What is social freezing?
Social freezing refers to the precautionary freezing of eggs for non-medical reasons in order to preserve your fertility for a biologically more favourable time. Women choose this option when having a child is not currently a priority—for example for personal, professional or relationship reasons.
The freezing of egg and sperm cells has also been used for medical reasons for many years, for example before chemotherapy or radiotherapy. This long-standing experience forms the basis for modern methods such as vitrification, which allow eggs to be cryopreserved particularly gently today and preserved for later fertility treatment.
Who is social freezing suitable for?
Women who wish to have a child later
Social freezing can be useful if you generally wish to have a child but would like to realise this at a later time—for example due to your personal, relationship or professional circumstances.
Women who would like to preserve their fertility early as a precaution
For later chances of success, age at the time of freezing is the key factor. Conditions are usually most favourable if eggs are frozen in the early 30s or earlier, as egg quality and often ovarian reserve are still good at that time.
Even if you decide later
Social freezing is not limited to women in their early 30s. Even if the decision is made in the mid to late 30s, freezing eggs can still be worthwhile. However, as age increases, egg quality in particular declines. This may mean that more eggs and, if necessary, several stimulation cycles are required to create a good basis for a later desire to have a child. We will discuss your individual chances of success with you based on your age and ovarian reserve.
Women with a family history or low ovarian reserve
If there is a family history of early menopause or indications of a reduced ovarian reserve, it may be advisable to address preserving your fertility at an early stage. In an individual consultation, we will show you whether and which fertility preservation options may be appropriate in your personal situation and what timing is favourable.
When is freezing eggs recommended?
The reasons for having eggs frozen as a precaution are highly individual. In addition to personal and relationship considerations, medical reasons may also support preserving your fertility early.
Non-medical reasons (social freezing):
- You wish to have a child, but the right time has not yet come.
- Your current relationship or life situation is not yet right for starting a family.
- Professional or personal plans mean that having a child is postponed for the time being.
- You would like more flexibility in terms of timing for family planning.
- You would like to have several children in the future and want to factor family planning for further pregnancies in early on.
- You would like to learn about your current options for fertility preservation and make a conscious provision for the future.
Medical reasons (medical freezing):
For medical reasons, it may be advisable to freeze eggs before a possible impairment of ovarian function. This includes, for example:
- planned chemotherapy or radiotherapy
- Endometriosis, especially before certain operations on the ovaries
- planned ovarian surgery in which healthy ovarian tissue—and thus the ovarian reserve—could be affected
- an increased risk of premature impairment of ovarian function, for example due to certain genetic or family factors
Whether and when cryopreservation is medically advisable always depends on your individual situation. We will advise you personally and discuss together which options may be suitable for you.
Process: How does egg freezing work?
At our private fertility centre Die Kinderwunschärztin in Munich, we will explain transparently how social freezing works and what individual steps you can expect during treatment.
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Initial consultation: counselling & diagnostics
Make an appointmentAt the beginning, there is a detailed medical consultation in which we discuss your personal situation, your life plans and your questions about social freezing.
Using an ultrasound examination of the ovaries and a hormone analysis, we determine your ovarian reserve and hormone status and clarify whether further examinations are useful or necessary.
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Individual Treatment Plan
Based on your ovarian reserve and your age, we create an individual stimulation plan.
We will discuss the selection and use of the medication as well as the treatment schedule so that you can start the stimulation phase well prepared.
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Hormonal stimulation & monitoring
Similar to IVF or ICSI treatment, hormonal stimulation encourages several eggs to grow at the same time.
The stimulation phase usually lasts around 9 to 12 days. From about the 6th day of stimulation, we closely monitor follicle growth with ultrasound examinations and blood tests every two to three days. In most cases, two to three short morning check-up appointments are required in total. As soon as the follicles are large enough, we will determine the exact timing of egg retrieval together.
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Egg retrieval & cryopreservation
A special injection triggers the final maturation of the follicles. Shortly before they would rupture spontaneously, the eggs are retrieved from the ovaries in a short outpatient procedure.
This is usually done under a short anaesthetic; if only a few eggs are maturing, retrieval may be possible in some cases without anaesthesia. Under ultrasound guidance, the eggs are collected from the follicles using a fine needle and carefully assessed in the embryology laboratory. Mature eggs are then selected for cryopreservation. How many eggs can be retrieved varies greatly from person to person and depends in particular on age, ovarian reserve and response to hormonal stimulation.
