Motherhood on Ice

The Mating Gap and Why Women Freeze Their Eggs

By: Marcia C. Inhorn

Narrated by: Elisabeth Ashby

Why are women freezing their eggs in record numbers? Motherhood on Ice explores this question by drawing on the stories of women who pursued fertility preservation technology. These nuanced personal stories reveal the complexity of women's lives as they struggle to preserve and extend their fertility.

Contrary to popular belief, egg freezing is rarely about women postponing fertility for the sake of their careers. Rather, the most-educated women are increasingly forced to delay childbearing because they face a mating gap—a lack of eligible, educated, equal partners ready for marriage and parenthood. For these women, egg freezing is a reproductive backstop, a technological attempt to bridge the gap while waiting for the right partner. Their stories reveal the extent to which it is logistically complicated, physically taxing, financially demanding, emotionally draining, and uncertain in its effects.

In this powerful book, women share their reflections on their clinical encounters, as well as the immense hopes and investments they place in this high-tech fertility preservation strategy. A distinctly human portrait of an understudied and rapidly growing population, Motherhood on Ice examines what is at stake for women who take comfort in their frozen eggs while embarking on their quests for partnership, pregnancy, and parenting.

©2023 New York University (P)2023 Tantor

Interesting qualitative research insight

There were some long lists and tables that became incomprehensible when read aloud. The author puts her own personal opinion twist in the conclusion that felt misguided and unnecessary.