India, July 25 -- As more women delay parenthood for personal or professional reasons, fertility preservation is no longer an inaccessible topic. The conversation is no longer hush-hush: in a recent Reel, Oxford-trained embryologist Dr Tanaya Narendra (@dr_cuterus with 1.8 million followers on Instagram) opened up about her decision to freeze her eggs, versus freezing embryos. On World IVF Day today, medical experts walk us through what one should know about these processes and the questions people are hesitant to ask. Medically, egg freezing is a process where a woman's unfertilised eggs are retrieved and stored at sub-zero temperatures to preserve them for future use. "Egg freezing allows women time and preserve their fertility and keep their options regarding a partner open," says senior IVF specialist Dr Vaishali Sharma. Embryo freezing, on the other hand, involves fertilising the egg with sperm from a partner or donor. This, explains gynaecologist Dr Priti Arora Dhamija, is typically the route chosen by couples undergoing IVF. Egg freezing typically costs between Rs.1.5 lakh to Rs.2 lakh; this covers medications and egg retrieval. Yearly storage charges range between approximately Rs.30,000 to Rs.40,000. Meanwhile, embryo freezing includes additional steps such as injecting the sperm and embryo culture. Prices for these can ranges from Rs.2 lakh to Rs.2.5 lakh. Embryo freezing tends to offer better success rates than egg freezing. "Embryos are more stable and we can evaluate their development before transferring them to the uterus," says Dr Dhamija. That said, egg freezing has newer methods such as vitrification which have significantly improved results. Factors like the woman's age, egg quality and sperm used contribute to the final outcome. One of the biggest misconceptions is that freezing guarantees pregnancy. "Egg freezing improves the chance of a future pregnancy, but it is not a promise," reiterates Dr Dhamija. There is also a belief that frozen embryos are less effective than fresh ones. "Frozen embryos are just as viable. In fact, one baby was recently born from an embryo that had been frozen for almost thirty years," says Dr Sharma. Many believe 35 is the ideal age to freeze eggs, but experts suggest doing it earlier. "The best time to freeze eggs for non-medical reasons is between the ages of 30 and 34," notes Dr Dhamija. However, if it can be done at any age after puberty for medical reasons....