Frozen cycle in vitro fertilisation (IVF) is a particular form of IVF that is used in some places around the world and is growing in popularity. Here, we will explore what frozen cycle IVF actually is, how it differs from regular IVF, and how Gender Selection Australia can use frozen cycle IVF to help you with your family planning journey.
What is frozen cycle IVF? 
Frozen cycle IVF is simply the process of using stored eggs (or frozen eggs) when trying to get pregnant during the IVF process. Freezing of these eggs is not the same as popping something in your freezer at home; rather, the eggs are stored at extremely low temperatures in liquid nitrogen.
How does frozen cycle IVF differ from regular IVF?
Frozen cycle IVF is very similar to regular IVF for the most part, and the main point of difference comes from where the eggs are sourced. In a regular IVF treatment, you have two stages: egg retrieval followed by egg fertilisation and implantation.
In frozen cycle IVF, either a donor egg or an egg that has been previously retrieved can be used, which means that you don’t need to go through the whole process of egg retrieval all over again.
This can be really beneficial for some people as the process of maturing the eggs and going through an egg retrieval journey can be difficult and taxing. It can even be harmful to the woman’s health as some people are at risk of a rare complication when getting eggs ready for harvest inside the ovary.
If you’re able to freeze your eggs and use them at a later date in frozen cycle IVF, it means you don’t need to expose yourself to the same level of risk again during the egg retrieval stage of IVF. It also means that you can go without the expense and travel associated with this stage of the IVF journey.
Following the egg retrieval, for frozen cycle IVF, the eggs are frozen to be used at a later date. When ready for use, the eggs can be thawed, fertilised with sperm in the lab, and then implanted after 5 days into the uterus of the person who will be impregnated. This process is the same as fresh cycle IVF from the point of thawing the eggs.
An alternative is frozen embryo transfer, where the eggs are fertilised and then frozen. This has similar benefits to frozen cycle IVF; it’s essentially the same procedure, just with one more step along the timeline before freezing.
Biologically, the point at which freezing occurs will cause some differences to the eventual embryo, which can bring advantages and disadvantages for each technique. However, this is best left to you and your physician to decide, as it is all very dependent on individual medical history.
Are there any advantages to frozen cycle IVF?
Frozen cycle IVF does have some unique advantages over fresh cycle IVF, and may be recommended to you by your doctor in some cases. However, it’s important to remember that your healthcare provider will be best placed to make the choice of which cycle you use, and you should seriously consider their counsel if they have a particular recommendation.
Frozen eggs can be used to improve some fertility outcomes. For particular subgroups of women, and particularly in the age group of those over 35, a frozen egg cycle may be more likely to result in a live birth. This means that if you’re in a susceptible subgroup, you might be more likely to have a successful implantation and pregnancy with a frozen egg in some cases.
The option of freezing your eggs or embryo also has the benefit of reducing the cost and burden of care on the person who is undergoing IVF. IVF requires a lot of hormones to prepare the eggs for retrieval, followed by lots more hormones for preparing the womb for implantation.
In frozen IVF cycles, you can take more time to prepare your womb for implantation because you don’t have to worry about the collection of eggs at the same time. It can allow more flexibility around the date of implantation, which is great if you have commitments or issues that come up unexpectedly.
How can Gender Selection Australia help?
Gender Selection Australia is the only Australian IVF clinic with a direct line to one of the most prestigious fertility specialists in the USA, Doctor Potter. He’s an infertility specialist who can not only help you get the viable pregnancy you want, but even offer pre-implantation genetic testing (PGT) to allow you the opportunity for IVF gender selection. For further information, get in touch with a member of our friendly team today!