Why do eggs that look perfect on retrieval day sometimes lead to poor embryos, failed implantation, or no pregnancy at all?
If your clinic once told you your eggs “look great,” only to later say the cycle failed due to an egg issue… you’re not alone. And no, your doctor didn’t lie to you.
In this episode of Taco Bout Fertility Tuesday, Dr. Mark Amols unpacks one of the biggest misunderstandings in IVF:
the difference between how an egg looks and how an egg functions.
Drawing from real-world experiences and the new research review “Unveiling the Realms of Reproduction: A Reflection of Oocyte Assessment” by Gardner et al. , Dr. Amols breaks down:
• Why egg morphology (appearance) is a terrible predictor of success
• What embryologists can see… and what’s completely invisible
• Why the true egg issues only show up later — during fertilization, cleavage, and blastocyst development
• The “cohort effect”: why some cycles are full of rock-star eggs and others feel like the B-team
• Why a failed cycle doesn’t mean your eggs are bad or that you did anything wrong
• The future of egg assessment: AI scoring, time-lapse imaging, metabolomics, autofluorescence, and more
If you’ve ever wondered how “good eggs go bad,” or felt frustrated when early optimism turned into confusion, this episode gives you the clarity, science, and reassurance you’ve been looking for.
Share this with someone going through IVF, and leave a 5-star review if this helped you.
Thanks for tuning in to another episode of 'Taco Bout Fertility Tuesday' with Dr. Mark Amols. If you found this episode insightful, please share it with friends and family who might benefit from our discussion. Remember, your feedback is invaluable to us – leave us a review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your preferred listening platform.
Stay connected with us for updates and fertility tips – follow us on Facebook. For more resources and information, visit our website at www.NewDirectionFertility.com.
Have a question or a topic you'd like us to cover? We'd love to hear from you! Reach out to us at TBFT@NewDirectionFertility.com.
Join us next Tuesday for more discussions on fertility, where we blend medical expertise with a touch of humor to make complex topics accessible and engaging. Until then, keep the conversation going and remember: understanding your fertility is a journey we're on together.
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