Priyanka Chopra Says Freezing Her Eggs Gave Her the 'Freedom' to Focus on Herself: 'The Best Gift'

"I could continue on an ambitious warpath that I wanted to achieve. I wanted to get to a certain place in my career," Priyanka Chopra Jonas said

Photo: Unique Nicole/Getty

Priyanka Chopra Jonas is in support of women freezing their eggs.

The actress, 40, opened up on Monday's episode of the Armchair Expert podcast about how she "felt such freedom" when she froze her eggs.

"I did it in my early 30s. I could continue on an ambitious warpath that I wanted to achieve. I wanted to get to a certain place in my career," she shared. "I also hadn't met the person I wanted to have children with or I didn't see that. That's anxiety-inducing. [I was] 35, and my mom's an OB-GYN who's like, '36 — Just do it.' "

"I tell everyone to [freeze their eggs]. My mom had said [to do it as many times as you need] to me, and I did do it for myself as well," she added.

Though she noted how expensive it is, she advised those who want kids to save up for the procedure and "do it anytime, and you can do it multiple times."

Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Nick Jonas with daughter Malti. Priyanka Chopra/Instagram

"I tell all my younger friends the biological clock is real," she said. "It gets so much harder to get pregnant after 35 and to carry to term and all of that, especially with women that have been working all their lives."

"But science is at such an amazing place right now," the Love Again star continued. "It's the best gift you'll give yourself because you're taking the power from your biological clock, and you can work until however long you want. Your eggs will still be the same age as when you froze them."

"I always knew I wanted kids, which was one of the big reasons I didn't want to date Nick [Jonas] at that time 'cause I was like, 'I don't know if he wants kids at 25,' at that time," she said of her now-husband. "But I've always wanted kids. I love kids."

RELATED VIDEO: Nick Jonas and Priyanka Chopra Make First Public Appearance with Daughter Malti at Star Ceremony

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

The couple tied the knot in 2018 and welcomed Malti Marie, now 14 months, on Jan. 15, 2022. The baby girl spent her first 100-plus days in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), making it home just in time for Mother's Day.

"Our baby is truly a badass," the Jonas Brothers musician wrote on Instagram in May 2022 while reflecting on her homecoming. "Our next chapter begins now."

Following Malti's birth, a source told PEOPLE that the couple was "truly eager to be parents," adding: "They are beyond excited. Nick and Priyanka have wanted a baby for some time."

"This is a happy time for all. Nick and Priyanka are definitely ready for this new challenge in their lives. It is something they have both wanted," another source said. "Now is their time, and they could not be more ready to raise a child."