Florence Pugh has never been one to shy away from a tough conversation — and her take on egg freezing is no exception. Last year, the actress revealed she made the decision to freeze her eggs after being diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and endometriosis — two conditions that can make conceiving naturally more difficult. And as more women reclaim control over their fertility, egg freezing has shifted from a whispered 'what if' to a celebrated act of self-agency.

But what actually happens when you commit to preserving your future options? From hormone injections to the all-important egg retrieval, we spoke to an expert – Brendan Ayres, CEO of Connect IVF Egg Freezing – who is redefining reproductive freedom with a modern, accessible approach to egg preservation. Speaking to RUSSH, Ayres breaks down the costs, the cramps, and the quiet power of choice.

When is the right time to consider freezing your eggs?

Egg freezing is a very personal choice. From a biological perspective, the younger a woman is the better chance of quality eggs frozen. Most IVF clinics recommend freezing eggs before a woman reaches the age of 38.

It sounds like it might be quite an intimidating experience. What is the process like?

The most intimidating part in the process is making the first step. When you first consider freezing eggs the first and relatively simple step is to make an appointment to speak with a Fertility Specialist to find out what is involved, and if this is a suitable journey for you to undertake.

The following steps involve some diagnostic testing to determine your ability to produce usable eggs, then commencing a cycle. A cycle can be intimidating, particularly if it is your first time, as you do not know what to expect from the process. A cycle involves approximately 8 to 10 days of self-administered hormone injections, multiple monitoring blood tests and trans-vaginal ultrasounds to observe the growth of follicles on the ovaries, and then a simple surgical procedure to collect the eggs when the follicles have grown to a suitable size to produce a mature egg.

Is there any pain or discomfort involved?

The whole process is not without the potential for some discomfort. For some, there is slight irritation and bruising from the hormone injections, the trans-vaginal ultrasound could be slightly uncomfortable (shouldn’t be painful). Some discomfort can be experienced during the egg collection process. The amount of discomfort experienced at the egg collection procedure can differ between patients, and whether the procedure is performed under anaesthetic sedation or not.

Some clinics perform these procedures with the patient awake and support the patient with analgesia and local anaesthetic into the vaginal wall to help control discomfort. At Connect IVF, all egg collection procedures are performed under a mild anaesthetic sedation, so the patients are not conscious and do not experience pain during the procedure.

Some bloating, mild spotting, cramping and pain can be experienced for a few days after the procedure often comparable to a bad period, while some patients do not experience any symptoms at all. Most patients are ready to resume work and normal activities the day after the egg collection.

Do you find that more people are enquiring about freezing their eggs?

Connect IVF has had year-on-year growth in egg freezing. It is now a significant part of the services we provide. There is definitely more acceptance of egg freezing being a viable option in extending women's fertility windows.

If someone is considering going ahead with this, what's the first step?

The first step to is to get a better understanding of what's involved in egg freezing. I would recommend speaking with your GP. Connect IVF also offers bulk billed fertility consultations and fertility assessment, with our Fertility Specialists.

How long will the eggs keep for?

Frozen human eggs are not like the foodstuffs we freeze in our home freezers that expire after a certain period. Once eggs are cryo-preserved, which means they are stored in vessels of liquid nitrogen that keep them at a constant -196°c. This temperature halts the cells development and keeps them in a state of suspended animation. Technically, as long as the conditions within the vessels do not change, the eggs can be kept indefinitely without harm.

Some states within Australia have limits on the period of storage. In NSW, there is no specified storage period for your own eggs as long as a period of storage has been defined and consented to. A new period of storage can be consented to before to expiry of the previous consented period if you want to hold them longer.

What is the associated cost? Is it ongoing or a one time fee?

An egg freeze cycle with Connect IVF costs $3,960. Be aware that you may require more than one cycle to bank a sufficient number of eggs to provide confidence in achieving a baby in the future.

Is there a particular age that is recommended to start looking into your reproductive health?

A woman’s fertility potential dramatically declines with age: the number and quality of eggs reduce as you get older. A woman should consider a fertility assessment while they are in a good age group to have success with fertility preservation (freezing eggs or embryos), this is while in your 20s or early 30s. Also consider fertility assessment if you have a medical condition that could limit your fertility potential. If you have fertility concerns, act promptly, don’t leave it.

What do you think more people should know about the process of freezing your eggs? Is there anything that might surprise people?

Other than a monetary investment, there is an investment of your time. Once you commence an egg freezing cycle you must present for regular blood tests and ultrasounds, which must be performed in the morning in order for results to be reviewed in time to make adjustments to the treatment as may be required.

Skipping these monitoring blood tests and scans can have detrimental affects on the cycle, which may result in the cycle being cancelled and needing to start the process over again. The dates and times of the blood tests, scans and the egg collection procedure are not usually known far in advance, so this can make it very difficult to organise your life and work during this process. You can attend work after the monitoring blood tests and scans, but you will require the day off work on the egg collection procedure day. But all in all, the whole cycle should take between 8–14 days, so your life will need to remain flexible during this period.