THE BIG FREEZE is an investigation on whether freezing eggs preserves fertility and the risks associated with this procedure. The author nearly losing her last ovary is the impetus of this journalistic endeavor. As a result, and because of her own indecision to freeze her eggs, she starts asking questions in an effort to educate herself and, subsequently, others.

THE BIG FREEZE is geared more toward those who seek to freeze their eggs rather than to those diagnosed with infertility. However, much of the discussion applies to both broad groups. Since the advent of egg freezing, the stigma attached to it has lessened considerably and the technology improved. Between 2015 and 2020, the number of procedures to freeze eggs more than doubled. As evidenced in the official synopsis, some clinics even host egg-freezing parties to provide information to those thinking about it.

This narrative nonfiction first takes the reader through the rise of egg freezing. Lampert recalls when the Pill became legal in the U.S. for married women (1965) and then all women (1972). She also discusses the unfortunate events that lead to the 1976 FDA regulation of all medical devices. This occurred because a very popular intrauterine device (IUD) caused the entrapment of bacteria in the uterus, resulting in infections, miscarriages, and other problems.

Lampert also discusses the various reasons some women consider egg freezing. The overarching reason comes down to controlling one's fertility. To have a say in one's own fertility equates to freedom. It comes as no surprise that women (and men) are delaying the decision to have children until later in life. The reasons vary and include the delay of marriage, women getting more education and work experience prior to having chilren, and the "mating gap." It was shocking to learn that if a woman has a baby between 25 and 35, "when a woman's prime window of fertility largely overlaps with her salary-building years," it exacerbates the gender pay gap. The "mating gap" is the lack of partners ready for parenthood.

Also of importance to this investigation are advancements in technology. Lampert writes about some difficulties that arise when freezing eggs. One major hurdle was successfully freezing the egg without damaging it. A couple of key advancements significantly increased the success of egg freezing, the latest of which is vitrification.

This all-encompassing book also discusses the lucrative rise of "femtech" in the context of understanding one's fertility. These mobile apps or hardware (e.g., smart watches) help hack fertility. I thought this was an incredibly important section because so many women use this tech due to its convenience. However, it is very important to know that virtually none of this femtech protects the user's privacy. In the U.S., mobile health apps fall under consumer privacy laws, not the same laws by which hospitals must abide. Thus, these apps have lower standards of protection and lack federal safeguards for patient privacy. One could argue femtech provides a lot of data to understand women's health. (Yes, these data can be sold to third parties who make no promises on how they handle the data.) But, at the same time, why not ask officially and obtain consent?

Arguably, one of the most important aspects of THE BIG FREEZE is the section on the failure of doctors to discuss fertility with women. This includes all aspects of fertility from how hormones influence the body, to when fertility starts to decline, to the attrition rate of the egg fertilization process if pursuing in vitro fertilization. In short, one egg doesn't equate to one baby. All of this boils down to fully informing the patient so they can make the best decision for themselves, which doesn't always happen.

There is so much interesting content in this book that I could go on for a while. But one other aspect I want to mention is that the lack of regulation for fertility services in the U.S. There are a few well-respected organizations that serve as de facto authoritative voices. But by and large the business of fertility is self-regulated.

One major con of this includes a lack of incentive to study health risks to egg donors because egg donation is a win for everyone involved. The clinic receives business, the donor receives compensation, and an infertile couple has a chance at conception. A cynical way of looking at it is fertility is a huge business. Unfortunately, it's not uncommon for some clinics to push a patient toward a more expensive procedure without fully investigating the reason a patient seeks their help. However, a major pro of a lack of official regulation is that it can result in technological advancement.

THE BIG FREEZE is such an interesting look into the world of egg freezing. Lampert does a phenomenal job explaining this complex subject in an engaging manner. This is an important resource for those considering the procedure and covers a lot more than I recall in my review. The latter chapters are also an educational resource for those experiencing infertility, particularly with regard to egg/embryo storage. In short, THE BIG FREEZE sheds light on reasons why and risks of egg freezing, which has become more popular among women in today's society.

