More and more professional women in their 30s and 40s are putting motherhood on hold by freezing their eggs for future IVF treatment. A recent study in Belgium has shown that women are putting their eggs on ice to focus on their careers, wait until Mr Right comes along or as an 'insurance policy' against infertility.

Social circumstances have produced an upsurge in independent, career-orientated women and the freezing of eggs removes the pressures of starting a family, allowing women to ‘buy more time’.

Dr. Srilatha Gorthi, conducted a similar study, using a sample of 98 female medical students from the University of Leeds. The large majority of the young women expressed that they too would consider freezing their eggs in 'an attempt to combine career success and motherhood'.  

Previously, egg freezing was strictly reserved for women undergoing cancer treatment, however recent technological advancements have made the procedure more readily available. But egg freezing doesn't come cheap, costing around £3000 per attempt.

Egg freezing can be beneficial to women wishing to delay motherhood for various reasons, but Clare Lewis-Jones from Infertility Network UK has stated that although women should be supported in their choices, 'they also need to be aware that using fertility treatment is no guarantee of success'.

Dr Gorthi has asserted that her research emphasises the 'importance of educating young women about their biological clocks in order that they could take informed decisions about future reproduction'.

What are your views on egg freezing? Have you, or would you consider, freezing your eggs to focus on your career or to wait for the right man?

Picture kindly from here