Everything you need to know about egg freezing and in vitro fertilization

Dr. Ghadir is a reproductive endocrinologist and infertility specialist in Southern California. I had the pleasure of meeting him a few times, recently for his episode Skinny confidential ON AND ON podcast.

Be sure to listen to it because it says everything about the problems of conception, success and just about everything you would ever want to know about reproduction. But today I wanted to dive deeper because this is such an important topic for discussion.

In this post, you will learn all about in vitro fertilization, in vitro fertilization and egg freezing. Dr. Ghadir is a father, husband, entrepreneur and podcaster ( A fruitful life ) who works with all types of celebrities, influencers and the LGBTQ community.

In addition, let’s hear from Dr. Ghadir.

♡♡♡

♡ Introduce yourself and give us your knowledge of fertility.

Dr. Shahin Ghadir: My name is dr. Shahin Ghadir and I are an expert in reproductive endocrinology and infertility from the Reproductive Center of Southern California. I am doubly certified for obstetrics and gynecology, as well as for infertility. I graduated from the joint program program between Cedar Sinai Medical Center and UCLA Medical Center.

♡ Who is the candidate to freeze their eggs? What are the advantages and disadvantages?

SG: Anyone who has the slightest desire to be a parent in the future should consider freezing eggs. We recommend that the patient do this as young as possible, and in their 20s it is the perfect time to do so, but since many women have not realized the importance of this, we are starting to really push its importance for every woman who is now 30 years old.

The pros of freezing eggs is that if you can’t get pregnant at a later age you will have access to your own eggs and will not need to use donor eggs if needed. The downsides of this work are unfortunately the cost, and there is a two-week procedure that involves injections. But in the long run, it’s a real benefit and not really a downside.

♡ What is the difference between freezing eggs, freezing embryos and in vitro fertilization?

SG: The difference between freezing eggs and freezing embryos and IVF is quite clear. During egg freezing, after the eggs are removed from the female, all mature eggs are immediately frozen for use across the line.

When we do embryo freezing, the egg and sperm are put together and form what is called an embryo, which gives the potential to fertilize and grow the embryo to a stage of full growth called a blastocyst and at that point the embryo can be genetically tested to ensure it is chromosomal. normal.

The word IVF means in vitro fertilization & actually in vitro means “out of the body” plus fertilization. This is when we fertilize an egg and sperm outside the body.

♡ Take us through exactly what it’s like for someone to freeze an egg.

SG: The process of freezing eggs involves a patient who calls the office on the first day of menstruation and comes for the next few days for ultrasound and blood tests and to start birth control to stop his natural ovulation cycle.

The patient is then switched to 10 to 12 days of daily tiny injections with about 4 to 5 visits to the clinic to do a blood test, and ultrasound to assess and see how the eggs are growing. The final phase is performed in a surgical center where a light anesthetic is given, and in a procedure of 3 to 5 minutes the eggs are removed vaginally using a special ultrasound and a needle on top. Then all the mature eggs will be frozen.

♡ Take us through exactly what it is like for someone to undergo in vitro fertilization.

SG: The embryo freezing process involves a patient calling the clinic on the first day of menstruation and coming for a blood draw and vaginal ultrasound the next few days.

At that time, most of our patients started taking birth control pills to stop natural ovulation for about 1 to 2 weeks, and then switched to daily injections given into the abdomen with extremely small needles.

Injections last approximately 10 to 12 days, and there are usually about 4 to 5 visits to the office for blood tests and ultrasounds to assess how the patient’s eggs are growing. Once they reach a certain size, the patient will be taken to a surgical center and under a very light anesthetic will undergo a 3 to 5 minute procedure that involves placing a special needle through the ovary and the eggs are then taken. The eggs and sperm will then be presented to each other in the embryology laboratory and placed in an incubator for about a week for growth, followed by potential genetic testing.

♡ You are a big proponent of a gay community that has babies, which is so amazing. This is gay pride month, so I’d love for you to talk about it.

SG: The LGBTQ community is a big part of our practice and we have made an effort to establish an entire division called the Independent Division.

This division includes coordinators who help people find their egg donors and their surrogates, and sperm donors if needed. They coordinate all the moving parts and allow many of our amazing same-sex parents to start beautiful families.

♡ You’ve worked with all kinds of people, including celebrities, influential people, and the everyday woman. What “victories” have happened to you in your career that you can tell us about?

SG: My career has had a lot of amazing moments and a lot of amazing families that I have helped. I think one of the biggest victories for me was the openness my patients had on social media and in the press. And generally speaking to other people and removing the stigma from infertility and teaching others who struggle to make their goals achievable.

♡ What is the typical outcome of a woman over the age of 35 when she decides to freeze eggs.

SG: A woman who is 35 years old or older and who has decided to freeze her eggs has a success rate that really depends on the quality of her eggs. We have had patients up to the age of 44 who freeze eggs and have beautiful babies, but unfortunately for some other patients who are even younger than that, we have had cycles without success. I have to say that most patients are doing incredibly well.

♡ Should you freeze eggs if you conceive naturally and want to have more children?

SG: Even if you have had a child and want more children in the future, the thought of freezing eggs should not be ignored. If you are in a relationship and have sperm available, it is recommended to create an embryo, which is sperm and eggs together. However, if you are single and already have a child and might want to have more children in the future, then the idea of freezing eggs should definitely be considered.

♡ How has technology changed in the last 5 years when it comes to this process?

SG: Technology in the world of infertility treatment has been continuously improving over the last five years. The level of accuracy of genetic testing on embryos has increased, and success rates are still very high.

We currently have an embryoscope incubator that allows for a daily recording of 1000 images of growing embryos and gives us significant feedback on the well-being of the embryo, along with genetic test results.

♡ Once you have embryos, what does the procedure look like since you are ready to get pregnant?

SG: Once the patient freezes the embryos in our office and decides to return and use the embryos, a procedure called frozen embryo transfer will begin.

FET usually begins with a call to our office with the start of the menstrual cycle and the arrival of a blood test and ultrasound and the start of birth control to stop the natural ovulation cycle. Next, about 9 to 12 days of estrogen tablets are given to build the lining of the uterus, and after the lining becomes a certain thickness, vaginal suppositories of progesterone and progesterone are launched, which bursts into the buttocks.

The actual FET lasts for a few minutes and anesthesia is absolutely not included. The patient can go home and relax around the house for the next two days, and 10 days later we know if they are pregnant.

♡ What is something taboo in your industry that you would like people to know more about?

SG: There are many taboos about the world of fertility, but some of the most important include patients who think we will remove all the eggs they have on their body and don’t realize we are just taking some eggs that went to die that month anyway during the ovulation process.

People always think they’re going to get into early menopause because we remove a few handfuls of eggs, and that’s completely not true. In addition, people sometimes think that this procedure takes six months or can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars, which is also not true.

♡ Where can we find you and how can someone book a consultation with you? What does the process look like?

SG: Patients can book a consultation by calling the Southern California Reproductive Center at 3-10-277-2393 and following instructions to schedule an appointment with Dr. Ghadirom.

Or I can go to our website which is www.SCRCIVF.com and request an online meeting.

♡♡♡

For more information on infertility, egg freezing and in vitro fertilization, be sure to check An episode of Dr. Ghadir’s podcast on Skinny confidential ON AND ON and all his episodes A fruitful life.