Creating embryos can be done with sperm from a partner or donor. You may want to check with your fertility clinic if they offer donor sperm facilities.

Making frozen embryos

This follows the same process as egg freezing however after the eggs are collected they are fertilised with sperm, and then frozen as embryos.

Making frozen embryos involves:

• Daily hormone injections for about 2 weeks to help mature your eggs. Other medications might be needed too.
• A minor procedure is then used to collect as many mature eggs as possible from the ovaries.
• Egg and sperm are added together to try and create embryos. This might need to be done using ICSI . For more information about ICSI click here.

Some embryos are likely to be discarded if they do not grow well. The rest of the embryos are then frozen for possibly later use.

You can also choose to freeze some eggs unfertilised as well.

Using your embryos

Frozen embryos will be thawed, and if healthy placed into the womb. It is hoped that a pregnancy is then achieved.

Hormones may be needed to prepare the womb before embryo transfer. However, it can also be done in a natural cycle where no hormones are used. Your fertility specialist will discuss with you the best approach at that time.

Chances of embryo freezing working

Let’s say you collect 10 eggs [51, 52, 53, 54, 55].

• About 6-9 of those eggs will fertilise and become embryos. These embryos will then be frozen.
• If the time comes for you to use the embryos, around 4-9 of them will survive thawing, and;
• 0-4 of them have the potential to become a baby.

This estimate is an average and will change depending on the quality of eggs and sperm used to create the embryos. A fertility specialist will be able to give you more personalised advice.

What are the costs involved?

Embryo freezing costs vary across clinics and will be more than egg freezing costs as the embryos need to be made before they are frozen. You will need to consider the costs for consultations, cycles, storage, and donor sperm (if you are planning to use it).

Talk to a fertility clinic for pricing estimates and ask about possible reimbursements available from Medicare and your private health fund provider (if you have one).

Are there any other issues?

Embryos made with a male partner, legally belong to both partners and can only be used if both partners agree. If the couple separates, it may be possible to use the embryos if one partner donates the embryos to the other. Frozen embryos which are not used can be disposed of or donated to another woman or research.

Some states also have storage time limits for frozen embryos. Talk to a fertility clinic about their storage terms and their options available after this time.

Embryo freezing storage limits by state and territory. Adapted from [39, 40] (accurate as at 27/09/2020).

Where can I have this done?

The first step is to ask a GP for a referral to a fertility clinic.
The Fertility Society of Australia has a list of accredited fertility clinics within Australia.
You can ask the clinic about the services they have available (e.g. embryo freezing and donor sperm facilities).

Here are some pros and cons about embryo freezing you may want to consider.

Pros

• Provides more time to be in a better position to have a baby.
• One step further along in the process of having a child compared to freezing eggs alone.
• Reduces the risk of problems occurring with older eggs.
• Mother and baby will be blood related.

Cons

• Daily injections and possible side effects from ovarian stimulation.
• The possibility that partners who create embryos together may not agree to use them.
• May not fit in with a person’s ethical values.
• Unused embryos will need to be disposed of or donated.