BSL clip: What is IVF?
IVF is an acronym for in vitro fertilisation (fertilisation in a test tube) and refers to a process whereby someone who is having infertility problems is helped to have a baby. IVF involves adding the man’s sperm to the woman’s egg in the laboratory to produce a fertilised embryo. In the very early stages these embryos are really only a bunch of cells. The cells are checked to see which are dividing correctly and growing well as these will turn into embryos that could eventually grow into a baby. At approximately three to five days after conception, two embryos that look the most likely to develop will be put back inside the woman’s womb. Hopefully one of these will implant and a baby will begin to grow.
