At 42, you generally need to freeze more eggs than younger women for the same chance of a live birth, with recommendations often suggesting around 20-30 mature eggs for a 50-70% success rate, though some experts suggest aiming for 61 eggs for a 75% chance, acknowledging this often requires multiple cycles due to declining egg quality and quantity. A study noted around 9 mature eggs retrieved per cycle for ages 40-42, meaning several cycles might be needed.
Women 38 to 40 years old who freeze 25 to 30 mature eggs have up to 40 percent chance of having two children, and a 15 percent chance of having three children. And women 41 to 42 years old with 25 to 30 mature eggs frozen have up to 17 percent chance of two children, and a 4 percent chance of three children.
After this age, egg quality slowly deteriorates until around age 37, and then deteriorates more rapidly until about age 42. After roughly age 42, fertility for most women basically falls off a cliff. While some women in their mid-40s will achieve a pregnancy, many more will be disappointed.
Consider Your Age
Your age at the time of egg freezing is your most important factor. Eggs frozen at 30 are usually more viable than those frozen at 40. This means that individuals under 35 might aim for 15 to 20 eggs per planned child. Beyond age 35, freezing 20-25 eggs per child is a good idea.
On average, women over the age of 40 or with poor ovarian reserve may need approximately 3 retrievals or more to obtain 25 eggs. Women in the age group of 41-42 will require about 30 eggs or about 4-5 Egg Retrievals to get approximately 50% success in achieving a single pregnancy.
A woman in her early to mid-20s has a 25–30% chance of getting pregnant every month. Fertility generally starts to slowly decline when a woman is in her early 30s, and after the age of 35 the decline speeds up. By age 40, the chance of getting pregnant in any monthly cycle is around 5%.
Jennifer Aniston underwent IVF treatments throughout her late 30s and 40s, a challenging period where she tried everything to conceive, eventually continuing into her early 50s, ultimately deciding to share her private fertility struggle years later in an interview with Allure.
Perhaps the most important medical risks associated with egg freezing are those that can result from ovarian stimulation, such as ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome.
Priyanka Chopra Jonas froze her eggs: Why some women freeze their eggs, and how it helps in IVF. To freeze or not to freeze? Freezing her eggs in her early 30s gave actor Priyanka Chopra complete freedom to pursue her career doggedly, and choose when to have a child.
This is also why I'm such a big proponent of embryo banking, especially for women who want more than one child. The study found that to have a 95% chance of at least two euploid embryos, women 35 and under would need to freeze 5-6 embryos.
Here are five key tips for preparing for conception over 40:
Adding fertility superfoods like spirulina, maca, and royal jelly, as well as supplements with key nutrients such as antioxidants, CoQ10 Ubiquinol, and folic acid, will increase your chances for a healthy egg.
Menstrual cycles that are long, short, or have no periods, having heavy or light bleeding can be signs of poor egg quality. Low AMH levels: AMH are produced by the ovarian cells. The AMH levels help to know the ovarian reserve. Low AMH levels indicate less number of remaining eggs.
Medical history and fertility assessments needed before freezing
Once we hit 40, pregnancy rates are only 5% per month. Because of this, the American Society of Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) recommends egg freezing between the ages of 30-35 years. It can still be done after the age of 35, but the success rate of these eggs resulting in a baby significantly declines.
Based on these facts, fertility specialists often suggest egg donation, which improves the chances of a successful IVF. Another fertility solution for this age group can be IUI or intrauterine insemination, which yields about 5% success rate per cycle for women over 40.
IVF success rates for women over 40 tend to be lower compared to those in their 20s or 30s. According to SART data, women aged 40 to 42 have around a 20% chance of a live birth using their own eggs across multiple embryo transfers. For women 43 and older, that number drops to about 8%.
I've never been afraid of raising a child alone, but I'm afraid of raising them with the wrong man. . In 2022, Jennifer Aniston shared her regret about not freezing her eggs. So in 2024, financial broke but still froze my eggs. Because wanted to protect the choice my body might one day take from me.
Shilpa Shetty & Raj Kundra
For five years, they tried to conceive naturally, but Shilpa's autoimmune condition led to multiple miscarriages. Faced with these difficulties, they turned to IVF surrogacy as a solution.
Similarly, those who feel that they were not adequately supported or informed throughout the process, or who experienced complications or unexpected outcomes, may be more likely to regret their decision. While some people do regret egg freezing, the vast majority have no regrets (more on that below).
Infertility in women
The eggs harvested for freezing are eggs that would have been destroyed anyway in the natural cycle. This is why no matter how many eggs you freeze, your ovarian reserve will remain untouched. After egg freezing, your ability to conceive naturally will not be compromised so you can still get pregnant naturally.
Actress Jennifer Aniston has publicly shared that she was diagnosed with dyslexia in her 20s, a diagnosis that explained lifelong struggles with reading, writing, and retaining information, leading her to believe she wasn't smart until discovering the learning disorder. She discovered this during an eye exam, where she realized her eyes jumped words when reading, and the diagnosis helped her understand past difficulties, transforming her self-perception.
The actress and singer made the admission in a candid interview with US magazine People. Jennifer told the magazine: "It was natural. We didn't do in vitro. Everyone assumed that, because we had twins."
Jennifer Aniston's 80/20 rule is a balanced approach to wellness, focusing on healthy, nutrient-dense foods 80% of the time while allowing for indulgences like pizza, pasta, or martinis (the 20%) without guilt, promoting consistency and sustainability over perfection. It's about moderation, enjoying life's treats, and getting back on track with healthy choices at the next meal or workout, emphasizing that no food is inherently "bad".