1. Ovulation & Fertility Slideshow Pictures
2. Early Pregnancy Symptoms Quiz
3. Stages of Pregnancy Slideshow Pictures

Medical Author:

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, Chief Medical Editor

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, Chief Medical Editor

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, is a U.S. board-certified Anatomic Pathologist with subspecialty training in the fields of Experimental and Molecular Pathology. Dr. Stöppler's educational background includes a BA with Highest Distinction from the University of Virginia and an MD from the University of North Carolina. She completed residency training in Anatomic Pathology at Georgetown University followed by subspecialty fellowship training in molecular diagnostics and experimental pathology.

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Medical Editor:

Roxanne Dryden-Edwards, MD

Roxanne Dryden-Edwards, MD

Dr. Roxanne Dryden-Edwards is an adult, child, and adolescent psychiatrist. She is a former Chair of the Committee on Developmental Disabilities for the American Psychiatric Association, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland, and Medical Director of the National Center for Children and Families in Bethesda, Maryland.

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The woman will be informed by the laboratory about the status of the fertilization process including the number of eggs that were successfully fertilized. The embryo transfer is typically scheduled 3 to 5 days after the egg retrieval, depending upon the maturation of the embryos.

The number of embryos to be transferred will be decided by the doctor and the woman together. This can vary from one embryo to several. In making a recommendation about the number of embryos to transfer, the doctor will consider the woman's age and reproductive history, the quality and appearance of the fertilized embryos, and the risk of multiple gestations.

For the embryo transfer, the doctor transfers the embryos into the woman's uterus through the cervix with a catheter (a long slender tube). This procedure is done with a speculum in a manner similar to a pelvic exam. Anesthesia is not required for this procedure. The woman should then remain in a resting position for the next hour or so.

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