From the time she was a teenager, Donna* knew she wanted to have a baby. When she ended her most recent relationship at age 39, she decided to see a fertility specialist about freezing her eggs.

At that stage, she didn’t want to use donor sperm to undergo IVF, so she wasn’t ready to freeze an embryo. Instead, she wanted to freeze her eggs so she could use them down the track with a future partner.

It’s seen as an insurance policy, but some women who freeze their eggs regret their decision. Credit:Stocksy

Her doctor was frank, laying bare bleak statistics about her chances of having a baby from eggs frozen at her age. Undeterred, Donna went ahead. Nine eggs were collected; seven deemed suitable for freezing.

Four months later, Donna had a change of heart and decided to have a baby on her own, using IVF and donor sperm.