Egg freezing: where to start?

Egg freezing is about buying yourself options. If having younger eggs stored would make the next few years feel calmer, it is worth exploring. The goal is not to commit to everything at once. It is to get enough information to decide what makes sense for you, on your timeline.

Start with your plan

Start by sketching your likely timeline and goals. Are you hoping for one child or more than one? Do you expect a long gap before trying because of study, training, travel, or work? Are you between partners, planning solo parenthood, or simply not ready yet? If you already know that pregnancy is likely later, egg freezing can act like a safety net that reflects today’s egg quality.

Build your baseline

A small amount of data makes the decision much easier. Track two or three cycles so you know your usual pattern, then add a focused set of labs. Your numbers are read together, not in isolation, and they are used to plan, not to label you.

Your first baseline could include

AMH: for ovarian reserve.

FSH and estradiol: early in the cycle for context on cycle signaling.

LH: as part of the broader picture on ovulation timing.

Clinics often add an antral follicle count ultrasound. This looks at small resting follicles and helps estimate how many mature eggs you might retrieve in a cycle. If you have symptoms or risk factors, talk with your clinician about whole-health labs like thyroid function, vitamin D, and markers related to insulin resistance, since they can influence cycles and how you feel day to day.

Turn it into a plan

With age, labs, and an ultrasound in hand, a clinic can help you set a realistic target. Together you will decide whether one cycle is likely to meet your goals or whether a small series makes more sense. If you prefer not to commit to fertilizing eggs now, you can freeze eggs and decide later. If you want fewer unknowns, some people choose embryo freezing with partner or donor sperm. Online calculators can offer ballpark ranges for eggs needed, but your plan should reflect your own results and how you respond to medication.

Budget and logistics matter too. Most of the upfront cost sits in the retrieval cycle and medications, then storage is billed yearly. When you are ready to use eggs, there are separate fees for thaw, fertilization, and transfer. Ask for an itemized estimate so you can compare like for like, and check what your plan does with medications and storage. Many people schedule stimulation during a quieter month and set up a simple support plan for monitoring visits and retrieval day.

If you are in your 20s, freezing is an option, not a requirement. Some people feel comfortable waiting and rechecking data yearly. If you are in your late 30s or early 40s, options still exist. Your team may recommend banking across more than one cycle, or discussing embryo freezing if that better serves your goals. The point is choice, not pressure.

Where Strawberry helps

Starting at home keeps this simple. Strawberry’s kits measure the hormones that actually inform decisions, and every result is reviewed by clinicians and explained clearly. Collection is quick with our virtually painless upper-arm device. Day 3 testing is especially easy because you collect at home, not at a lab when you are tired a