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DRWatching a blastocyst hatch never gets old. ✨
This tiny structure is a blastocyst — an embryo about 5–6 days after fertilization. It’s only about 0.1–0.2 millimeters wide, smaller than the period at the end of this sentence, yet incredibly complex.
At this stage, the embryo is made up of:
• An inner cell mass, which becomes the baby
• An outer layer (trophectoderm), which helps form the placenta
Before implantation can happen, the blastocyst must hatch out of its shell (called the zona pellucida). Hatching allows the embryo to interact directly with the uterine lining so it can attach and begin implantation.
A few important reassurances:
• Blastocysts do not all look the same
• They can be at different stages of expansion or hatching
• An embryo does NOT need to be fully hatched before transfer to implant successfully
Some hatch before transfer, some start hatching after transfer, and some complete hatching once inside the uterus — all can lead to healthy pregnancies.
Embryo development is dynamic, not one-size-fits-all. And every time I watch this process unfold, I’m reminded just how remarkable reproduction is!
#blastocyst #embryotransfer
Video @twolinesfertility
@drlorashahine