The eggs are then cryopreserved using vitrification and stored safely. In this state, they can be kept for many years and used later for fertility treatment.
Social freezing – a medical assessment
Gold standard
Social freezing with vitrification is now an established method of fertility preservation. Overall, the treatment is considered safe and well proven; however—like any medical treatment—it is associated with certain risks. These include, in particular, possible side effects of hormonal stimulation and rare complications during egg retrieval.
Later chances of success depend primarily on age—and therefore the quality of the eggs at the time of freezing—as well as the number of eggs retrieved. Frozen eggs can preserve the chance of a later pregnancy with biologically younger eggs, but they do not guarantee the birth of a child. That is why a realistic and individual assessment of your personal chances of success is particularly important to us.
Supplementary treatments & additional options
With the help of a hormone analysis and an ultrasound examination of the ovaries, we can assess your ovarian reserve and create a sound basis for individual treatment planning. Together with your age and your personal family planning, this also helps us assess whether social freezing may be appropriate for you and, if so, when.
If you would like to realise your desire to have a child at a later time, the previously frozen eggs can be thawed and fertilised as part of ICSI treatment. The key advantage: the eggs retain the biological age at which they were frozen. This means that even years later you can use your younger eggs and benefit from the associated higher chances of pregnancy and the birth of a child. The risk of miscarriage is also correspondingly lower. A new hormonal stimulation and egg retrieval is not necessary, provided that enough frozen eggs are available.
Why timing is crucial in social freezing
In social freezing, age at the time of freezing plays a crucial role. The main reason is egg quality: as age increases, the proportion of eggs in which chromosomes are no longer distributed correctly rises. This reduces the likelihood that an egg will be successfully fertilised and develop into a chromosomally normal embryo and ultimately a pregnancy. At the same time, the risk of miscarriage and certain chromosomal abnormalities increases. These age-related changes become significantly more pronounced from the mid-30s onwards.
In addition to egg quality, the number of available eggs also decreases over the course of life. Women are born with a limited supply of eggs, which continuously diminishes. How quickly the so-called ovarian reserve declines varies greatly from person to person.
This is exactly where social freezing comes in: if eggs are frozen at a younger age, their biological age at the time of cryopreservation is preserved. If these eggs are used years later for fertility treatment, their age-related characteristics still correspond to those at the time of freezing. Therefore, as a general rule: the younger a woman is when freezing her eggs, the more favourable the conditions are usually for a later pregnancy with these eggs.
Based on current knowledge, vitrification itself does not lead to an increased risk of miscarriage or chromosomal abnormalities. The decisive factor for later chances of success is therefore primarily the age of the eggs at the time of freezing.
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Individual Treatment Planning
We tailor your hormonal stimulation individually to your ovarian reserve, your age and your personal situation.
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Hormone Laboratory
Our in-house hormone laboratory enables short distances, rapid results and clear communication of findings.
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Modern IVF and cryo laboratory
The retrieved eggs are vitrified directly in our own laboratory according to current scientific standards and stored long term.
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Flexible consultation hours
With appointments early in the morning and in the evening, treatment can be integrated into your daily routine as smoothly as possible.
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Central Location
Our private fertility centre is centrally located in Munich city centre and is very easy to reach.
What Our Patients Say
Costs of freezing eggs
The costs of social freezing vary individually and depend on the scope of the respective treatment. Your age and ovarian reserve play an important role in treatment planning, as they help determine how many eggs can likely be retrieved in one stimulation cycle and whether one or more treatment cycles may be advisable. The individually required hormone dose and the duration of stimulation also influence the overall costs.
Before treatment begins, we will discuss with you how many eggs can likely be retrieved and whether one or more stimulation cycles may be advisable for your personal goal. This allows you to assess the possible scope of treatment and the associated costs well.
Social freezing without a medical indication is a self-pay service. The costs are therefore generally not covered by either statutory or private health insurance. If treatment is planned due to an illness that may impair fertility, different requirements apply for possible cost coverage. We will explain this to you during your first appointment.
Before treatment begins, you will receive a transparent, individual cost plan from us so that you know what costs you can expect.
The initial consultation includes detailed medical counselling and an ultrasound examination to assess the ovaries and ovarian reserve. In addition, individually tailored hormone diagnostics are performed. Which laboratory values are determined depends on your personal situation and any findings already available. The actual costs may therefore vary slightly.
