I took a deep breath as the nurse scanned my ovaries.The atmosphere was tense, as this scan would give me a sense of my chances of being able to conceive naturally. I had always wanted a big family. But since I turned 30, I'd started to wonder when, or if, it would ever happen.

Four years ago, I was diagnosed with endometriosis, a condition that causes symptoms such as extreme period pain and even infertility, which is defined as the inability to conceive after a year of regular, unprotected intercourse. At the time, aged 27, I was just relieved to know what was wrong with me, but over time, fears about my fertility have crept in. 

I can't imagine what this must feel like for someone who is actively trying for a baby. As a Middle Eastern woman, I've been raised to think that you are not whole without a husband and children. Although attitudes are changing, motherhood is still expected of me and is something I want in the near future. But I am currently 31 and single with no immediate prospect of starting a family.Around the world, fertility rates (the number of births per woman of childbearing age) for women under 30 are declining. In 1954, the average woman had five children—seven decades later, that number has halved. Globally, about one in six people have trouble conceiving, according to a recent report by the World Health Organization. In the UK, roughly 3.5 million people experience fertility issues. These challenges are reflected in the growing numbers of women choosing to either freeze their eggs or embark on single motherhood in Britain. A recent report by the UK's fertility regulator found that egg and embryo freezing (used in IVF treatments) are the fastest-growing fertility treatments in the UK, with egg storage cycles increasing by 81% between 2019 and 2022.

While I waited for my test results, I decided to investigate what was driving this global fertility crisis—from crashing sperm counts and ovarian disorders to lifestyle choices.Has the power to delay parenthood led my generation to leave it too late? The biological clock

Scrolling through social media, the glut of pregnancy announcements, gender reveals, and even monthly celebrations for babies in their first year can feel overwhelming for women without children, not by choice. Speaking to other female friends, I get the sense that motherhood is still seen as a primary goal alongside a career and marriage.

In Britain, a record 56% of women are childless at 30, compared with 42% in their parents' generation, according to new figures from the Office for National Statistics. And a study from the medical journal The Lancet found the UK's fertility rate is forecast to fall by more than 7% by 2050.Unlike men, who produce sperm throughout their lives, women are born with all of the eggs they will ever have. During each menstrual cycle, there is a decline in the total number of eggs.In their 30s, women are about half as fertile as they were in their early 20s, and their chance of conception declines significantly after the age of 35.

 Growing up, it felt like we were all taught about the dangers of falling pregnant too young, with barely a hint of what might happen if we left it too late.

"There is so much education about not falling pregnant, and then all of a sudden, the biological clock hits," says Suzanne Cawood, the director of embryology at The Centre for Reproductive and Genetic Health. Professor Geeta Nargund, a senior NHS consultant and fertility expert, believes more needs to be done to make fertility treatments such as IVF and egg freezing accessible and affordable across the country.

"Egg freezing has enormous potential to offer greater reproductive choice for those who are not ready to start a family when they are younger... But the key to its success lies in improving the affordability of treatment."

Prof. Nargund, senior NHS consultant

Today, there are more options out there for women than just waiting until fate delivers the perfect partner. Mel Johnson had her daughter Daisy in 2018, aged 37, after using a sperm donor. After being single for more than a decade, in her mid-30s she decided to go it alone.

Mel is part of a growing number of women in the UK who are solo mothers by choice. But there are still societal taboos around their choice.