Women who want to delay having babies for their own reasons and were worried about the possibilities of conceiving a healthy baby in later years can now heave a sigh and concentrate on their careers. They can now freeze their biological clock and wind it up at their convenience.
Yes, Egg freezing is becoming increasingly popular as this new method lowers the chances of eggs getting damaged when they are thawed. The new technique developed in Japan is called vitrification which involves removing water from the eggs and freezing them at high speed in liquid nitrogen to prevent the formation of cryatals.
Egg freezing was considered a boon for women with medical conditions like cancer and women’s with Turner’s syndrome who are unable to conceive during their treatments. But now, this is a good option for ordinary women who are perfectly healthy but are not ready for the responsibilities of a family yet.
Two British clinics are offering ‘freeze your clock’ service on a commercial basis. More clinics are likely to take the commercial route. The two clinics now believe the breakthrough means it is no longer unethical to prescribe this treatment to healthy women who wish to postpone motherhood for social reasons.
Freezing eggs in a fertility bank is an expensive affair. Egg freezing costs between £25,00 and £3,000 per cycle. Some clinics are offering pre-counseling as a part of the service so that the women are prepared for the emotional and financial drain the service is going to cost them.
The method that used to be a last resort for hopeful women with medical conditions has now become a necessity, rather a luxurious one!
Image