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Emma The Embryologist

@emmatheembryologist

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From the lab, For the patient. Director of embryology and genetics @theevewell. On a mission to reduce fertility journey anxiety.

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Monday Long Read. Trigger warning on this one.⁠
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@emmatheembryologist is our Director of Embryology and Genetics. Every day, she helps others build long-awaited families.⁠
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At the 20-week scan of her second baby, she and her husband Simon found out their daughter's heart hadn't formed properly, and they had to make a decision no parent should ever have to make.⁠
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She's told this story here before. We're telling it again because what she says about it is still true.⁠
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"This loss has made me better at my job, because when I say to my patients I get it, I really do."⁠
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You can follow Emma at @emmatheembryologist, where she's demystifying embryology for anyone about to start treatment or already in it.⁠
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Her full story is in the link in bio.⁠
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Sending you love this week,⁠
Amy xx

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"It's not life or death. It's life or no life." 🎙️⁠
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Did you catch yesterday's episode with @emmatheembryologist? ⁠
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Emma takes us inside the IVF lab, from a 15-minute egg collection to the moment an embryo reaches blastocyst, and shares what it's like to hold people's hopes of a family in your hands.⁠
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Plus, her 3 tips to prepare for IVF: know your hormones, keep sight of the family you dreamed of, and find your people.⁠
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👉️ Tap the link in our bio to watch or listen!⁠
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#StandingOvulation #WomensHealth #IVF #FertilityJourney #Embryology

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Stop telling women to "just do IVF."⁠
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We sat down with @emmatheembryologist, who has spent over two decades in the IVF lab and is Chair of Trustees at Fertility Action, to go behind the lab door and break down what IVF really involves.⁠
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Inside the episode:⁠
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🌟How long IVF actually takes, from first injection to embryo transfer⁠

🌟What happens to your eggs and embryos in the lab⁠

🌟Emma's 3 tips to prepare for your IVF journey⁠
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👉️ Tap the link in our bio to watch the full episode now!⁠
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#StandingOvulation #WomensHealth #IVF #FertilityJourney #Embryology

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How many women who freeze their eggs actually go on to use them?

Emma Whitney @emmatheembryologist — Director of Embryology and Genetics at @theevewell — shares a surprising statistic. While official UK figures suggest around 15% of women return to use their frozen eggs, the real number could be closer to 5 or 6%.

So what’s actually happening? The situation can be nuanced, depending on a woman’s age or circumstances, but going through the egg freezing process often forces women to confront their reproductive wants and needs in a way they never have before. And what Emma sees is that women come in to freeze their eggs — and many go on to conceive naturally due to a change in focus or priorities.

Full episode available on all podcast platforms and YouTube - link in bio.

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Most of us assume egg freezing and embryo freezing are basically the same thing. Emma Whitney @emmatheembryologist — Director of Embryology and Genetics at @theevewell — says the difference is massive.

When you freeze eggs, you’re freezing potential. You have no idea whether those eggs can fertilise, grow into viable embryos or go on to create a pregnancy. An embryo, on the other hand, has already run the race. By the time it reaches the blastocyst stage — five, six, seven days of growth in the lab — it has proved its capability. The ones that couldn’t make it have already dropped out. You’re freezing known potential rather than unknown.

So why doesn’t everyone just freeze embryos? Because the moment sperm enters the equation, the consent is no longer yours alone. And for women who want to preserve that autonomy, that matters enormously.

Full episode available on all podcast platforms and YouTube now. (Link in bio)

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You should only have to tell your story once.

Fertility treatment can ask a lot of you. And having to repeat your story at every stage shouldn’t be one of those things. @emmatheembryologist explains why collaboration is so imporant in our clinics, because when every expert works as one team, every patient feels like one person, not just another appointment.

#IVF #FertilityJourney

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How many eggs do women need to aim to freeze over the age of 35 to have the best possible chance of having a family in the future?

Emma Whitney @emmatheembryologist — Director of Embryology and Genetics at @theevewell explains how by the time you’re in your 40s, over 70% of your eggs are being ovulated with genetic mistakes in them.

In our full conversation Emma explains the embryologists role in the lab and what they’re looking for, plus the difference between freezing eggs vs embryos and how to prepare for an egg collection - plus much more! Emma is a leader in her field and explains the whole process beautifully for anyone going through it right now or considering fertility preservation treatment in the future.

Conversation available on all podcast platforms and YouTube now. (Link in bio)

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Expert live Q&A with @emmatheembryologist if you missed it?!

#FertilityExpert #FertilityEducation

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Comment the word EMMA and I’ll DM you a link to the episode 💛

How many eggs do you actually need to freeze to have a realistic chance of a live birth? And is egg freezing really the insurance policy most women think it is?

Emma Whitney @emmatheembryologist — Director of Embryology and Genetics at @theevewell and winner of the most prestigious award a UK embryologist can receive — spends her days doing something most of us will never see….

In this episode we go inside the IVF lab. What actually happens to your eggs once they leave your body. Why the number of eggs you freeze matters more than you think. The difference between egg freezing and embryo freezing.

What PGT-A genetic testing actually is and the honest truth about what you can do in the 90 days before a cycle to genuinely improve your outcomes.

Such a fascinating and helpful conversation if you’re on this journey or are thinking about it 💛

Available on all podcast platforms and YouTube now -link in bio.

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The biggest mistake before IVF isn’t making the wrong decision. It’s starting without enough information.

No one should feel like they have to navigate fertility treatment alone, explains @emmatheembryologist.

The more you understand about the process, the more confident you’ll feel asking questions, exploring your options, and preparing for treatment, whether that’s understanding your timeline, making recommended lifestyle changes, or simply knowing what to expect.

At The Evewell, we believe knowledge is an important part of great care. Because when patients feel informed, they’re better equipped to make decisions that are right for them.

#IVF #FertilityJourney

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If your clinic isn’t using time-lapse incubators, ask why.

Embryos don’t just need the right environment to grow. Understanding how they develop is just as important.

Time-lapse incubators allow embryologists to observe an embryo’s development from start to finish, revealing details that aren’t visible through occasional checks alone. That deeper understanding can provide valuable insight into why an embryo continues to develop, or why it doesn’t.

For @emmatheembryologist and our embryology team, it’s not an optional extra. It’s an essential part of delivering personalised, evidence-based fertility care.

#IVF #FertilityJourney

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