Making a Baby with Science: An IVF Deep Dive

Making a Baby with Science: An IVF Deep Dive

From The Science Baby Podcast by Leila Battison

January 12, 2026 · 1h 5m · Episode 13

About this episode

Leila Battison discusses the IVF process, sharing her personal journey and breaking down the complexities of assisted reproductive technology.

We're back afer a short break over the holidays, and we're kicking off with a really special one. Leila's son Felix (the OG Science Baby) was brought into the world through the medical miracle that is IVF. But to anyone from the outside looking in (or thinking about going through it themselves), the whole process can be a bit of an overwhelming mystery. So in this episode, we break down the IVF process, from where it sits within the assistive reproductive landscape, to who is eligible, how to get referred, and the ins and outs of what's involved. In this episode: Leila's IVF Journey Introduction to the acronyms of assistive reproductive tech: IVF, ICSI, IUI, IVI Additional interventions possible with fertility treatment Who is eligible for IVF, privately and funded by the NHS How to get referred for IVF Fertility testing Details of IVF treatment Down regulation Ovarian stimulation Trigger Injection Egg collection and sperm collection Fertilisation and embryo development Multiples and embryo freezing Embryo grading Embryo transfer Progesterone pessaries Frozen embryo transfer

People in this episode

Host: Leila Battison

Topics covered

  • IVF process
  • assistive reproductive technology
  • fertility treatment
  • eligibility for IVF
  • IVF journey
  • embryo transfer

Keywords

  • IVF
  • fertility
  • embryo development
  • fertility testing
  • egg collection
  • sperm collection
  • embryo freezing
  • progesterone pessaries

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: NHS

Books & works: Making a Baby with Science: An IVF Deep Dive

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