Embryo Monitoring Explained: How Continuous Observation Can Support Your IVF Journey

At some point in your in-vitro fertilization (IVF) journey, your fertility specialist may present you with the option of embryo monitoring. While this may be an informed suggestion from your doctor’s perspective, you, too, deserve to understand why this option is being recommended.

Below is our full breakdown of what embryo monitoring is and why it may be the right choice for growing your family.

What is embryo monitoring?

Embryo monitoring, or, more specifically, time-lapse embryo monitoring, is a system that allows continuous, non-invasive embryo observation through the use of cameras inside the incubator. This is different from traditional, standard monitoring, which necessitates opening the incubator and removing the embryos for examination.

Embryologists (dedicated lab scientists specializing in fertility treatments) have historically assessed embryos through only brief looks at set intervals, as opposed to continuous monitoring. The standard procedure only provides a “snapshot” of the embryos’ development at a particular moment, which can lead to the possibility of embryologists missing critical developmental moments between checks. Subtle changes in the embryos can reveal viability at any given moment.

That said, more data doesn’t always mean clearer answers. As Dr. Jessica Ryniec, a board-certified reproductive endocrinologist, explains, “Time-lapse incubators can provide morphokinetic data that may supplement conventional embryo assessment, but they do not reliably predict which embryos have higher implantation potential in a clinically meaningful way.”

Dr. Ryniec notes that “large randomized controlled trials demonstrate no improvement in pregnancy outcomes when these parameters guide embryo selection.” The takeaway? Time-lapse monitoring may offer helpful context in the lab, but it might not reliably predict which embryos have higher implantation potential in a clinically meaningful way, although researchers have found links between certain timing patterns and implantation in retrospective studies.

Time-lapse embryo monitoring: How it actually works

The way a time-lapse embryo monitoring system, like Vitrolife’s EmbryoScope, works is as follows: Cameras, along with a microscope, are built into the incubators, which capture images every 10 minutes. The resulting time-lapse video is a complete “movie” of your embryo’s development. This technology allows embryologists to monitor your embryos’ entire development, without removing them from their incubator’s safe environment. Throughout this period, embryologists use advanced software to review the time-lapse videos. This will help them spot patterns and ultimately select the best embryos for transfer and freezing.

Time-lapse embryo monitoring system technology

By using specialized incubators with integrated imaging, time-lapse embryo monitoring technology (like EmbryoScope) allows deeper examination of specific data points that traditional observation misses, such as the exact timing of cell divisions and fragmentation patterns.

Why embryo monitoring matters: Choosing the right embryo

The stakes of embryo monitoring are simple in theory: Ideally, you want to transfer the embryo(s) that are most likely to result in pregnancy. But the current traditional embryo grading system can be likened to judging a book by its cover. This is because standard grading entails removing the embryos from the safety of their incubator. The embryologists then perform a handful of evaluations at specific moments that only provide a “snapshot” of the embryos.

Continuous monitoring, however, reveals the embryo’s full story: how it develops and how it looks. This has already resulted in improved clinical outcomes regarding blastocyst development (blastocysts are early-stage embryos). According to a study published in the December 2022 issue of Human Reproduction, 55% of embryos developed to the blastocyst stage on Day 5 using time-lapse technology (compared to the 45% using a standard incubator, which necessitated increased interruption).

Keeping your embryos safe

One of the most meaningful benefits of time-lapse embryo monitoring is what doesn’t happen: repeated handling. Traditional embryo grading requires embryos to be removed from the incubator for checks, exposing them to changes in temperature, light, and oxygen.

With continuous monitoring systems like EmbryoScope, embryos stay inside the incubator the entire time while images are captured automatically. That means fewer disruptions, a more stable environment, and less stress on developing embryos. For many patients, that added layer of protection offers real peace of mind, knowing their embryos are kept safe while their development is closely observed.

What monitoring can catch that traditional methods miss

According to a study published in the July 2025 issue of the JBRA Assisted Reproduction journal, time-lapse monitoring allows embryologists to “detect previously unnoticed or undetectable aspects of embryonic development.” These can include abnormalities like cleavage (a split) directly into three cells instead of the typical two cells, which can negatively impact clinical pregnancy outcomes.

Time-lapse monitoring can also detect potential red flags like reverse cleavage, AKA when cells fuse back together.

