Why more women are freezing their eggs earlier than ever before

At 35, Catrina Matheson decided she didn’t want to leave her future to chance.

The corporate professional from Orange, New South Wales, had returned to Australia after years working in Canada, certain she wanted children one day but still waiting to meet the right partner.

And she’s not alone.

New figures from Adora Fertility show the number of women freezing their eggs has increased by nearly 50 percent between 2023 and 2025.

Meanwhile, the average age has dropped from 37 to 35 — a clear sign that more women are acting earlier.

For Catrina, the decision to freeze her eggs was driven by several factors.

“I’ve known for a long time that I want to be a mum, but I haven’t yet met the right partner to start a family with,” she told news.com.au.

“I’m also very aware that fertility declines in your late 30s, and I didn’t want to leave something so important entirely to chance.”

The decision was also shaped by losing her right ovary to a tumor at 25 years old, something that made her acutely aware that fertility isn’t guaranteed.

“After losing the ovary in my twenties, it felt like a proactive way to protect my future at a far more accessible price point, rather than facing potentially much higher costs down the track,” she said.

“Freezing my eggs gave me options and took some of the pressure off the biological clock. More than anything, it’s given me peace of mind, and that feels empowering.”

Why more women are freezing their eggs

Fertility specialist and obstetrician at Adora Fertility, Dr. Charley Zheng, believes the rise is due to many factors, including growing awareness about age-related fertility decline, as well as more GP referrals for medical cases.

“We’ve seen an increase of 48 percent in the number of women coming to Adora to freeze their eggs over the past two years,” Dr. Zheng told news.com.au.

“I think it’s because women are becoming more educated about their fertility and there is a growing awareness of the link between age and the success of egg freezing,” he explained.

Dr. Zheng says that female age is the single biggest factor affecting the chances of conceiving.

“Women are born with all the eggs they will ever have, and this egg supply diminishes in quality and quantity over time.

“To illustrate this, a 32-year-old who freezes 5 eggs has a 55 percent chance of a live birth whereas a 38-year-old who freezes the same number of eggs has only a 26 percent chance.”

The “ideal” window for egg freezing, according to Dr. Zheng, is between the ages of 30 and 35.

The procedure itself takes about two-three weeks, with hormone stimulation followed by surgical egg retrieval under sedation.

For Catrina, this part was challenging.

“The daily injections, hormone fluctuations and side effects weren’t easy, and the last few days leading up to the trigger injections and egg collection were probably the hardest for me physically and emotionally,” she says.

Costs typically range between $4,000 and $10,000 per cycle, and many women require two or more cycles to collect enough eggs, plus ongoing storage fees of around $600 annually.

While elective freezing isn’t covered by Medicare, women with conditions like endometriosis may qualify for subsidised treatment.

“Endometriosis is a common reason for egg freezing referral as it can impact fertility,” Dr. Zheng explains.

“Depending on the individual circumstances of the patient, a diagnosis of endometriosis could lead to a Medicare funded egg freeze as the disease and its surgical treatments can damage ovarian reserve.”

Not a ‘security blanket’

Despite the rise in women choosing to freeze their eggs and the empowerment it gives them over their fertility, experts caution that there are still important caveats.

Firstly, fertility testing itself can be misunderstood.

Many women turn to the Anti-Müllerian Hormone (AMH) blood test to assess their fertility, yet Australian research shows that while AMH indicates egg quantity, it does not predict a woman’s ability to conceive naturally, nor does it measure egg quality — which is the critical factor in pregnancy outcomes.

A Sydney University study indicates that AMH should not be a standalone fertility predictor, particularly for women without infertility issues.

Experts say that two women with the same AMH level can have very different chances of pregnancy because age, and therefore egg quality, remains the dominant factor.

And, even once eggs are frozen, the journey is far from over.

After thawing, eggs must survive, fertilize, develop into embryos, and then successfully implant.

Moreover, a study conducted by Melbourne IVF showed that while modern freezing techniques mean egg survival rates can exceed 90 percent — not every egg becomes an embryo, and not every embryo leads to pregnancy.

“It’s really important that women know that egg freezing is not for everyone, and it does not guarantee a baby,” Dr. Zheng says.

“Egg freezing success rates depend on age and health and also how many eggs are retrieved.”

Once thawed, eggs have fertilisation rates of around 65-70 percent.

The fertility expert wants women to be as informed as possible, stating that: “The best advice for women if they’re unsure is to check their ovarian reserve and be prepared to do more than one cycle of egg freezing to achieve optimal egg numbers.”

Medical miracles are possible

For one Sydney woman, freezing her eggs at 40 felt like a last chance.

After discovering she had a very low AMH level, Emily* retrieved just two eggs and was told she would likely need more than 20 to “guarantee” a baby, with her chances considered extremely low.

Just before the 45-year-old IVF cut-off, she decided she wanted to try and conceive.

“The specialist told us he would give us one attempt only, and that my chances of having a baby were less than 5 percent,” she told news.com.au.

“We couriered my two frozen eggs to Adora, and I underwent another retrieval which resulted in three additional eggs,” she said.

“Of the five eggs in total, only one became a viable embryo.”

Despite the odds, she went on to get pregnant, and give birth at 45.

“My decision to freeze my eggs is the best decision I have made in my life,” she said. “I will always feel extremely lucky for our little boy.

“My advice is to stay realistic. Egg freezing doesn’t guarantee a baby. But sometimes, it really does only take one egg,” she says.

Emily says the overall experience was “very positive”.

“My doctors always remained completely honest with me about being older and I’m so grateful they let us progress with the procedures even though it was more likely to be unsuccessful.”

Her story highlights both the hope and the uncertainty at the heart of egg freezing.

Age-related pregnancy risks remain, and IVF later on can still be emotionally, financially, and physically challenging.

Moreover, Australian data shows that only a percentage of women who freeze their eggs actually return to use them because some conceive naturally, while others simply change their plans.

Experts suggest that women inform themselves on the odds, ask the right questions, and seek personalised advice because egg freezing isn’t a ‘one-size-fits-all’ safety net.

*Emily’s name has been changed to respect her privacy.