A day 5 or day 6 embryo will develop a fluid cavity with some cells lining the outer wall of the embryo and other cells clustering inside the blastocyst. The inner cell mass will be the cells that go on to make the baby. This stage of development is called the blastocyst stage and the embryos are occasionally referred to as “blasts”

The freezing and storage of sperm, eggs, embryos, or other tissues.

The very early stages of a baby just after the egg and sperm have joined. There are no tissues or organs formed in an embryo.

The female hormone that increases with growth of the follicles within the ovary. Estradiol blood levels can predict the response to hormonal medications.

A hormone produced by the ovary. The estradiol level increases as the follicle grows. Fertility medications can increase the number of follicles that grow and increase the level of estradiol hormone. The estradiol level normally peaks around ovulation and is responsible for the increase in watery discharge in mid-cycle.

A fluid sac in the ovary that contains one egg. There are multiple follicles trying to develop at any one time. The follicles grow larger as the egg matures. The ultrasound is used to monitor the follicle as it grows. After ovulation the follicle normally will go away within 1 to 2 weeks. If the follicle remains behind for an extended period of time, it is called a functional cyst.

The hormone that stimulates the growth of follicles and eggs in women and sperm production in men. A high level of FSH can be an indicator of a decrease in ovarian function. FSH is normally checked on day 3 of the menstrual cycle and should be less than 10.

The hormones that directly stimulate the ovary to produce multiple eggs. In a natural cycle, one egg is produced under the direction of the gonadotropins FSH and LH. During fertility treatments with injectable medications (gonadotropins) different brand names of drugs can be used but the drugs are essentially FSH and LH.

A developing egg is called an oocyte. Its differentiation into a mature egg (or ovum) involves a series of changes whose timing is geared to the steps of meiosis in which the germ cells go through their two final, highly specialized divisions.

A very serious medical condition in which the ovaries become over-stimulated by gonadotropins, resulting in massively enlarged ovaries, leaky blood vessels, fluid accumulation in the abdomen and lungs, an increased risk of blood clots, and a risk of kidney failure. A significant case of OHSS occurs in approximately 1-2% of women who use gonadotropin therapy.

Stands for “intracytoplasmic sperm injection.” A technique in which a single sperm is injected directly into the egg to allow for fertilization in cases of severely abnormal sperm.

A procedure in which eggs are extracted from a woman’s ovary and mixed with sperm in a lab dish to allow fertilization. Resulting embryos are placed back into the woman’s uterus in hopes of establishing a pregnancy.

A genetic test in which the chromosomes of a cell are viewed and counted to see if they are normal and present in the proper quantity.

The time after ovulation in the menstrual cycle. Normal luteal length is 10-14 days.

An examination using sound waves to enable visualization of internal pelvic organs. In fertility practices, usually accomplished by using an ultrasound transducer or wand that is placed directly into the vagina to permit best visualization of uterus and ovaries. The procedure is rarely painful or uncomfortable.

The stage of development where an egg has been fertilized but not yet divided. After the genetic information has merged and cell division happens, the structure is called an embryo.