Ram Charan & Wife Upasana Konidela Welcomes Baby Girl: What Is Egg Freezing? Is It For You? Expert Weighs In

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A baby girl has been born to actor Ram Charan and his wife Upasana Konidela. Both mother and child are doing well, reports indicate. The actor had previously discussed the couple's decision to freeze their eggs "very early" in their marriage.

Prior to starting a family, the couple, who got married in 2012, wanted to ensure their financial security.

"Ram and I took a call very early in our marriage when it comes to storing our eggs. We definitely believed that for various reasons we need to focus on our careers at that point in time."

"Today, both of us are at a stable place where we can afford to take care of the child with the income we are generating by ourselves and give our child that lifestyle and stability," Upasana had said in an interview.

The concept of egg freezing has become widely accepted, but many people are unaware of the full process involved. Read on to find out more.

What Is Egg Freezing?

The freezing of eggs is referred to as oocyte cryopreservation and is one form of assisted reproductive technology (ART).

An egg harvesting procedure is performed during which medications are used to stimulate egg growth. This process involves harvesting the eggs from the ovaries and freezing them for future use. When the eggs are thawed and combined with sperm, an embryo is created.

During an embryo transfer cycle, the embryo can then be implanted into the uterus [2].

How Is Egg Freezing Done?

Generally, egg freezing takes between two and three weeks to complete. However, most cycles can be completed in less than two weeks.

To ensure optimal results, stimulation of the ovaries to produce eggs is timed to coincide with your menstrual cycle. Monitoring of hormone levels and ultrasounds will be performed during this procedure [3].

Who Should Try Egg Freezing?

Most commonly, egg freezing is used to delay conception, preserve fertility, or donate eggs.

People often delay conception to pursue a career or for other reasons - and freezing eggs at a younger age can improve your success rate in the future should you decide to, or need to, use your eggs [4].

How To Freeze Your Eggs?

Dr. Arunima Haldar, Consultant - IVF & Reproductive Medicine, Manipal Hospital Whitefield & Varthur says,

"There is no right age - the earlier the better, but women in their early years will be not ready to go ahead and moreover they will not be aware that they have to freeze eggs. Ideally, any time between the late 20s and early 30s is the time when women usually end up deciding to start a family and that's when they would be the right age to freeze eggs.

Any time after 35 will not be that good because the egg quality worsens, which can lead to a higher risk of congenital abnormalities in these babies. Also, the egg quantity comes down with age, which will mark the need of going through several cycles to get an adequate number of eggs.

The procedure to freeze eggs is nothing but the first half of an IVF procedure where from the second day of the period, we give the woman certain injections (FSH and LH hormone injections). Around 10 days later, the patient will have to undergo a procedure called oöcyte retrieval where we will pick those eggs under general anaesthesia following ultrasound guidance.

Once the eggs are picked, they are frozen in liquid nitrogen at -196 degrees centigrade for as many years as you want. Usually, 10 years is what we consider a safe time."

Is There An Egg Freezing Age Limit?

Generally, women who wish to undergo egg freezing should do so as early as possible. Most clinics accept women who are under 40 years of age.

Several clinics restrict frozen eggs for women between the ages of 40 and 49 and very few clinics freeze eggs for women over the age of 45 [5].

Risks And Side Effects Of Egg-Freezing

The majority of patients will simply experience discomfort during the injection period and immediately following egg retrieval. However, ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome, or OHSS, is rare.

OHSS can occur if the medications used to stimulate ovarian function also cause high hormone levels, which can lead to ovarian enlargement, fluid leakage into the abdominal cavity, and an abnormal electrolyte balance [6].

What Is The Cost Of Egg Freezing In India?

The cost of egg freezing in India ranges between 150000 INR and 170000 INR. This package includes the cost of IVF protocol and egg retrieval. ICSI and embryo transfer are not included [7].

Is The Egg Freezing Process Painful?

The procedure is performed under anaesthesia. However, it is common for some cramping, soreness, or aches to occur immediately after the procedure.

What Is Egg Freezing Success Rates?

As well as the recipient's age, the quality and quantity of the eggs used determine the outcome [8].

There is a 94.4% chance of having at least one live birth if you freeze 20 eggs under the age of 35. However, if you freeze only 5 eggs at an older age, your chance of having at least one live birth drops to 5.9%.