How you prepare

If you're considering freezing your eggs, look for a fertility clinic with expertise in the field. Experts are commonly known as reproductive endocrinologists.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology provide information online about U.S. fertility clinics' pregnancy and live birth rates, although data related to pregnancies using frozen eggs is limited. Keep in mind, however, that a clinic's success rate depends on many factors, such as the ages of the women it treats.

If the expense of egg freezing concerns you, ask for information about the costs associated with each step of the procedure and the annual storage fees.

Before beginning the egg-freezing process, you'll likely have some screening blood tests, including:

• Ovarian reserve testing. To determine the quantity and quality of your eggs, your doctor might test the concentration of follicle-stimulating hormone and estradiol in your blood on day three of your menstrual cycle. Results can help predict how your ovaries will respond to fertility medication.

  Another blood test and an ultrasound of the ovaries might be used to get a more complete picture of ovarian function.

• Infectious disease screening. You'll be screened for certain infectious diseases, such as HIV and hepatitis B and C.