly get used to administering their own medications. Some patients have a friend or partner help with the injections. We also work with several nurses who offer home visits to administer nightly injections. 

We’ve created medication instruction videos in case you need extra support during the process. You can browse our full library of videos here.

Alcohol is fine in moderation (1-2 drinks per day) until 2-3 days before your egg retrieval. Abstinence is fine too. Many people find this a good time to pursue their healthiest habits.

Come visit us at Spring Fertility for a consult. Just contact us to book and we’ll send you a questionnaire, so we can review your file in advance of our first meeting. Not ready for a consult? Come for a free info session. You can meet our team, tour our lab, and get more information about egg freezing. We’re here for any and all your questions!

Egg Freezing Payment Plan (set up ACH when treatment initiated)

We’re pleased to offer a special egg freezing payment plan with no money down — with monthly payments under $300/month. This plan covers everything from ultrasound and blood monitoring to your retrieval procedure, anesthesia, and freezing your eggs.

What’s not included?

Initial consultation and hormone medications are not included. While we’re not a pharmacy, we’ve teamed up with pharmacy partners to help you access special package deals and lower rates.

When you’re ready to move forward, we’ll set up automatic monthly payments (ACH) when treatment begins. Talk to your care team to learn more about pricing at your location.

If you’re not successful, we shouldn’t be. Spring Promise is our shared risk program. We offer up to a full refund - that's right, your money back on egg freezing - to qualified patients who freeze 20 eggs before age 35, or 30 eggs before 38, and cannot achieve a successful pregnancy when they return to use them. * IVF, anesthesia and medications do not qualify for money back. Program available only to self-pay patients and cannot be combined with commercial insurance coverage.

Help a family have a family. Egg donors give the greatest gift of all: they help others achieve their dreams of a family. We’re pleased to support some amazing individuals willing to donate their eggs to people in need.

Qualifying applicants meet the following criteria

• Motivated young adults aged 21 to 30
• Nonsmoking and in good overall health
• No tattoos or piercings in the last year
• Have not lived in the United Kingdom for over 3 months
• Have not travelled to Zika endemic areas in the last 6 months

Donors must meet FDA and ASRM guidelines, and undergo a medical and psychological screening process with our team to ensure they’re ready. All ethnicities are welcome and encouraged to apply.

Curious if you qualify? Email nest@springfertility.com and we’ll get in touch.

Pay it forward while planning for your future. Help a family have a family, while planning for your own. Our EggShare Program lets eligible individuals donate eggs while freezing some to keep for their own future use through egg freezing. All costs are covered, including storage of your frozen eggs for three (3) years or until age 30 (whichever is longer).

Curious if you qualify? Complete our pre-screening application and we’ll get in touch.

Questions? Contact donors@springfertility.com to learn more.

We accept coverage through fertility-specific benefits providers such as Progyny and Carrot in addition to specific traditional commercial insurance providers, Cigna and Health Plan Services. For our patients with out-of-network benefits, we can provide all appropriate paperwork to submit claims for reimbursement directly to insurance carriers.

Many top employers offer progressive fertility benefits to support their employees. Contact your HR department to see if yours does.

Curious about egg freezing and whether it's right for you?

Come in for an egg freezing consultation, which includes:

• One hour with the physician to review your health history
• Pelvic ultrasound to assess ovarian reserve and antral follicle count

In just one hour, you’ll know your options. Then you can decide what’s right and when’s right for you.

Book a Consult online today or call us at 415-964-5618 to schedule.

You can also learn more about egg freezing at one of our free monthly info sessions. Check out our events page to RSVP. Friends and loved ones welcome.

Not sure just yet and want to learn more? Join us for one of our free info sessions at Spring. You'll be able to meet our team, tour our facility, and learn all about how we approach egg freezing as well as the facts and data to consider in planning for your future. Bring all your questions! Friends and loved ones welcome.

Reserve your spot today. Call us at 415-964-5618, email hello@springfertility.com  or RSVP on our events page.

We also hold community events to raise awareness about egg freezing and fertility care. Keep an eye on our events page for the details, and get in touch if you'd like to organize a talk with us.

Host a private info session Curious about egg freezing and have friends who are too? We now offer private info sessions for groups of 6 or more. Each can be tailored to your group’s specific questions and interests. We can even bring snacks.

Contact us today: 415-964-5618 or hello@springfertility.com.