Fertility Preservation
Fertility preservation is an increasingly well-known option that allows women to store their eggs for future use. Whether for medical reasons or personal choice, this process offers the possibility of planning motherhood with greater freedom and peace of mind.
Why preserve fertility?
A woman's ovarian reserve declines with age, both in the number of eggs and in their quality. From around 35 onwards, this decline accelerates significantly, which can make conception more difficult later on. Preserving fertility means collecting and vitrifying eggs at a moment when their quality is at its best.
The reasons for preservation can be very varied:
- Medical reasons: a cancer diagnosis or other conditions that require gonadotoxic treatments (chemotherapy, radiotherapy), ovarian surgery, advanced endometriosis, or autoimmune diseases
- Social reasons: the decision to postpone motherhood for professional or academic reasons, partner-related circumstances, or simply because the moment doesn't feel right yet
- Early low ovarian reserve: detected during routine gynaecological check-ups, even in young women
"Preserving your fertility isn't just a medical procedure — it's an act of care for your future and your reproductive options."
What does the process look like?
Fertility preservation follows the same initial steps as an IVF cycle:
- Ovarian stimulation: over approximately 10–12 days, hormonal medication is given to stimulate the growth of multiple follicles
- Ultrasound monitoring: regular scans to track follicle growth and adjust the medication
- Egg retrieval: an outpatient procedure under sedation in which the mature eggs are collected
- Vitrification: the eggs are frozen using an ultra-rapid technique that prevents the formation of ice crystals, preserving their quality indefinitely
Vitrification has been a major advance in assisted reproduction. Survival rates for eggs after thawing exceed 90%, which makes it a highly reliable technique.
The psychological side
The decision to preserve fertility comes with an emotional process that deserves attention and professional support. How it's lived varies enormously depending on what drives the decision.
For medical reasons
When preservation takes place because of a medical diagnosis, the emotional impact can be especially intense. A woman is facing her illness and the threat to her reproductive capacity at the same time.
Psychological support in these cases focuses on:
- Reducing the emotional impact of the diagnosis and the urgency of the procedure
- Offering a space of hope in the middle of medical uncertainty
- Normalising the emotions of fear, sadness, or anger that can arise
- Helping with decision-making when time is short and the information is overwhelming
For social reasons
When the decision responds to personal or social reasons, the emotional experience has its own distinctive features. Many women describe a mix of relief and ambivalence: relief at taking action to protect their fertility, and ambivalence about the implications of that decision.
Questions that often come up include:
- Am I making the right decision?
- Should I try to become a mother now instead of waiting?
- How do I explain this decision to the people around me?
- What happens if I never end up using these eggs?
Social and family pressure can also play a significant role. Psychological support helps separate your own wishes from external expectations, work through any guilt that may appear, and experience the decision from a place of security and autonomy.
"Every woman has her own timing and her own circumstances. Preserving your fertility is a way of respecting that timing without letting go of the possibility of becoming a mother."
Our approach at Psicofertil
At Psicofertil we understand that fertility preservation is much more than a medical procedure. We offer specialised psychological support at every stage of the process: from making the decision through to follow-up afterwards, including the emotional work during stimulation and egg retrieval.
Our team works closely with assisted reproduction clinics to offer comprehensive care that takes in both the medical and the emotional side.
If you're considering preserving your fertility and would like guidance or psychological support, get in touch. We offer online and in-person consultations in English, Spanish, and Catalan.
