The Science Baby

After a short break over the holidays, we are back with a deeply personal and long-requested episode. This one goes right to the heart of The Science Baby project, because Felix, the original Science Baby himself, exists thanks to IVF.

In vitro fertilisation is one of those phrases that most of us recognise immediately, but very few of us could confidently explain what it actually involves. For people standing on the outside of fertility treatment, or even for those just beginning to explore it, IVF can feel like an enormous, intimidating black box filled with jargon, needles, and impossible decisions. In this episode, we open that box.

What to Expect in This Episode

Rather than focusing on statistics or success stories alone, this conversation is about understanding the process. Where IVF sits within the wider world of assisted reproductive technologies. How people actually access it in the UK. What happens to your body, step by step, when you go through treatment. And how all of that looks when filtered through real experience rather than glossy clinic brochures.

The Science Baby, IVF, and a frozen embryo

The Science Baby was born following a frozen embryo transfer, something that surprises a lot of people who assume IVF always follows a single, linear path. In reality, IVF is rarely just one thing. It is a collection of techniques, decisions, and possible routes that are shaped by medical history, test results, funding rules, and sheer biological unpredictability.

Leila shares her own fertility journey, which stretched over many years and was complicated by delays, extensive testing, and ultimately a diagnosis of unexplained infertility. Despite the label, the process revealed just how unevenly fertility investigations are weighted, with the majority of invasive testing falling on women, even when male factors are part of the picture.

Making sense of the acronyms

One of the biggest barriers to understanding fertility treatment is language. IVF is only one acronym among many, and people are often expected to learn them at speed while under significant emotional strain.

In this episode we break down the main terms you are likely to encounter, including:

• IVF, in vitro fertilisation, where fertilisation happens outside the body in a laboratory dish
• IUI and IVI, forms of artificial insemination that place sperm into the uterus or vagina
• ICSI, intracytoplasmic sperm injection, where a single sperm is injected directly into an egg

Understanding these distinctions matters, because not everyone who enters fertility treatment starts with IVF. For some people, less invasive options are tried first. For others, IVF or ICSI is recommended immediately based on medical findings.

Who can access IVF in the UK

Eligibility for IVF in the UK depends heavily on whether treatment is NHS funded or privately funded. While private clinics can offer treatment to almost anyone who can afford it, NHS access is governed by strict criteria designed to balance cost with likelihood of success.

We talk through the realities of NHS eligibility, including age limits, BMI requirements, evidence of infertility, and how many cycles are typically funded. We also discuss the long standing inequalities faced by same sex couples and single people, who have historically been required to self fund multiple rounds of artificial insemination before becoming eligible for NHS IVF.

The rules vary by region and continue to change, but understanding the system is crucial for anyone trying to navigate it without being blindsided by unexpected barriers.

The testing phase

Before IVF even begins, there is a substantial period of testing. Blood tests to track hormone levels. Ultrasound scans to assess ovaries and uterus. Checks for ovarian reserve. Smear tests and STI screening. In some cases, further investigations such as laparoscopy or imaging of the fallopian tubes.

This stage can take months or even years, and it is often emotionally exhausting. It is also where many people first encounter the imbalance in how fertility medicine treats male and female bodies, with women undergoing repeated invasive procedures while male fertility is largely assessed via semen analysis.

Inside the IVF process

Once treatment begins, IVF follows a sequence of carefully timed stages. In this episode we explain what each one actually involves and why it exists.

• Down-regulation, where natural hormonal cycles are suppressed
• Ovarian stimulation, using hormones to encourage multiple eggs to mature at once
• Trigger injections of follicle stimulaitng hormone to time ovulation precisely
• Egg collection and sperm collection, which is the most surgically involved part of the process (for the woman at least)
• Fertilisation and early embryo development in the lab
• Embryo grading, freezing, and decisions around multiple embryos
• Embryo transfer, including fresh and frozen transfers
• Progesterone support during the two week wait

We also talk honestly about how it feels to live inside this schedule, where your body becomes a calendar of injections, appointments, and instructions, and where so much hinges on processes you cannot see or control.

Why understanding matters

IVF is often discussed in extremes, as either a miracle solution or an unbearable ordeal. The reality is more nuanced. It is remarkable science layered on top of human bodies that are variable, fragile, and stubbornly unpredictable.

By slowing the process down and explaining each step, this episode aims to replace fear with understanding. Not to minimise how hard IVF can be, but to make it less mysterious, less isolating, and less overwhelming for those who may one day find themselves standing at its threshold.

If you have ever wondered what IVF actually involves, how people access it, or why it can feel so all consuming, this episode is for you.

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