The terms your doctor, your nurse, your portal, your insurance, and the forums all use, written out so you don't have to guess. Search for anything, or jump to the section that fits where you are.
A hormone made by small follicles in your ovaries. The blood level gives a rough sense of how many eggs you have left. Higher generally means more eggs available; lower means fewer.
The number of small resting follicles your doctor can count on an ultrasound. Used alongside AMH to predict how you might respond to stimulation.
The hormone that tells follicles to grow. Tested on day 3 of a cycle as a baseline. Also the active ingredient in stim medications like Gonal-F and Follistim.
The hormone that triggers ovulation. In IVF, an LH surge has to be suppressed so eggs don't release before retrieval; that's what antagonist medications do.
The main estrogen produced by growing follicles. Monitored closely during stims. Rising E2 means follicles are responding; very high E2 can signal OHSS risk.
The hormone that supports the uterine lining after ovulation or transfer. Supplemented in every IVF cycle, by injection (PIO), vaginal insert, or both.
The blood test that measures human chorionic gonadotropin, the pregnancy hormone. The first beta after transfer tells you whether implantation happened; subsequent betas track whether the number is doubling.
A thyroid screen. Fertility clinics like TSH on the lower end (often under 2.5) before transfer. Treated with levothyroxine if needed.
A pituitary hormone. High prolactin can interfere with ovulation. Checked in baseline panels and treated if elevated.
The full process of stimulating ovaries to grow multiple eggs, retrieving them, fertilizing them in the lab, and transferring an embryo back to the uterus.
A simpler procedure than IVF: prepared sperm is placed directly into the uterus around ovulation. Often tried first when timing or mild factors are the issue.
A lab technique where a single sperm is injected directly into an egg. Used for male factor or when conventional fertilization has failed before. Some clinics do ICSI on all eggs by default.
A 15-20 minute outpatient procedure under light sedation. Eggs are aspirated from each mature follicle with a needle guided by ultrasound.
A thin catheter places an embryo into the uterus under ultrasound guidance. Quick, no sedation. Done at day 5-7 after fertilization for blastocyst transfers.
Transfer of a previously frozen embryo. The lining is prepped with estrogen and progesterone over 2-4 weeks before the transfer.
Transfer in the same cycle as retrieval, typically 3 or 5 days after retrieval. Less common now since FET protocols often have similar or better outcomes.
An X-ray procedure that uses contrast dye to check whether the fallopian tubes are open and the uterus has a normal shape. Common pre-IVF diagnostic.
An ultrasound where saline is introduced into the uterus to outline the uterine cavity. Used to check for polyps, fibroids, or scar tissue. Sometimes called a sonohysterogram (SHG).
A practice run before the real embryo transfer. The doctor maps the angle and depth of your cervix so the actual transfer goes smoothly.
A biopsy of the uterine lining used to time embryo transfer precisely. Considered for patients with implantation failure on prior transfers.
The 8-14 days of daily hormone injections that grow multiple follicles. Monitoring appointments happen every 1-3 days during this window.
The most common IVF stim protocol. FSH (and often LH) injections grow follicles; an antagonist medication (Cetrotide or Ganirelix) is added mid-stim to prevent early ovulation.
Also called the agonist protocol. Lupron is started in the cycle before stims to suppress the pituitary first, then stims begin. Older protocol, still used in some cases.
A milder stimulation protocol using oral medications (like Clomid or Letrozole) with low-dose injections. Fewer eggs, lower cost, sometimes used for poor responders or by choice.
A precisely timed injection that finishes egg maturation. Retrieval is scheduled exactly 35-36 hours after. Common triggers: Ovidrel, Novarel/Pregnyl, or Lupron.
The 9-14 days between embryo transfer and the first beta. Often the hardest part of a cycle emotionally.
An ultrasound during transfer prep to measure endometrial thickness. Most clinics want 7mm or more before scheduling the transfer.
Stopping a cycle before retrieval, usually because too few follicles are responding or hormones aren't in range. Often partial cost; the clinic and your insurance both handle cancellations differently.
Two pronuclei. The day-1 check that confirms an egg has fertilized normally. Eggs that show 2PN have one set of chromosomes from each parent.
