What if you could literally freeze time on your biological clock? According to some reproductive specialists, preserving fertility is possible when a woman freezes her eggs.

After reading an article about a mother who gave birth at age 49 (likely the result of a donor egg), actress Elizabeth Higgins Clark pondered, “What if I could be my own donor?” As a working actress recently landing roles in The Mindy Project, Criminal Minds, and General Hospital, Elizabeth says, “I wanted more time for my career (before having children). I thought it would be nice if I could just have a baby when my life was ready, instead of just because my body was ready.”

Elizabeth learned that eggs frozen at age 30 are twice as likely to result in pregnancy than eggs frozen at 40. So, just shy of her 30^th birthday, following a modified diet and exercise regime, and rounds of hormone injections, doctors harvested 24 eggs (16 of which were deemed mature enough to utilize).

Dr. Michael Drews, Elizabeth’s doctor at Reproductive Medicine Associates of New Jersey, says there’s an increase of women exploring this fertility option. However, one study found that over 80% of women freezing their eggs were older than 35 (beyond the ideal age). In an interview with CBS News, Dr. Drew said, “The light goes off for most women when they begin to reach their late 30s-early 40s. That’s when they say, ‘Gee, I’m running out of time.’ Unfortunately, in most cases, they’ve largely already run out of time.”

A cover story titled “Freeze Your Eggs, Free Your Career,” published in Bloomberg Businessweek revealed these statistics:

• The average age of women who freeze their eggs is 37, down from 39 only two years ago.
• The number of women having babies between the ages of 35 and 39 has increased 150% since 1970.
• Doctors hope that within the next 30 years the procedure will become a routine part of women’s health.
• Two out of every 100 babies born in the U.S. are conceived with advanced fertility help.

However, CBS News also reported that the American Society for Reproductive Medicine does not endorse elective egg freezing, stating: “it may give women false hope and encourage women to delay childbearing.” Yet, the growing interest has companies like Apple and Facebook looking to add egg freezing to their health coverage plans.

Presently, the procedure costs between $10,000 and $15,000, with the added expense of $1,000 per year to keep the eggs frozen. Elizabeth said that she is so happy that she did it, explaining that, “I’ll get older, but my eggs will stay 29 forever.” Now single and thirty, her family, which includes famed author Mary Higgins Clark, was supportive. “My parents (who reside in Sarasota, FL), of course, want grandchildren some day!” Elizabeth says her decision was primarily based on her desire to focus on career, whereas other women may opt to freeze their eggs because they haven’t yet found the right partner. During her research, Elizabeth learned that though statistics outline that younger women are the ideal candidates, she struggled to find women in their 20s or early 30s who had taken the elective steps. “I hope that sharing my story will help other young women to make the decision that is right for them.”

Many parents encourage their 20-something daughters to finish college and establish a successful career. Do you think parents should also encourage their young adult children to consider freezing eggs?