Local Health Alert: Playing The Pregnancy Waiting Game

Could put off pregnancy ... without fear of consequence?

More and more americans ... are waiting longer to start a family.

But ... for some ... that decision comes at a cost.

Brandon: in this special local health alert ... caitlin lockerbie is digging into the science and psychology behind the waiting game.

Caitlin lockerbie/reporting: <nats "daddy!"

It's enough to melt your heart... the love of a parent and child.

But this bond isn't easy for everyone to create on cue.

Sarah toungett/mother through ivf: "i was diagnosed with endometriosis and had to have a procedure for that."

Sarah toungett knew that may impact her fertility... but she wasn't overly concerned, at first.

She and her husband nick settled down relatively early.

She was 23... he was 25.

They waited a few years to begin trying to start a family -- but, to no avail... sarah toungett/mother through ivf: "4 rounds of artificial insemination, and those were all unsuccessful."

Nick toungett/father through ivf: "everybody in the world tells you, when you quit thinking about it and worrying about it, it'll happen.

Which, if we heard that one more time, we were going to throw up."

Sarah toungett/mother through ivf: "it was really emotional, so we took a break.

We took about a two-year break and just thought well, we'll just see what happens."

The toungett's pause... was out of frustration.

But more and more americans are putting off pregnancy for other reasons... dr. william kutteh/fertility associates of memphis: "they want children, but they don't want them right now."

The average age of first time moms continues to climb with more women waiting until 30.

Proof -- in pregnant hopefuls... right here in the mid-south.

Fertility specialist dr. william kutteh says he's freezing eggs for about three-patients a month.

It's around a 12-day process that includes a series of self-administered medical injections -- and hormones to mature a woman's eggs that would otherwise be discarded.

Those are then retrieved... and frozen... for use, when you're ready... at the quality... and age... of when you went through the process.

Latonya washington/chose to freeze eggs "i look at it as a backup plan."

Latonya washington made the choice 3-years ago, at the age of 35.

After medical school... and residency in little rock... she was still waiting for mr. wonderful... but knew her biological clock didn't have the same patience.

Latonya washington/chose to freeze eggs: "you just want to make sure that your chances of having a normal and healthy pregnancy are as high as they possibly can be."

Dr. william kutteh/fertility associates of memphis: "miscarriages and birth defects increase as the eggs get older."

So he explains... patients 35 and younger are ideal candidates for egg freezing.

It's age... that started to play a role in the toungett's ultimate decision to try in vitro fertilization... sarah toungett/mother through ivf: "i was 30, when we went back."

Through i-v-f... eggs are ferilized in the doctor's laboratory... before the embryos are transferred to the uterus.

Nats "what's that?

Baby!

This is a baby."

Success -- for the toungetts... the first try.

About 6-weeks later... sarah was pregnant with now 2-year-old payton.

The couple also chose to freeze their embryos... for baby number two.

Nats "there you go, girl!

Look at you!"

Phinley, followed in august.

Sarah toungett/mother through ivf: "she was a frozen embryo."

And even this mom... who's battled biology... says she understands the new american trend... sarah toungett/mother through ivf: "i don't know if i could have done this when i was young.

When i was younger, anyway."

Relying on medicine... and faith... that the future is now in their hands.

Sarah toungett/mother through ivf: "this one's so good, that's what my husband says, she's trying to trick us into having another one!

We'll see!"

Caitlin lockerbie/local 24 news.> brandon: