This is one of the most common and most important misunderstandings, partly because of how IVF is portrayed in popular culture. IVF is a powerful tool, but when you're using your own eggs, it does not fully overcome the biological effects of age. Success in IVF hinges on two things: how many eggs can be retrieved (egg supply) and what proportion of them will create chromosomally normal embryos when fertilized (egg quality). Beginning around age 35, the proportion of good-quality eggs starts to decline, and IVF can't reverse that — it can only work with the eggs that are there. None of this means IVF won't help; it means honest expectation-setting matters, and the realistic picture is different for every individual.

If it's crossed your mind, it's worth a conversation — because the right answer is genuinely individual. Earlier is generally better: the proportion of good-quality eggs begins to decline around age 35, so freezing before then tends to be more favorable. At the same time, the likelihood you'll ever actually need frozen eggs is its own question, and some data point to an inflection around the late 30s — which is worth understanding so the decision fits your real reproductive goals and timeline. Dr. Cameron is honest with patients that egg freezing is, in a sense, an insurance policy with terms you probably wouldn't agree to in any other context: you don't find out how good your inventory is until the moment you need to use it, and by then you may not be able to add more. That's not a reason to avoid it — it's a reason to go in with a clear, realistic picture.