There's a part of the fertility process most people never really get to see. After all the appointments, medications, and procedures, things move into the lab, and from the outside, it can feel distant and hard to follow.
In this episode, host Eloise Drane sits down with clinical embryologist Alease Daniel Barnes to pull back the curtain on what actually happens in the IVF lab. Alease breaks down the technical processes patients are often expected to navigate with limited explanation: embryo grading, ICSI, PGT testing, and cryopreservation.
The conversation covers what those numbers and letters on embryo reports really mean, when genetic testing is actually necessary versus overused, and why ICSI has become routine in the U.S. despite similar success rates with conventional insemination. They also discuss the logistics that don't always get addressed, how embryos are stored, shipped, and preserved long-term.
If you're navigating your own fertility journey this episode gives you the knowledge to ask better questions and make more informed decisions about your care.
"IVF doesn't guarantee you a baby, neither does freezing eggs." - Alease Daniel Barnes
You'll Hear About:
- How embryo grading works and what the numbers mean
- Why grading is subjective and not a pregnancy guarantee
- PGT-A, PGT-M, and PGT-SR: understanding the different types
- Why PGT testing is often overused without proper counseling
- Speaking with genetic counselors before deciding on PGT testing
- Vitrification versus traditional freezing and improved survival rates
- When ICSI is medically necessary versus routinely overused
- Why the U.S. uses ICSI more than other countries
- Embryo shipping safety measures
- Long-term storage basics and why embryos last indefinitely
- Alease's choice to freeze eggs instead of embryos
- Egg quality supplement myths and predatory marketing practices
- Sperm quality has more improvement potential than eggs
- Abandoned embryos in clinics and how policies address this
- Cord blood preservation basics and why it matters
- AI introduction in embryology labs for embryo selection
- Evaluating the lab matters as much as the physician
Connect with Alease:
Instagram: @alease_the_embryologist
TikTok: @aleasetheembryologist
Website: https://aleasetheembryologist.com/
Resources mentioned:
Related episodes:
Ep 97 - Fertility in the Modern Age: IVF, Environmental Impacts, and Quality Care
https://thefertilitycafe.com/podcast/ep-97-fertility-in-the-modern-age-ivf-environmental-impacts-and-quality-care/
Ep 102 - Beyond the Clinic: Why the Fertility Lab is Key to Your Success
https://thefertilitycafe.com/podcast/ep-102-beyond-the-clinic-why-the-fertility-lab-is-key-to-your-success/
Ep 121 – Inside Modern Fertility Care — IVF, Surrogacy, Egg Donation & Family Building
https://thefertilitycafe.com/podcast/beyond-ivf-surrogacy-egg-donation-the-future-of-fertility-care/
Stay Connected:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fertilitycafe
Facebook:
Chapters
- (00:00:01) - Fertility Cafe
- (00:02:02) - Elise Daniel Barnes on The Fertility Podcast
- (00:02:46) - Experienced embryologists talk about their path to the field
- (00:06:00) - The Changes in Embryology
- (00:09:39) - IVF and Egg Freezing: Decisions made too soon
- (00:12:24) - Discussing Embryo Grade
- (00:13:29) - How to Grade Embryos
- (00:16:57) - Are Embryo Grades Important in Making a Transfer?
- (00:18:48) - What is the freezing process in embryo cryopreservation?
- (00:20:51) - Genetic testing during pregnancy
- (00:25:06) - Do you recommend PGT testing?
- (00:31:13) - I Didn't Make Embryos With My Husband
- (00:34:10) - How to improve your egg quality
- (00:37:41) - Sperm health and how to improve it
- (00:39:36) - Is ICSI necessary for male infertility?
- (00:45:52) - "It's about personalized care"
- (00:46:15) - Send Your Embryos Overseas
- (00:51:12) - How do clinics manage long term storage?
- (00:57:48) - Cord Blood and Core Tissue preservation
- (01:01:01) - Choosing a fertility clinic
