Fertility.
The fact of the matter is that humans are not that great at reproduction. Even in the best circumstances, a young healthy woman only has about a 15-20% chance of becoming pregnant within one ovulation cycle. All types of fertility require a certain amount of patience and effort - and the good news is that modern medicine has evolved to provide women with a variety of safe and successful options for preserving fertility! To learn more about top tips on getting pregnant check out our blog post.
On today’s podcast, we discuss the three main options for safeguarding fertility as well as their benefits and drawbacks:
Joining us is Dr. Meivys Garcia, FRCSC Obstetrics, Gynecology, Infertility Specialist and medical director and co-owner of the Markham Fertility Center in London, Ontario, Canada. She’s had a passion for fertility from a young age as well as her own experience with infertility treatments, and loves the deeply personal and emotional journey of helping women achieve their dreams and goals of pregnancy!
Note: In this podcast we use the word women and in doing so, we're referring to individuals who identify as CIS female. We appreciate that gender identity and gender literacy is complex and that each person determines themselves their own identity.
Egg freezing is the best option for women who don’t want to begin a family immediately and are aiming to meet a sperm carrying partner sometime in the future. Once that time comes, you can start trying to get pregnant without any intervention, and ideally your frozen eggs won’t need to be used! However, if you do need to use them your pregnancy success rate will be equivalent to the age of when you froze your eggs.
How Does it Work?
Tune into the podcast to learn more about cost, the insemination part of the procedure, and the recommended ages for when egg freezing is a more or less viable option for you!
IUI with donor sperm is the least expensive and least invasive option, and ideally suited for people looking to have a baby now but do not have access to sperm. It is a good option for same sex couples looking to conceive, or people looking to become single parents.
How Does it Work?
Between freezing your eggs and getting pregnant right away, there is the third option of doing IVF with donor sperm. What that means is that your eggs will be extracted and inseminated with donor sperm right away, and frozen as embryos which can later be implanted into your uterus. The great benefit to this option is that embryos are closer to a baby than eggs are. If, for example, four embryos are genetically tested to be healthy and frozen, there is a really good chance of having a live birth from one of them once it is transferred and implanted into the uterus.
How Does it Work?
The good news is that with improved medical science you have several options that can be viable for you. Egg freezing has become a much less invasive procedure, and eggs do much better in the thawing process.
If you are considering pregnancy - whether now or in the future - speak to your doctor about which options may be best for you before you may be in a disadvantageous biological position due to age. We are here to help you achieve your family goals and support you every step of the journey!
Blog Post: Single Woman Fertility Preservation
IG: dr.meivys.garcia