Make an appointmentCycle monitoring is used to closely monitor stimulation through ultrasound examinations and blood tests in order to manage follicle growth safely and determine the optimal time for egg retrieval.
Make an appointmentThe costs include surgical egg retrieval (puncture) with subsequent monitoring after the procedure, as well as all steps in the IVF laboratory: identifying the eggs in the retrieved follicular fluid, assessing them and preparing them for cryopreservation, and freezing them using vitrification. The eggs are then safely stored in our cryostorage facility and can be kept there long term.
Make an appointmentFor the long-term storage of your frozen eggs in our cryostorage facility, annual storage costs of approx. €380 apply. The eggs are stored under continuously controlled conditions at –196 °C. For initial storage, an additional one-off processing fee of €75 applies.
No fixed or flat-rate prices: We bill on the basis of the official scale of fees for doctors (GOÄ). According to the GOÄ, we are not allowed to quote fixed or flat-rate prices for medical services. The prices mentioned are intended to provide orientation and are typical for the treatments mentioned.
Possible VAT liability: Medical services may be subject to VAT (currently 19%). This applies if, after diagnostics have been carried out, no medical indication or confirmed diagnosis is present and it is therefore not a medical treatment in the strict sense. This can be the case in particular with social freezing treatments, but also with the treatment of single moms and same-sex couples.
We would be happy to provide you with detailed cost information for the planned treatment in advance. This allows you to clarify cost coverage with your private health insurance (PKV) as best as possible beforehand. Statutory health insurance (GKV) does not cover costs at our center.
Frequently asked questions about social freezing
At what age should you freeze your eggs?
From a biological perspective, freezing eggs earlier is generally more favourable, as egg quality decreases with age. For many women, however, social freezing only becomes a concrete consideration in the early 30s—at a time when personal life and family planning can often be assessed more clearly. The years between the late 20s and mid-30s can therefore be a sensible period to engage with the topic.
However, what timing makes sense for you individually does not depend on age alone. Ovarian reserve, your personal desire to have a child and your broader family planning also play an important role in the decision.
How many eggs should you freeze?
There is no fixed number that makes equal sense for every woman. Depending on age, personal family planning and the desired number of children, around 20–30 mature eggs can be a useful guideline—however, the target number may be significantly higher or lower on an individual basis.
During the consultation, we calculate what chances are associated with a certain number of frozen eggs. We take into account your age at the time of freezing, your ovarian reserve and your personal family planning, and discuss together what target number makes sense for you and how many stimulation cycles will likely be necessary.
Can you still freeze eggs at 40?
In principle, eggs can still be frozen at the age of 40. However, later chances of success are significantly lower due to the age-related decline in egg quality than if eggs are frozen at a younger age. The number of eggs that can be retrieved in one stimulation cycle also often decreases with increasing age.
We therefore discuss particularly carefully whether social freezing at the age of 40 is still advisable in your individual case. We take into account ovarian reserve, ultrasound findings and your personal situation, and provide open advice on what chances can realistically be expected.
What are the chances of becoming pregnant later with frozen eggs?
The chances of a later pregnancy depend primarily on the age at which the eggs were frozen and how many mature eggs are available. As a rule, the younger the eggs are at the time of freezing, the higher the likelihood that they will later result in a viable embryo and a pregnancy.
However, a certain number of frozen eggs is not a guarantee of having a child. Not every egg survives thawing, can be fertilised successfully and then develops into an embryo. That is why we calculate as individually as possible already during planning what chances are associated with a certain number of frozen eggs and what target number may be appropriate for your personal family planning.
Do I lose eggs through social freezing, or will I go through menopause earlier as a result?
No. Hormonal stimulation does not simply “use up” additional eggs from your future ovarian reserve. Ovarian reserve decreases naturally and continuously over the course of life: every month, numerous eggs are lost through a natural process known as atresia—regardless of whether hormonal stimulation is performed.
In every natural cycle, several follicles also begin to mature. Normally, only one follicle continues to develop until ovulation, while the others regress. With hormonal stimulation, we make use of some of these follicles and support several of them in continuing to mature at the same time.
Egg retrieval therefore does not cause the ovarian reserve to be depleted more quickly or menopause to occur earlier.
Is egg retrieval painful?
