What does fertility preservation mean?

Fertility preservation means taking steps today to protect your ability to have a child in the future. It can involve freezing eggs or embryos, storing reproductive tissue, or using medical strategies that reduce the risk of treatment-related fertility loss. The goal is to bank potential or safeguard function now so you have more options later, when timing, partnership, health, or life circumstances are a better fit.

When people consider it

Many choose preservation because they are not ready to try now but want a plan for later. Others have medical reasons, like upcoming chemotherapy or pelvic radiation, surgeries that could affect ovarian reserve, or conditions such as endometriosis. Some have a strong family history of earlier menopause. Preservation is also part of gender-affirming care for many people planning hormone therapy.

Common options

Egg freezing stores unfertilized eggs for future use.

Embryo freezing stores embryos created with a partner’s or donor sperm.

Ovarian tissue freezing stores small pieces of ovarian tissue for later reimplantation in select cases.

Protective strategies during treatment can include moving the ovaries out of the radiation field or using medications that may help reduce treatment impact on ovarian function. Your oncology and fertility teams guide these choices.

What preservation can and cannot do

Preservation increases your chances of having usable eggs or embryos later. It does not guarantee a future pregnancy. Age at the time of freezing and the number of eggs or embryos banked are two of the biggest drivers of later success. Some people reach their target in one cycle, while others need more than one. Think of preservation as an options tool, not a promise.

What to expect if you freeze

Egg and embryo freezing mirror the first part of IVF. Medications help several follicles grow at once, eggs are retrieved in a short outpatient procedure, then eggs are either frozen or fertilized and frozen as embryos. Most people describe the process as intensive but manageable over two to three weeks, with several monitoring visits and a day for retrieval.

How to decide

A short planning consult with a clinic helps set expectations. Your team will look at your age, ovarian reserve markers, and antral follicle count to estimate how many eggs you might retrieve in a cycle and how many you may want to bank for your goals. Costs, time off for monitoring, and your support system during the process are practical pieces to weigh as well. Online calculators can offer ballpark ranges, but your plan should reflect your own data and how you respond.

Where Strawberry fits

Before you decide when to preserve fertility or how many cycles to plan, it helps to understand your starting point. Strawberry’s at home panels give you lab grade context without the clinic runaround, and every member receives a Personalized Fertility Timeline that turns results into next steps. Collection is simple with our virtually painless upper arm device. Day 3 testing is especially easy since you collect at home, without last minute drives to a lab when you are tired and menstruating.

Choose the panel that fits your goal

Ovarian Reserve Blood Test (AMH) for a quick read on egg quantity and a clearer conversation about targets and timing.

Fertility Blood Test (AMH, FSH, estradiol) for early cycle context when deciding how aggressively to bank and whether to plan more than one cycle.

Women’s Health Panel for a broader hormone view when you want fertility insight alongside day to day hormone health like energy, sleep, mood, training, and symptoms.

Bottom line

Fertility preservation means protecting options so future you has more choices, not pressure. If having a younger batch of eggs or embryos in storage would lower your stress or better fit your plans, it is worth exploring. Start with a focused baseline, review your Personalized Fertility Timeline, and take a few clear questions to a clinic. With a data informed plan, you can choose the path that fits your life today and your goals for tomorrow.