Elective oocyte cryopreservation, commonly known as egg freezing, is a medical procedure that offers women the opportunity to preserve their fertility for use at a later date. The question of whether it is possible to freeze eggs at age 44 is technically answered with a yes, but the procedure’s success is heavily influenced by individual biological factors. Understanding the specific context of advanced reproductive age is necessary to establish realistic expectations for this fertility preservation option.
Age 44 and Ovarian Reserve
A woman’s age is the most influential factor determining the outcome of any fertility treatment, including egg freezing. At age 44, the primary biological challenge is not simply a low number of eggs, or ovarian reserve, but rather a significant decline in the quality of the remaining oocytes. The total pool of eggs, established before birth, decreases continuously over time, and this reduction accelerates dramatically after the late 30s.
Doctors assess the remaining quantity of eggs using blood markers like Anti-Müllerian Hormone (AMH) and Follicle-Stimulating Hormone (FSH), in addition to an Antral Follicle Count (AFC) via ultrasound. AMH is produced by the small follicles in the ovaries and provides a reliable estimate of the number of eggs available for retrieval. For women aged 40 to 44, the typical range for AMH can be as low as 0.7 to 21.2 picomoles per liter (pmol/L), which reflects a significantly diminished reserve compared to younger years.
However, the quality of the eggs is the greater concern, as the rate of genetic errors, known as aneuploidy, rises steeply with age. Aneuploidy means the egg has an incorrect number of chromosomes, which is the main reason for failed fertilization, failed implantation, or miscarriage. By age 44, the vast majority of eggs are chromosomally abnormal, regardless of a woman’s AMH or FSH levels. The ovarian reserve markers like AMH and FSH are strong predictors of how many eggs can be retrieved during a cycle, but they are only weak predictors of the egg’s potential to result in a live birth.
Realistic Success Rates for Older Oocytes
The statistical reality of using eggs frozen at age 44 is that the live birth rate is significantly lower compared to eggs frozen a decade earlier. The success of egg freezing is directly linked to the age of the woman when the eggs are retrieved, not her age when she uses them. Data suggests that for a woman freezing eggs at age 44, the chance of having a baby from a batch of 10 frozen eggs is typically less than 10%.
To achieve a reasonable probability of a live birth, a large number of mature, high-quality eggs must be retrieved and stored. For a woman under 35, freezing 10 to 20 mature eggs offers a high chance of a future live birth, but at age 44, the number of eggs required for even a modest chance is substantially higher due to the poor quality. Since the number of eggs retrieved per cycle is often low at this age, it is highly likely that multiple retrieval cycles will be necessary to accumulate a sufficient number of oocytes.
The Oocyte Retrieval and Preservation Process
The egg freezing process begins with an initial consultation and thorough fertility assessment to determine suitability and tailor the stimulation protocol. The first practical step is ovarian stimulation, where injectable hormone medications, specifically gonadotropins, are administered daily for approximately 10 to 14 days. These hormones encourage multiple follicles—the fluid-filled sacs that contain the eggs—to mature simultaneously, rather than the single egg matured in a natural cycle.
During this period, the patient is closely monitored through frequent blood tests to check hormone levels and transvaginal ultrasounds to track the growth of the developing follicles. Once the follicles reach a suitable size, a final injection of a trigger hormone, such as human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), is given to induce final egg maturation. The egg retrieval itself is a minor surgical procedure performed under light sedation, where a fine needle is guided by transvaginal ultrasound to gently aspirate the fluid and eggs from the mature follicles.
Immediately after retrieval, the eggs are taken to the laboratory for preservation using a flash-freezing technique called vitrification. This method involves dehydrating the egg cells and replacing the water with cryoprotectants, then plunging them rapidly into liquid nitrogen at a temperature of -196 degrees Celsius. This ultra-rapid cooling prevents the formation of ice crystals, which would otherwise damage the delicate cellular structures, and solidifies the egg into a glass-like state. When the eggs are later needed, this vitrification process is reversed through a rapid warming and rehydration process.
Financial and Logistical Considerations
The decision to freeze eggs at an advanced reproductive age carries significant financial implications, particularly because of the high likelihood of needing multiple cycles. The cost for a single egg freezing cycle, which includes the hormonal medications, monitoring, retrieval procedure, and initial freezing, typically ranges from $10,000 to $20,000 in the United States. Since a single cycle at age 44 may yield only a few usable eggs, patients are often advised to plan for two or more cycles to increase the chance of success, multiplying the total expense.
Beyond the initial procedure costs, there are also ongoing annual storage fees, which generally range from $500 to $1,000 to maintain the eggs in liquid nitrogen. Logistical considerations include selecting a fertility clinic with a strong track record and specialized expertise in oocyte vitrification. The quality of the laboratory and the experience of the embryologists directly impact the survival rate of the frozen eggs upon warming.