How Long Are Your Eggs Viable?
You may not have known this, but there’s a limited shelf life once your egg is released from your ovary…
3 July 2017
Editor
When it comes to planning your conception, it’s unsurprising if you’re worried about how long your ovum is good for after being released from your ovary.
In fact, a lot of us planning a family rarely understand exactly what’s happening inside of our bodies every month, and so it’s best to get clued-up.
Once an egg (ovum) has been released from your ovary, it can survive in your fallopian tubes – unfertilised – for around 12 to 24 hours, but after that, it will be quickly absorbed by the surrounding tissue in your tubes.
Which is why women who are planning to conceive are advised to monitor their ovulation cycles and engage in sexual intercourse with their partner when they are most fertile – which is at the same time as your egg being released from your ovary. Makes sense, right?
Of course, as we age, women become less fertile. Meaning it can become more difficult to conceive a child in our 30s and even more in our 40s. Especially if we wish to use our own eggs.
What about preserving eggs?
Of course, if you are keen to preserve your eggs in a frozen vault for safe-keeping, you do have a little more time to play with. But it’s important to note that while they may last longer, frozen eggs are best kept frozen only for a few years maximum.
How can I preserve my eggs?
In order to retrieve eggs for freezing, you must undergo the same hormone-injection process as IVF. The only difference is, of course, is that after egg retrieval, they are frozen for a period of time before they are thawed, fertilised and subsequently transferred to a uterus as embryos.
You should pay a visit to your family GP or OB/GYN to discuss how to begin the process of freezing your eggs and gain their medical guidance directly.
