It depends on your age and your goals
The two most important factors are how old you are when you freeze and how many children you're hoping to have. Younger eggs have higher success rates at every stage of the process, which means someone freezing at 32 generally needs fewer eggs to achieve the same probability of a live birth than someone freezing at 38.
What does the research say?
One of the most widely referenced studies on this question, Goldman et al. (2017), modelled the number of mature eggs needed for a 75% chance of at least one live birth:
- Around age 34: approximately 10 mature eggs
- Around age 37: approximately 20 mature eggs
- Around age 42: approximately 61 mature eggs
These are probabilities, not guarantees. And they refer to mature eggs, not total eggs retrieved. Not every egg collected will be mature, and not every mature egg will survive the thaw, fertilise, or develop into a transferable embryo.
Why more eggs means more options
Each step in the process involves some attrition. Eggs that don't survive the thaw, eggs that don't fertilise, embryos that don't develop to the blastocyst stage. Having more eggs going into that process gives you more chances at each stage. If you're hoping for more than one child, your target number should reflect that too.
This is where your specialist's input matters most
Your AMH level, antral follicle count, and overall ovarian reserve will all shape what's realistic for you in a single cycle, and how many cycles it might take to reach your target. Rather than fixating on a specific number from a study, the most useful conversation is with a fertility specialist who can apply these benchmarks to your individual situation.
This content is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice.
