In this episode of the Conceive Baby Podcast, I’m diving into a question that comes up so often in my clinic and online consultations—why do my embryos stop growing? It’s one of the most heartbreaking and frustrating experiences for anyone going through IVF. You’ve gone through an IVF cycle, had eggs retrieved, they’ve fertilised… and then you hear those crushing words: ‘I’m sorry, the embryos didn’t make it’.
Today we’re talking about why this happens as well as practical steps you can take to optimise your chances of creating healthy, viable, thriving embryos.
And to help us better understand this complex process and how we can improve our odds, I’m joined by the wonderful Dr. Lisa Lee, Scientific Director at Thrive Fertility. Together we explore what’s happening behind the scenes from fertilisation right through to blastocyst. We delve into that critical day three mark— why it’s a significant milestone for embryos and what it may mean if your embryos stop growing at this point. We talk about the vital role that egg and sperm quality play in embryo viability, and why what you do in the 90 days before conception matters so much.
We also touch on how lab conditions, culture media, and modern IVF technologies can make a real difference to embryo outcomes—and how we can use information from past cycles to improve future ones.
Whether you’re in the thick of treatment, or preparing your body to conceive, this conversation will give you clarity, insight and practical steps to boost your chances of creating that beautiful healthy, thriving embryo to create your healthy pregnancy.
Mentioned in this episode:
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