What Age Is Best for Freezing Your Eggs?

Deciding when to freeze your eggs is one of the most pehatrsonal and impactful reproductive choices you can make. While egg freezing is available to women at a wide range of ages, the timing of the procedure has a significant influence on the number of eggs retrieved, the quality of those eggs, and ultimately the likelihood of a future pregnancy.

At Aevitas, we believe in empowering every woman with accurate, compassionate and evidence-based information. Understanding how age affects fertility can help you make a confident, proactive decision about whether — and when — egg freezing is right for you.

Why Age Matters: Understanding Egg Quantity and Quality

Women are born with one to two million eggs, but this number declines long before adulthood. By puberty, approximately 300,000–500,000 eggs remain, and throughout reproductive life only around 400–500 will ever reach ovulation.

Scientific research shows:

• By age 30, roughly 12% of a woman’s original egg supply remains.
• By age 40, this number drops to just 3%.
  (Wallace & Kelsey, 2010)

It isn’t only egg quantity that declines. Egg quality — meaning the genetic health and structural integrity of each egg — also diminishes with age. Older eggs have a higher likelihood of chromosomal abnormalities, which reduces fertilisation success and increases miscarriage risk.

This is why most fertility specialists worldwide emphasise that age is the single strongest predictor of egg-freezing and future IVF success.

What Age Is Best for Freezing Your Eggs?

1. 20s to Early 30s: The Optimal Window

Most global medical bodies agree that the best time to freeze eggs is in your 20’s and early 30’s
This age range offers:

• Highest egg quality
• Strong ovarian response (higher number of eggs retrieved per cycle)
• Fewer cycles required to reach an adequate egg bank
• Highest live-birth rates when eggs are thawed and used later

A major study in Human Reproduction (Goldman, 2017) found that women who froze eggs before age 34 had the strongest likelihood of achieving at least one future live birth.

Similarly, data from the UK’s Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority shows that eggs frozen under age 35 result in significantly better outcomes compared to eggs frozen later.

2. Early to Mid-30s (30–34): Excellent Fertility Preservation Potential

This is the most common age group for elective egg freezing worldwide, and for good reason. Women in their early 30s typically have:

• Good ovarian reserve
• High proportions of genetically normal eggs
• Predictable stimulation responses

For many women balancing career, finances, and relationships, this age range provides the ideal mix of biological advantage and personal readiness, but what if you’re not quite there yet?  Egg Freezing offers you choice when timing isn’t quite right yet.

3. Mid-30s to Late 30s (35–38): Still Beneficial, With Important Considerations

Fertility decline becomes more noticeable after age 35, but egg freezing can still be very worthwhile, after all, you are the youngest right now that you will be. Many women freeze eggs during this period with successful future outcomes, especially if they still show good ovarian reserve during a fertility assessment.

However, a few realistic considerations apply:

• Egg quality declines more quickly after 35.
• More stimulation cycles may be required to reach the recommended number of frozen eggs (often 12–20).
• Live-birth probability per egg decreases with age.
  
  

A 2021 analysis by the American Society for Reproductive Medicine confirms that although egg freezing remains possible after 35, chances of success are significantly lower than for women who freeze earlier.

4. Over 40: Possible, but With Lower Predictability

Egg freezing beyond age 40 is medically possible, but global data shows:

• Lower egg yield per cycle
• Higher rates of abnormal eggs
• Reduced fertilisation and embryo-development potential

Many clinics, including leading international centres, caution that women over 40 may have limited success freezing their own eggs. In these situations, Aevitas provides honest, individualised guidance and, if appropriate, discusses alternative pathways such as embryo freezing or donor eggs.

What This Means for You — and How Aevitas Supports You

Every woman’s fertility journey is unique. While global research clearly shows that earlier egg freezing offers the best future outcomes, the “right age” is also shaped by your personal circumstances, your goals, and your sense of readiness.

That’s why Aevitas offers:

• Comprehensive fertility assessments including AMH testing and ultrasound.
• Personalised treatment planning based on your age, ovarian reserve and medical history.
• Transparent counselling on how many eggs you may need for future family building.
• Advanced laboratory technology to protect the integrity of your frozen eggs.
• Warm, supportive care from a team that understands the emotional weight of these decisions.

Egg freezing does not guarantee a future pregnancy, but it significantly increases your options, especially when done at a younger age.

The Bottom Line: When Should You Freeze Your Eggs?

Here is the science-backed summary:

• Best time:
  Late 20s to early 30s (highest quality, strongest success rates).
• Very good time:
  30–34 (excellent balance of fertility and life planning).
• Still viable:
  35–38 (lower numbers and quality, but benefi­cial with realistic expectations).
• More challenging:
  Over 40 (low predictability; individual assessment required).

If you are unsure about the right timing for you, the best next step is a fertility consultation with an Aevitas specialist. Understanding your ovarian reserve and reproductive health gives you clarity, not pressure, and helps you make a decision that aligns with your future plans.

References (Global Research Sources)

1. ASRM Practice Committee. Evidence-based outcomes after oocyte cryopreservation. Fertility & Sterility, 2021.
2. HFEA (UK). Age is the key factor for egg freezing success, 2018.
3. Wallace WH, Kelsey TW. Human ovarian reserve from conception to menopause. PLoS ONE, 2010.
4. Broekmans F et al. Female reproductive ageing: current knowledge. Maturitas, 2009.
5. Goldman RH et al. Predicting live birth likelihood for oocyte cryopreservation. Human Reproduction, 2017.
6. Doyle J et al. Elective oocyte vitrification outcomes. Reproductive BioMedicine Online, 2016.
7. Cobo A et al. Outcomes of vitrified oocytes., Fertility & Sterility, 2018.