What Happens to Your Embryos When the Clinic Closes for the Night?
For many people undergoing fertility treatment, embryos represent much more than a stage of development. They represent hope and the possibility of becoming a family. It is only natural to wonder what happens after you leave the clinic. Who is looking after them overnight? What happens if there is a power outage? How can you be confident they remain safe every hour of every day?
These are important questions, and understanding the answer can provide enormous reassurance.
Although the consulting rooms become quieter at the end of the day, the responsibility of caring for embryos, eggs and sperm never stops. Behind the scenes, specialised monitoring systems continue operating around the clock while experienced scientists remain on call if they are ever needed. Fertility treatment does not pause overnight, and neither does our commitment to protecting what has been entrusted to us.
Protecting every stage of the journey
Cryostorage is far more than placing embryos into liquid nitrogen. It is a carefully designed environment where experienced scientists, specialised equipment and multiple layers of protection work together.
Our cryostorage facilities are continuously monitored through a back-to-base monitoring system, with infrared technology providing additional surveillance of the storage environment. Our scientists participate in an on-call roster, ensuring a qualified member of the laboratory team can respond promptly if required.
The facilities are also protected by an Uninterrupted Power Supply (UPS), essentially a large battery system capable of keeping critical equipment operating for up to six hours if mains power is interrupted. Should an extended outage ever occur, diesel backup generators provide an additional layer of protection.
Rather than relying on a single safeguard, multiple systems work together so that if one layer is interrupted, others remain in place.
Planning for tomorrow
Looking after frozen embryos, eggs and sperm is a long-term responsibility. They may remain in storage for months or even years while individuals and families decide when the time is right to continue their journey towards parenthood. That means every fertility clinic must think well beyond today’s needs.
Our commitment to long-term cryostorage began in 2017 with the establishment of the No.1 Egg Freeze Centre. From the beginning, our philosophy was simple: fertility preservation should be accessible to more people, not just those who could afford premium pricing. We continue to offer egg freezing from $2,500 because we believe preserving fertility should be within reach for as many people as possible.
As more people entrusted us with their future fertility, our responsibility grew with it.
Our original cryostorage facility on Level 2 eventually reached capacity, leading us to build a second dedicated cryostorage facility on Level 3. The new facility was designed not only for today’s needs but with room to expand into the future, ensuring we can continue to provide a dedicated storage environment as our clinic grows.
Technology supports people, it doesn’t replace them
Every monitoring system, every alarm and every cryostorage tank ultimately exists for one reason: each one is protecting someone’s opportunity to build a family.
Our scientific team understands that behind every embryo is a deeply personal story. For some, the journey has been straightforward. For others, it has involved years of waiting, disappointment, resilience and hope. Looking after reproductive material is far more than a technical responsibility; it is a privilege that carries an enormous sense of trust, and one our team never takes for granted.
Come behind the scenes
One of the questions we’re often asked is whether people can see the laboratory and cryostorage facilities so we have now included our cryostorage facility as part of our clinic tours because we believe seeing it for yourself provides a level of reassurance that words simply can’t.
You’ll have the opportunity to see where embryos, eggs and sperm are stored, learn about the monitoring and backup systems that operate around the clock, and understand why we’ve invested so heavily in planning for the future.
If you’re considering fertility treatment or comparing clinics, we’d love to show you around. We look forward to welcoming you into our laboratory, answering your questions and giving you a genuine behind-the-scenes look at how we care for one of life’s most precious possibilities.