Egg retrieval is usually performed under a short anaesthetic, so you do not feel any pain during the procedure. Immediately afterwards, mild lower abdominal pain or a pulling sensation may occur, which usually subsides quickly. As the ovaries may still be enlarged due to hormonal stimulation, a feeling of pressure or tension in the lower abdomen may persist for a few days—especially if many follicles have matured. More severe or increasing pain is rare and should be medically assessed.
How long does social freezing treatment take?
A social freezing cycle usually takes about two weeks. Hormonal stimulation typically begins at the start of the cycle and lasts around ten to twelve days. During this time, we regularly monitor follicle growth with ultrasound and blood tests and adjust treatment individually as needed.
As soon as enough follicles have matured, final egg maturation is triggered. About 36 hours later, egg retrieval is performed under a short anaesthetic. The mature eggs retrieved are vitrified in the IVF laboratory on the same day and then stored.
In social freezing, are fertilised or unfertilised eggs frozen?
In social freezing, unfertilised eggs are frozen. This keeps future family planning open and independent of a current partner. If you would like to use the eggs at a later time, they are thawed and fertilised as part of fertility treatment.
Fertilised eggs can also be frozen. This is usually done as part of IVF or ICSI treatment for couples and should be distinguished from the cryopreservation of unfertilised eggs in social freezing.
How long can frozen eggs be stored?
Vitrified eggs can generally be stored for many years. They are kept at around –196 °C in liquid nitrogen. At these extremely low temperatures, biological processes in the cells virtually come to a standstill, so the eggs do not continue to age during storage.
The decisive factor for their age-related quality therefore remains the age at the time of freezing—not how many years the eggs are subsequently stored in cryostorage.
How will my frozen eggs be used later?
If you would like to use your frozen eggs later for fertility treatment, the required eggs are thawed and then fertilised in our IVF laboratory using ICSI. In this process, one sperm cell is injected directly into each egg.
After fertilisation, the eggs are further cultured in the laboratory and their development is carefully monitored. A suitable embryo is then transferred into the uterus. Additional frozen eggs can remain safely stored in cryostorage for a later desire to have a child.
Can I still become pregnant naturally later despite having frozen eggs?
Yes. Social freezing does not mean that you will later be dependent on your frozen eggs. If you wish to have a child at a later time and a natural pregnancy is possible, you can first try to become pregnant in the usual way.
The frozen eggs remain available as an additional option. They can be used later if pregnancy does not occur naturally or if using eggs frozen at a younger age appears medically advisable.
Do all eggs survive freezing and thawing?
Vitrification is now a well-established method that allows eggs to be frozen gently and stored for many years. The vast majority of mature eggs survive later thawing well.
Nevertheless, not every frozen egg later results in a pregnancy. After thawing, the egg must first be fertilised successfully and then develop into an embryo. This is a natural biological selection process and one of the reasons why several mature eggs should be frozen in social freezing.
How many eggs make sense for your personal family planning depends in particular on your age at the time of freezing and whether you would like to have one or more children later. We calculate and discuss these chances with you individually.
When does health insurance cover the costs of freezing eggs?
Social freezing for personal, non-medical reasons is a self-pay service and is generally not covered by health insurance.
The situation may be different in the case of medically necessary fertility preservation, for example before chemotherapy or radiotherapy or before certain treatments that can impair ovarian function. In individual cases, conditions such as endometriosis may also constitute a medical indication for precautionary egg freezing.
Whether and to what extent costs are covered depends on the individual medical situation and the respective insurance coverage. Particularly for privately insured patients, we recommend clarifying possible cost coverage with the health insurance provider before treatment begins. We will be happy to support you with the necessary medical documentation.
What side effects can social freezing have?
Hormonal stimulation is well tolerated by most women. Temporarily, a feeling of pressure or tension in the lower abdomen, bloating, fatigue or mild mood swings may occur. After egg retrieval, mild lower abdominal pain or a feeling of tension may persist for a short time.
A possible complication of hormonal stimulation is the so-called ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS), in which the ovaries react excessively to the medication. In social freezing, this risk can now be reduced very significantly through modern stimulation protocols and appropriately adjusted triggering of egg maturation. Severe cases are therefore rare.
Complications of egg retrieval such as bleeding, infections or injury to neighbouring organs are also rare. According to current scientific knowledge, long-term health risks from hormonal stimulation or freezing eggs are not known.