Thank you, NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group -Ballantine for this advanced reader's copy. This book was a wealth of information. The book was part memoir/part educational. Natalie Lampert is a journalist and also on her own journey to find out more about egg freezing. Throughout the book, Natalie tells her own fertility story as well as those of some others, while also giving a bit of the back story on egg freezing. Natalie started looking into egg freezing after losing one of her ovaries. Some women look into egg freezing prior to starting chemotherapy. With the COVID pandemic, even more women took charge of their fertility futures and pursued egg freezing as they either didn't want to wait to find a partner or wanted a backup plan for the future as they delayed childbirth to advance their career. Egg freezing is an amazing science. The author researched and gave great information in this book. It was engaging, yet super informative.

This book provides an in depth look at egg freezing—the history, science, procedures, and personal pros and cons. I imagine this will be very valuable to anyone considering freezing their eggs. I also appreciated how well egg freezing was put into the broader context of other assisted reproductive technology, fertility generally, and education about female bodies. Like the author, bearing and raising children has always been a dream of mine. I assumed that if I followed my plans for education, career, and relationships, and tried to have kids (ideally 3 but at least 2) in my late 20s and early 30s, my dream family would fall into place naturally and with minimal effort. When I started trying to conceive, I was shocked to struggle with fertility. While I ultimately conceived my children in my early 30s without the use of any assisted reproductive technology, I did have to consult with specialists, undergo thousands of dollars of often painful tests, and strongly consider IVF. During these years I learned an incredible amount about my body and fertility, and have since been shocked by how ignorant the general public is about these subjects. Regarding family planning, there are those who believe women instantly become decrepit and infertile the day they turn 30, and those who believe anyone can easily conceive at 40. Regarding reproduction, some people believe you can only get pregnant on day 14 of your cycle, and others believe you can get pregnant every single day of every single month. All of these people are wrong. Whether your plan is to get pregnant now, later, never, or you’re not sure, it’s vital to be armed with accurate information so you can make informed decisions. I was more familiar with the scientific aspects of the book, but the business, marketing, and government regulation considerations were less familiar but just as important for anyone seeking family planning resources. This book is full of good, nuanced information and I strongly recommend it.

I read this book as I was embarking on my own IVF journey. Throughout the process, I’ve sought out books on personal experiences and the science behind it, and was shocked to find a lack of both. This book fills a much needed gap and will help a lot of people make more informed decisions.

This is a well balanced, well researched view into the egg freezing and IVF world. The author did a great job of tying in her personal narrative and other women’s egg freezing / pregnancy journeys to keep the science portion of the book from being too dry.

I’ve already recommended this to a friend who is exploring egg freezing.

I have a whole other kind of infertility, I can't carry babies to term. But I am invested in the science we use now to treat all forms of infertility. It is all so amazing. And babies are my favorite humans and I get happy every single time I see a baby. Egg freezing allows women to have some babies when they are ready for the babies.
Absolute magic!
I was not the only fan of this book. My 8 year old daughter has been asking me to read it to her as a bedtime story. I am not sure how much she even understands but she is really invested.
That is good writing because it means it is accessible no matter what level of medical literacy a person is at.
Thank you for writing this book!

Fascinating read. Researched well.
Thanks to author, publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book. While I got the book for free it had no bearing on the rating I gave it.

It’s hard to encapsulate my feelings about this book into an Instagram caption, because of how much I enjoyed this investigative work into egg freezing.

The author’s personal journey into the world of fertility was enthralling and captivating. I was glued to my iPad from start to finish, as she so beautifully wove together the story of her own dating life with a long-distance boyfriend into the science and politics of putting your eggs on ice. I learned so much about both the process and business involved, which can be more deceptive than meets the eye.

In my opinion, egg freezing is another gimmicky procedure that preys on the vulnerabilities and dissatisfaction that women in their 20s and 30s are facing in the modern dating landscape. As she cites in the book, women primarily freeze their eggs because of a lack of suitable partners to parent with, rather than doing so as a means to put having children on hold to advance their careers. Only 15% of women who do freeze their eggs even go on to do anything with them, and of those, only a handful of a percentage result in a successful, healthy pregnancy.

I also find that this ‘solution’ is focused on the woman, rather than the real problem at hand, which is how men have fallen behind and the dissolution of a one-income household. When they have children, women now bear the brunt of household responsibilities on top of work (all those stats reflect this), which is often unfeasible and unwanted. That’s even assuming a highly educated woman can find a suitable partner. As women continue to outearn and educate men, the gap between the available and suitable becomes that much wider.

I could go on, but instead, I will encourage you to pre-order a copy of The Big Freeze, due to be released in July from Random House. Thank you to NetGalley for the advance copy!