Collection rates
How many eggs can you expect to collect?
There is no definite test to predict exactly how many eggs you will be able to collect and freeze with each cycle.
Generally, somewhere between 8-20 eggs are collected per cycle (12). However, this highly depends on a person’s age and can vary from cycle to cycle.
Some eggs collected may not be suitable for freezing (e.g. if they have not fully matured) and will be discarded. A small number of women may not collect any eggs that are suitable for freezing (27).
Age at the time of freezing has the biggest impact on the number and quality of eggs that you may collect.
YourIVFSuccess have an egg freezing calculator to help estimate the number of eggs you may collect.
Follicle counts
Estimating the number of eggs that may be collected in a cycle is done by counting the number of follicles present in the ovaries. This is done using a transvaginal ultrasound scan. Some follicles counted may not contain any eggs that are suitable for freezing.
Anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH)
You may be offered a blood test to check if your AMH levels are around what is expected for a person your age.
AMH tests are used to estimate a woman’s egg reserve and how they may respond to ovarian stimulation. They can only give a rough idea and cannot accurately predict the number of eggs that will be collected, or the quality of those eggs.
It is important to go through your AMH test results with a fertility specialist.
For more information, Wiser Healthcare has a fact sheet about AMH tests.
Understanding this graph
AMH levels vary between women and change over time. Women with higher AMH levels than most women their age fall within the 'High AMH' range (75th percentile). Women with lower AMH levels than most women their age fall within the 'Low AMH' range (25th percentile) (28). While there are no standard cut-offs for AMH levels, less than 7 pmol/L is often considered low (29), and more than 33 pmol/L may suggest PMOS (30). These cut-offs are a guide and can vary between clinics.
Speak to a fertility specialist for more personalised advice and to discuss what your AMH level means for you.
How many eggs/cycles do I need?
There is no ‘magic number’ of frozen eggs that guarantee you will be able to have a baby.
Fertility specialists often recommend freezing around 20 eggs to have a good chance of having a baby from those eggs (31).
Older women will usually need to freeze more eggs than younger women to have the same chances of having a baby. For example, one study found that women who froze 20 eggs by the age of 35 had a 78% chance of having a baby from their eggs, whereas women who froze 20 eggs after the age of 35 had a 50% chance (32).
Different clinics have different success rates too. These are often published on their websites or can be requested.
Collecting fewer eggs than expected can be disappointing. Extra emotional support may be needed during this time. Attending a counselling session at your fertility clinic or with another provider may be helpful, as well as arranging a review appointment with your fertility specialist.
Having more than one egg freezing cycle may be recommended, however it may not be an option for you. Still, it can be reassuring to have some frozen eggs, even if the number is less than expected (33).
If you are thinking of having more egg freezing cycles you may want to consider:
- The chances of using your frozen eggs
- The number of children you hope to have
- The cost of having more cycles
- The potential inconvenience and side effects from having more cycles
