IVF stands for In-Vitro Fertilization, which means fertilization “outside the body.” Normally, an egg from the woman and sperm from the man meet inside the woman’s body. In IVF, doctors help this process by combining the egg and sperm in a laboratory dish. Once the fertilized egg (now called an embryo) starts growing, it is placed inside the woman’s womb to develop into a baby.into a baby.into a baby.

Simply put:

  • In natural conception, the meeting happens inside the mother’s body.
  • In IVF, the meeting happens in a lab, and then the embryo is gently placed back into the mother’s womb.