Egg retrieval for egg freezing

How egg retrieval fits into the egg freezing journey

By the time you reach retrieval, you’ve already gone through stimulation and monitoring. The follicles have been measured, your hormones checked and your trigger shot carefully timed. Egg retrieval is where all that preparation finally comes together. In a single procedure, the eggs are collected, passed straight to the laboratory and then prepared for vitrification and storage.

If you’re still mapping out the full journey or comparing what this treatment usually costs in Mexico, we have a detailed breakdown on the egg freezing cost page. It’s helpful to look at the numbers and the steps side-by-side, especially if you're planning your trip.

And if you want the bigger picture of how everything connects, you can also revisit the main egg freezing overview or the section explaining ovarian stimulation and how it sets the stage for this day.

What happens on egg retrieval day

The day of retrieval is scheduled very precisely, based on when you received the trigger injection. This timing is not a detail. It is what allows the medical team to collect the eggs at the right stage of maturity.

Before you arrive at the clinic

• You will usually need to fast for a set number of hours, because sedation is used.
• You are asked to avoid perfumes and strong fragrances, since the lab environment is very controlled.
• If you are traveling from another country, we help you plan the schedule so that retrieval fits well into your stay in Mexico City.

At the clinic

• You check in, sign consent forms and have one last brief talk with the medical team.
• An anesthesiologist explains the type of sedation and answers last minute questions.
• Your partner or companion usually waits in a nearby room while the procedure takes place.

Inside the procedure room

The procedure itself is done through the vagina using a fine needle guided by ultrasound. There are no cuts on the abdomen.

Under sedation, you are asleep and do not feel the aspiration. While you rest, Dr. Alejandro Castillo Peláez and the team move from follicle to follicle, carefully aspirating the fluid that contains the eggs.

What the laboratory team does with your eggs

While you are waking up from sedation, the embryology team is already working. Every follicle that was aspirated is checked under the microscope to see if it contains an egg and to evaluate its maturity.

Identifying and counting eggs

• Not every follicle will contain an egg, but many do.
• The team records how many eggs were collected in total.
• Later, the doctor will sit with you to explain the number in context, not just as a raw figure.

Assessing maturity before freezing

• Only mature eggs are good candidates for freezing.
• Embryologists classify eggs so that only those at the right stage proceed to vitrification.
• This selection step is key for your future success chances.

Preparing for vitrification and storage

Once maturity is confirmed, eggs are processed and frozen using ultra fast cooling. That part of the journey is explained in more detail on our page about vitrification and storage.

Recovery after egg retrieval

Egg retrieval is usually a day procedure. You arrive in the morning, go through the process and leave the clinic a few hours later. Still, it is a medical intervention, and your body appreciates real rest afterward.

Right after the procedure

• You stay in a recovery area until the sedation wears off.
• Mild cramping and bloating are very common.
• You are not allowed to drive that day, so a companion is important.

During the first 24 hours

• Many patients prefer to keep plans simple. Hotel, light food, rest.
• Pain is usually managed with standard over the counter medication, unless your doctor says otherwise.
• Heavy exercise and intense activity are typically paused for a short time.

When to contact the clinic

• If you notice strong pain, difficulty breathing or very fast abdominal growth, you should contact the team immediately.
• These situations are uncommon, but we prefer that you ask one question too many rather than one too few.
• Our article on risks and complications of egg freezing explains what we watch for and how we minimize those risks.

Understanding your results after retrieval

One of the first questions most patients have is very direct: how many eggs did we get. It is an understandable question, but the answer needs context. Age, egg maturity and your personal plans all matter almost as much as the total count.

Raw numbers and what they really mean

• You will be informed of how many eggs were retrieved and how many were considered mature enough to freeze.
• Younger women usually need fewer eggs to have good future chances compared with women in their late thirties or early forties.

Relating egg count to future success rates

• Our page about egg freezing success rates helps translate these numbers into realistic expectations.
• In some cases, more than one retrieval cycle is considered, depending on age and personal goals.

Talking through your options with the doctor

After retrieval, there is usually a quieter moment where you sit down with Dr. Alejandro Castillo Peláez or a member of the team. The goal of that conversation is simple. To help you understand where you stand now, how strong your frozen egg reserve is and whether another cycle would add meaningful value for your future plans.