An embryo at day 5-7 of development. Has differentiated into an inner cell mass (which becomes the baby) and trophectoderm (which becomes the placenta). Transfer-ready.
An embryo on day 3 after retrieval. Typically 6-8 cells. Some clinics still transfer at this stage; most now wait for blastocyst.
A system (commonly Gardner) that scores blastocysts by expansion stage (1-6), inner cell mass (A/B/C), and trophectoderm (A/B/C). E.g., 4AA, 3BB.
The cluster of cells inside a blastocyst that becomes the embryo itself. Graded A, B, or C as part of the embryo grade.
The outer layer of cells in a blastocyst that becomes the placenta. Graded A, B, or C. Also where PGT-A biopsies come from.
Genetic testing that screens embryos for the right number of chromosomes. Embryos are biopsied at blast stage; results take 1-2 weeks.
Genetic testing for a specific known inherited condition (like cystic fibrosis or BRCA). Requires a custom probe built ahead of time.
A PGT-A result indicating the embryo has the correct number of chromosomes. The result clinics consider strongest for transfer.
A PGT-A result indicating the embryo has an abnormal chromosome count. Generally not transferred; would usually result in failed implantation or miscarriage.
A PGT-A result showing some cells with normal chromosomes and some without. The clinical interpretation varies; many clinics will transfer low-level mosaics with counseling.
When the transferred embryo attaches to the uterine lining. Usually happens within 1-5 days of transfer. Detected by a positive beta hCG.
A positive beta hCG that doesn't progress; the level rises slightly then falls before an ultrasound can confirm a gestational sac. An early pregnancy loss.
A pregnancy confirmed by ultrasound, with a visible gestational sac (and usually a heartbeat by 6-7 weeks).
The fluid-filled structure visible on ultrasound around 5 weeks. The first visible sign of a developing pregnancy.
A small round structure visible inside the gestational sac at about 5.5 weeks. Provides early nutrients before the placenta takes over.
The earliest visible embryo on ultrasound, usually seen around 6 weeks. A heartbeat is typically detectable shortly after.
A complication of ovarian stimulation where ovaries become enlarged and fluid leaks into the abdomen. Mild OHSS is common; severe OHSS (rapid weight gain, shortness of breath, severe pain) requires urgent care.
A common hormonal condition characterized by irregular periods, elevated androgens, and ovaries with many small follicles. Often associated with high AMH and AFC, and a higher OHSS risk.
A condition where tissue similar to the uterine lining grows outside the uterus. Can affect egg quality, implantation, and pelvic pain. Diagnosed definitively by laparoscopy.
Fewer eggs than expected for your age. Often diagnosed by low AMH and low AFC. Affects how clinics approach protocol and dose.
Loss of ovarian function before age 40. Different from menopause; some ovarian activity may persist intermittently.
Issues with sperm count, motility, morphology, or DNA fragmentation that affect the ability to conceive. ICSI is often used to address it during IVF.
The standard lab test that measures sperm count, motility, and morphology in a single sample. Usually the first male-factor test. Often repeated since results vary cycle to cycle.
How many sperm are in the sample, reported as total count and as concentration per milliliter. WHO reference is ~15 million per mL or more, but counts below that can still result in pregnancy, especially with IUI or IVF.
The percentage of sperm that are moving, and how well they swim forward. Progressive motility (moving in a straight line) matters most. Low motility makes natural conception harder and sometimes points toward IUI or IVF with ICSI.
The percentage of sperm shaped normally (oval head, single tail, right proportions). Even healthy samples often have just 4 to 14 percent normal forms by strict criteria. Low morphology is one of the more common reasons clinics recommend ICSI.
A test for how much of the DNA inside sperm is broken. High fragmentation can affect fertilization, embryo quality, and miscarriage risk. Not part of a standard semen analysis; ordered separately when results aren't lining up.
Two or more consecutive pregnancy losses. Triggers a workup that may include genetic, immune, anatomic, and clotting evaluations.
When standard testing shows no clear cause. Real, despite the name. Often treated with IUI or IVF rather than continued investigation.