Online Course: Behind the Lab Doors: What Really Happens During IVF
Behind the Lab Doors: What Really Happens During IVF is an expert-led online course designed to help intended parents understand what happens inside the IVF laboratory and how embryologists support every stage of the process.
Through clear explanations and real-world perspectives from professionals working behind the scenes, the course explores fertilization, embryo development, grading, biopsy, freezing, lab safety, and the human side of embryology.
It is created to support learning and reflection at the research and treatment stage, without replacing medical advice or personalized care.
To listen to this course, check Family By Choice membership, or download the Family By Choice Learning Platform app.
What to expect in this online IVF course?
Knowledge level needed
Beginner
Duration
78 min
Lessons
8
Languages
English, French, German, Spanish, Serbian and Croatian
Who Is This Course For?
This course is designed for individuals and couples who want to better understand what happens inside the IVF lab and how decisions made behind the scenes can influence the treatment journey.
It is especially helpful if:
- You are preparing for IVF and want to understand what happens after egg retrieval and before embryo transfer
- You want to know how eggs, sperm, and embryos are handled, monitored, and protected in the lab
- You feel overwhelmed by terms like ICSI, blastocyst grading, biopsy, PGT, vitrification, or Day 3 vs. Day 5 transfer
- You want a clearer understanding of how embryologists make decisions and what those decisions really mean
- You are considering IVF with genetic testing or embryo freezing and want to understand the lab side of those processes
- You prefer to learn in a calm, non-judgmental, non-sales environment
What's Included in Every Course
Video Lessons
Clear, compassionate instruction broken into digestible modules you can complete at your own pace.
Private Community Access
Connect with thousands of intended parents in our safe, moderated online community. Share experiences, ask questions, and find your support village.
Practical Worksheets & Checklists
Downloadable tools like budget planners, clinic comparison sheets, general legal considerations, and meal-planning ideas that help make complex decisions simpler.
Resource Library
Access educational templates, sample documents, informational provider directories, and continuously updated resources as laws and best practices evolve.
Expert Q&A Sessions
Monthly live sessions with fertility doctors, lawyers, and consultants where you can ask general questions and learn from expert perspectives.
Lifetime Updates
When courses are updated with new information, you get access automatically. Your membership grows as we grow.
Behind the Lab Doors: What Really Happens During IVF Course Lessons
1. Welcome to the IVF Lab: The Journey Begins
This lesson introduces the IVF laboratory and the embryologists who work inside it. You’ll learn what embryologists do, how they are trained, what technology supports their work, and what a typical day in the lab looks like.
2. From Retrieval to Fertilization
This lesson explains what happens behind the scenes on retrieval day. You’ll learn how eggs are identified and handled, how sperm is prepared and selected, how ICSI works, and how embryologists confirm that fertilization was successful.
3. Watching New Life Begin: Embryo Development
This lesson explores what happens to embryos in the days after fertilization. You’ll learn how embryos develop from Day 1 to blastocyst stage, how embryo grading works, how embryos are monitored, and what “high quality” really means in the lab.
4. Safety, Precision, and Patient Trust
This lesson focuses on the systems that protect eggs, sperm, and embryos inside the lab. You’ll learn how embryologists prevent mix-ups, how sample identity is verified, and what environmental safeguards are used to keep embryos safe and stable.
5. Genetic Insight: Embryo Biopsy and PGT
This lesson explains how embryo biopsy is performed for preimplantation genetic testing. You’ll learn how embryologists remove cells from the trophectoderm, how embryos are protected during the process, and how PGT results help guide transfer decisions.
6. Choosing the Right Moment: Day 3 vs. Day 5 Transfer
This lesson explores how clinics decide whether to transfer an embryo on Day 3 or Day 5. You’ll learn what factors influence the timing of transfer, how embryo development and lab conditions shape that decision, and how doctors and embryologists work together to choose the best strategy.
7. Freezing, Storage, and Long-Term Care
This lesson explains how sperm, embryos or eggs are frozen, stored, and protected over time. You’ll learn how vitrification works, what happens during thawing, how sample identity is tracked, and how clinics manage transport and emergencies.
8. Myths, Misconceptions, and the Human Touch
This final lesson looks at the emotional and human side of embryology. You’ll learn about common myths surrounding the IVF lab, what embryologists wish patients understood, and how they experience the responsibility of working behind the scenes of creating life.
Speakers in this course
Daria Harvey
Founder & Manager at your IVF Doula, Senior Embryologist
Founder of Your IVF Doula, supporting individuals and couples on their assisted reproduction journey with clarity, confidence, and science-backed insight.
Bojana Mirosavljević
MSc – Embryologist & Patient Advocacy Leader | Reproductive Biology & Rare Disease Strategy Expert
Serbian embryologist and patient advocacy pioneer bridging laboratory science with patient-centered care.
Olga Pysana
Co-founder Family By Choice, Independent International Surrogacy Consultant
With 7+ years of expertise guiding intended parents through global family-building journeys, known as the founder of The Surrogacy Insider.
Choose Your Membership Level
We offer flexible membership plans to fit every stage of your journey:
Monthly
15% DISCOUNT
79 EUR / monthly
- Perfect for those just beginning to explore options!
6 Months
15% DISCOUNT
399 EUR / 6 months
- Ideal for families who already started their journey!
12 Months
20% DISCOUNT
759 EUR / yearly
- Great for those preparing for long-term learning and exploring multiple family-building pathways.
Who is Family By Choice?
Family By Choice is an international education platform offering expert-led courses for people exploring fertility and family-building options, including IVF, donor conception, and surrogacy.
The platform is designed to help intended parents understand complex medical, legal, and emotional topics through structured, educational content.
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Common Myths Surrounding the IVF Lab and What the Science Actually Says in 2026
Embryo Grading Explained: What Your Embryo’s Grade Actually Means
What Every Fertility Patient Should Know About the New Era of Prenatal Screening
