Three former BachelorcontestantsKaitlyn Bristowe, Carly Waddell, and Andi Dorfmanreunited in Chicago last week to promote boutique egg-freezing clinic Ova, where pal (and Bachelor winner)Whitney Bischoff works as a nurse.Waddell froze her eggs one year ago at Ova, and Bristoweis going through the process now.

Both women have talked about their experience on social media, and the sense of relief it has brought. In a post on Instagram,Waddell called egg-freezing "the best backup plan."And BachelorettestarBristowe wrote on Twitter that it has put her mind at ease: "I'm taking control of my future!"

But the decision to freeze your eggsisn'tas simple as it mightseem. To learn more, we spoke withBrooke Hodes-Wertz, MD,assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology at NYU Langone Medical Center. She walked us through some of the common misconceptions about the procedure, and what women need to know before they call a fertility clinic.

It'sactually best to freeze your eggs before you turn 35, says Dr. Hodes-Wertz. Fertility rates gradually decline as we get older, she explains, so you have a higher chance of success if you freeze your eggs at a younger age.Some women in their 20sarent really thinking about when they want to have kids, so it tends to be most beneficial for women in their early 30s," she says."Maybe they havent settled down yet, but theyre thinking about it and their eggs are still good.

This is one of the biggest myths about egg freezing."Its not as easy or straightforward as people make it out to be, says Dr. Hodes-Wertz. "It's very time consuming."

First, youll meet with a physician to go over your medical history. You'll also geta blood test and abaseline ultrasound. You may need to go off birth control a month before the process begins.

Then you will give yourself hormone injectionstwo to three times a day. At least every other day, you'll return to your doctor's office for more ultrasounds. After about two weeks, depending on your body's response to the hormones, you will undergothe egg retrieval process. While you're sedated, your doctor will insert a long needle into yourvagina to pull out the eggs.

At Dr. Hodes-Wertz's clinic, about 20% of patients end up doing a second round of egg retrieval, since a greater number of eggs raises the chances of getting pregnant.

RELATED: 9 Things Every Woman Must Know About Her Fertility

The week after can be really uncomfortable, says Dr. Hodes-Wertz. The ovaries are very swollen, and you can feel really bloated and full. Most doctors recommend avoiding exercise during this time,she adds, sincethe swollen ovaries cantwist and cutoff their own blood supply.

Its not typical for most insurance providers to cover any part of egg freezing. And it can be pretty expensive. Dr. Hodes-Wertz says to expect a bill somewhere between $9,000 and $15,000 for the injectionsand procedure, plusabout $1,000 per year to keep the eggs frozen. Some centers do this exclusively and they offer much more economical rates, but its still expensive, she adds.

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At most clinics, about40% of procedures result in a live birth, says Dr. Hodes-Wertz.A lot of steps can go wrong,"she explains. "Not all the eggs are going to survive the thaw. Not all of them will be healthy eggs, take fertilization, or grow in culture.

And not all clinics are created equal. Dr. Hodes-Wertz encourages women to research a clinic'ssuccess ratebefore they move forward with the procedure.Some clinics are more experienced than others, and you want to make sure you pick a place that has a lot of experience with thawing [eggs]out, she says.

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5 Myths About Egg Freezing - Health.com

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