Freeze All Cycle

When you seek treatment at Wilcox Fertility, we want what will work best for you and your situation. If your history includes recurrent pregnancy loss, a family history of a genetic condition, or if you’ve had previous failed IVF cycles, you may want to discuss the option of something known as a “freeze all cycle”.

A Freeze All cycle is similar to the in vitro fertilization (IVF) process but all of the embryos are immediately frozen for future transfer to the woman’s uterus. The embryos are frozen using a process called vitrification. Vitrification instantly freezes your embryos and reduces the risk to the embryo during the thawing process.

There are some potential advantages to doing a Freeze All cycle. Some studies have indicated a higher chance of pregnancy when freezing the embryos first as opposed to transferring a fresh embryo into a woman’s uterus.

Plus, if you freeze your embryos before transferring them, you can test the embryos through something called Preimplantation Genetic Testing for aneuploidy (PGT-A, formerly known as PGS) or Preimplantation Genetic Testing for monogenic disease (PGT-M, formerly known as PGD). These tests screen embryos prior to selecting one for transfer. Patients may choose to have embryo testing to confirm that the embryo has a normal number of chromosomes or to see if their embryos contain a certain genetic mutation that can result in disease. You can learn more about these tests by visiting our PGS/PGD page.

Overview of the Freeze All Process: 

  • Dr. Wilcox will prescribe the protocol/treatment he believes will provide you the highest chance of success and your clinical team will be your day-to-day guide.
  • You will meet with your nurse who will provide you with an overall schedule for your IVF cycle.
  • Medications will be ordered (we recommend you call your insurance company to review what is covered, what is out of pocket and if you require any preauthorization).
  • We will teach you how to self-administer your medications.
  • You will have baseline blood work and ultrasound on your instructed start date.
  • Your nurse will confirm when you are ready to begin your injectable medications. She will advise you to call her on the first day of your period.
  • The hormone stimulation process typically takes approximately 8 to 14 days.
  • You will visit us at the clinic every few days for monitoring blood tests and trans-vaginal ultrasounds to assess follicle growth.
  • Once Dr. Wilcox is confident the follicles have reached a mature state, you will be instructed to take your “trigger shot”, which is also referred to as an hCG.
  • Your medical team will advise you of your admission time which is typically 24 or so hours after your trigger shot.
  • You will begin progesterone supplementation (through progesterone in oil shots or suppositories) the day after retrieval.
  • If you are having preimplantation genetic testing and/or screening (PGD/S), the embryos will be biopsied and cryopreserved until results are in and it’s determined which embryos to transfer.
  • An embryo will be transferred back into the uterus in a future cycle in the hopes it will result in a healthy pregnancy.

For more information on the numerous fertility treatments and family building options offered at Wilcox Fertility, please continue to review other areas of our site or to learn more about our financial information, please don’t hesitate to contact us via our online form or call us at 626.657.9327.

Freeze All Cycle

When you seek treatment at Wilcox Fertility, we want what will work best for you and your situation. If your history includes recurrent pregnancy loss, a family history of a genetic condition, or if you’ve had previous failed IVF cycles, you may want to discuss the option of something known as a “freeze all cycle”.

A Freeze All cycle is similar to the in vitro fertilization (IVF) process but all of the embryos are immediately frozen for future transfer to the woman’s uterus. The embryos are frozen using a process called vitrification. Vitrification instantly freezes your embryos and reduces the risk to the embryo during the thawing process.

There are some potential advantages to doing a Freeze All cycle. Some studies have indicated a higher chance of pregnancy when freezing the embryos first as opposed to transferring a fresh embryo into a woman’s uterus.

Plus, if you freeze your embryos before transferring them, you can test the embryos through something called Preimplantation Genetic Testing for aneuploidy (PGT-A, formerly known as PGS) or Preimplantation Genetic Testing for monogenic disease (PGT-M, formerly known as PGD). These tests screen embryos prior to selecting one for transfer. Patients may choose to have embryo testing to confirm that the embryo has a normal number of chromosomes or to see if their embryos contain a certain genetic mutation that can result in disease. You can learn more about these tests by visiting our PGS/PGD page.

Overview of the Freeze All Process: 

  • Dr. Wilcox will prescribe the protocol/treatment he believes will provide you the highest chance of success and your clinical team will be your day-to-day guide.
  • You will meet with your nurse who will provide you with an overall schedule for your IVF cycle.
  • Medications will be ordered (we recommend you call your insurance company to review what is covered, what is out of pocket and if you require any preauthorization).
  • We will teach you how to self-administer your medications.
  • You will have baseline blood work and ultrasound on your instructed start date.
  • Your nurse will confirm when you are ready to begin your injectable medications. She will advise you to call her on the first day of your period.
  • The hormone stimulation process typically takes approximately 8 to 14 days.
  • You will visit us at the clinic every few days for monitoring blood tests and trans-vaginal ultrasounds to assess follicle growth.
  • Once Dr. Wilcox is confident the follicles have reached a mature state, you will be instructed to take your “trigger shot”, which is also referred to as an hCG.
  • Your medical team will advise you of your admission time which is typically 24 or so hours after your trigger shot.
  • You will begin progesterone supplementation (through progesterone in oil shots or suppositories) the day after retrieval.
  • If you are having preimplantation genetic testing and/or screening (PGD/S), the embryos will be biopsied and cryopreserved until results are in and it’s determined which embryos to transfer.
  • An embryo will be transferred back into the uterus in a future cycle in the hopes it will result in a healthy pregnancy.

For more information on the numerous fertility treatments and family building options offered at Wilcox Fertility, please continue to review other areas of our site or to learn more about our financial information, please don’t hesitate to contact us via our online form or call us at 626.657.9327.

For Questions and to Schedule an Appointment:

(626) 657-9327