London

Dr Miriam Stoppard investigated.

Living in a city like London it is easy to get swept along. Women marry or move in with men later in life.

They spend longer looking for Mr Right and then by the time they are ready to start a family it may be too late.

Abi Rudland is a writer in her early thirties. She is single but hoping to be a mother one day.

She is determined not to miss the boat when it comes to having a child.

Abi Rudland: reserves right to be future mother

Abi said: "I think about the fact that as you get older it gets harder to have a baby... yes it will all turn out fine and not to panic about it."

Eggs frozen

Abi is one of the growing number of women in the capital who are looking into freezing her eggs so that they can be used later.

"The thing that’s made me want to look into freezing my eggs further was the fact that I have turned 31.

"By 35 your eggs start to deteriorate in quality so I am looking into freezing them as a form of insurance."

The idea of freezing eggs has been around for several years but what is new is that this clinic has started using a new technique known as vitrification.

Eggs frozen for future fertilisation

Professor Gedis Grudzinskas, a leading expert commented: "The main difference is that ice crystals don't form and the egg is less likely to be damaged"

Great interest

Since the Bridge Clinic started to offer this procedure last Autumn it’s had 200 women show an interest – 40 of which have already gone ahead with it.

Single mother Elly Mathews is just 29. Despite having a child, she is very keen to have her eggs frozen.

Elly Matthews wishes to have her eggs frozen

Elly Mathews said: "My son is nearly three and I have always wanted my children close together and I am feeling very broody so this is a good time for me".

Elly is keen not to leave things to chance.

She continued: "I have read all the stories and interestingly many of my sister's friend who are 35 plus are having children and some have had to resort to IVF and have experienced a lot of problems in conceiving naturally".

Careful procedures

Professor Grudzinskas outlined the procedure: "One of the very important things to do is to try and assess a woman’s fertility focusing on her ovarian function.

Professor Gedis Grudzinskas is expert surgeon

"This is done using some blood tests at the ovarian cycle and a rather detailed scan."

"Egg freezing is a lengthy process… and is only suitable for women who still have enough eggs for the harvesting to be worthwhile.

"After the woman has been exposed to hormone injections for about two weeks one then goes ahead and has the egg collection which is a minor operative procedure.

"The eggs are collected under ultrasound guidance through the vagina from follicles of a particular size the size they should be when spontaneous ovulation is going to occur."

Over-stimulation risk

Professor Grudzinskas continued: "I am very conscious of the fact that here we're dealing with healthy young women, and so their response to hormone injections can be very vigorous and robust, so there is the risk of ovarian hyper-stimulation syndrome which means the ovaries respond excessively and can cause problems

Human egg in process of 'In Vitro Fertilisation'

"Then if one goes to the stage of egg collection, that's a minor operative procedure minor though it might be, there are still the risks associated with any operation, such as infection, haemorrhage or trauma to organs adjacent to the ovaries with the needle."

Fertilisation

Eventually the aim is for the eggs to be thawed and then fertilised when the time is right.

The eggs, once fertilised are placed into the womb.

Eggs can be stored here for up to 10 years – so a woman who is 35 could use these up to the age of 45.

It is not cheap. The treatment alone costs around £5000 and then there are storage costs of £200 a year.

That is before you begin the fertilisation procedure.

Emily Perry: first baby conceived from frozen egg

Born in 2004 Emily Perry was the first baby to be conceived from a previously frozen egg.

Since there have been just three others – none of which have been born in London.

Success rate

Not very good odds, but for some women it is the only odds they have.

It seems women want it all these days and why not? But is there a danger that we are taking it a bit too far?

Freezing our eggs and putting off having children is a risky business but it seems many women are prepared to do just that.