Thinking about freezing your eggs? 

Unfortunately, for many women, the process is too costly to regard as a viable option. If you want to freeze your eggs, the costs range from $7000 for a single cycle to $18,000 for multiple cycles. 

If those prices make your heart beat faster, don't fret. There's a new way to make freezing your eggs a lot cheaper. It's called egg sharing. 

What is egg sharing? 

Sometimes referred to as a "split donor cycle," egg sharing works like this: a woman who is either retrieving her eggs for IVF treatments or freezing them can donate half her eggs. Clinics and cryobanks usually pay egg donors the same amount that they charge for egg retrieval and freezing. Not only would you cover the cost of the egg freezing/retrieval, but you would also be helping another woman in need. 

Of course, this is a major decision. Here are some things you might want to consider before taking this step.     

• There are no guarantees
• Keep in mind that freezing your eggs doesn't ensure that you will get a baby. In fact, the success rate for live births from frozen eggs is only about 20 to 30 percent. If you are meant to be a parent, it will happen...but it doesn't always happen through egg freezing.
• Learn about your chosen clinic
• Most clinics and cryobanks will offer free consultations, where you can learn if egg freezing is right for you. Don't just settle for the first clinic you look into. You want to make sure that your chosen clinic keeps your eggs where they are first frozen, as eggs can become damaged if they are shipped due to their sensitivity to temperature. Ask for statistics about the success rate of live births within the facility.
• Understand that you have rights
• It is important that you have legal representation if you are planning to donate half of your eggs. While laws vary by state, it is a good idea to have an attorney who specializes in this field on your side (this is usually paid for by the recipient of the donated eggs, whether that be the clinic or a private individual). If you wish to remain an anonymous donor, your contract can be drawn up to ensure that.

Becoming an egg donor is one of the biggest, and possibly most rewarding, decisions you can make in your life. If you are considering freezing your eggs, egg sharing could save you thousands of dollars. You would also be helping another woman make her family dreams come true. Not a bad offer, right?