As a companion to Lauren’s episode, Mary talks about ICSI and what this procedure is. There are two ways that an egg may be fertilized by IVF: traditional and ICSI. In traditional IVF, 50,000 or more swimming sperm are placed next to the egg in a laboratory dish. Fertilization occurs when one of the sperm enters into the cytoplasm of the egg. In the ICSI process, a tiny needle, called a micropipette, is used to inject a single sperm into the center of the egg. With either traditional IVF or ICSI, once fertilization occurs, the fertilized egg (now called an embryo) grows in a laboratory for 1 to 5 days before it is transferred to the woman’s uterus (womb).ICSI helps to overcome fertility problems, such as:* The male partner produces too few sperm to do artificial insemination (intrauterine insemination [IUI]) or IVF.* The sperm may not move in a normal fashion.* The sperm may have trouble attaching to the egg.* A blockage in the male reproductive tract may keep sperm from getting out.* Eggs have not fertilized by traditional IVF, regardless of the condition of the sperm.* In vitro matured eggs are being used.* Previously frozen eggs are being used.Consult with your fertility doctor if this procedure is right for you. This episode was brought to you by Fertility Fundamentals. Fertility fundamentals is a naturopath led collective of women supporting each other in their fertility journey. Join the collective for free at www.facebook.com/groups/fundamentalfertility and come join your tribe!If you enjoyed today’s episode, subscribe to the Fertility Stories podcast and leave a review. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/fertilitystories/message