Most importantly, since embryo status can significantly change within a few hours, causing monumental events to be missed between observations, time-lapse monitoring eliminates those blind spots.

Embryo attrition: Understanding why you lose embryos

Before we even get to the embryo stage, let’s talk about the concept of attrition, which is the gradual tapering of the number of retrieved eggs to viable embryos. As frustrating as it sounds, the hard truth is that not every egg retrieved will become a viable embryo. On average, only 30-50% of fertilized eggs reach the blastocyst stage.

Chromosomal abnormalities are the main reason why this occurs, leading to embryonic developmental arrest, which is when an embryo stops developing.

Embryo attrition may feel disheartening at first, but remember that it’s merely biology working as it was intended. The discardment of certain nonviable embryos is just a form of real-time natural selection.

Embryo attrition rate: What to expect at each stage

If you’ve ever felt whiplash watching the numbers drop after egg retrieval, you’re not alone. Understanding embryo attrition can help set realistic expectations and remind you that these drop-offs are a normal, built-in part of IVF, not a sign that something’s gone wrong.

• Stage 1: Approximately 80% of retrieved eggs will be mature enough for fertilization. So if you’ve retrieved 10 eggs, you can expect eight to be mature.
• Stage 2: Of these mature eggs, you can expect about 80% to fertilize. Now we’re down to six fertilized eggs.
• Stage 3: Of these six fertilized eggs, not all will reach the blastocyst stage (only 30-50% will do so). You can then expect approximately three to four blastocysts for transfer.

Keep in mind that age, egg quality, and sperm quality all affect these numbers.

How embryo monitoring helps you navigate attrition

Time-lapse embryo monitoring optimizes the identification of viable embryos, thus reducing the risk of “missed opportunities.” Uninterrupted imaging provided by systems like EmbryoScope helps to ensure that a perfectly developed embryo isn’t overlooked. At the same time, the time-lapse technology can help determine if an embryo developed abnormally, even if it initially appears normal.

Too often, we find ourselves (futilely) searching for answers to why so many of our retrieved eggs and subsequent embryos aren’t viable. Time-lapse embryo monitoring can help to explain why certain embryos don’t make it to the finish line, providing closure and eliminating the constant mystery.

Ultimately, the more information supplied by time-lapse embryo monitoring provides embryologists with more confidence in their embryo selection.

The emotional side: What happens when you can't see your embryos

While scientific innovations like EmbryoScope are improving the chances of successful pregnancies, what these breakthroughs can’t do, unfortunately, is reduce the stressful emotions that go hand-in-hand with IVF.

Even with embryo monitoring, there’s still the anxiety of the 5-6-day wait between the egg retrieval and the transfer/freezing. Compound that with regular updates from your embryologist on how many of your eggs were mature enough for fertilization, how many were properly fertilized, and how many had actually made it to the blastocyst stage.

It’s no wonder you feel so helpless during this period, while your embryos are chilling somewhere in a lab, and the likelihood of transferable blastocysts dwindling by the day. And when the final numbers end up being far less than expected, the grief of losing your embryos is very real, especially if you don’t fully understand what happened.

This is why transparency matters when it comes to the mental health side of IVF, and comprehensive transparency is far more likely with time-lapse embryo monitoring than standard IVF.

Can I see my embryos during IVF?

One of the reasons transparency regarding embryo development has been such a challenge is that standard IVF doesn’t usually offer much beyond brief updates and maybe a photo at transfer. EmbryoScope monitoring provides not only time-lapse videos but detailed reports.

Time-lapse monitoring allows you to see your embryos’ journey, even the ones that don’t make it to blastocyst. Even if you’re receiving bad news, you’ll have an explanation instead of remaining in the dark.

Keep in mind, however, that not all clinics share their footage, so what you can access will depend on your clinic. But the fact that technology is making it more possible for you to witness your embryos’ development is not to be discounted.

Embryo monitoring IVF: Who benefits most?

Anyone doing IVF will benefit from better embryo selection, which can potentially reduce anxiety for aspiring parents who perhaps have experienced multiple failed transfers, poor embryo quality in past cycles, and who are of advanced maternal age.

Embryo monitoring, by providing the most detailed information possible, can help optimize (if you have too many embryos) and maximize embryo selection (if you have too few).

People who are experiencing unexplained infertility can benefit from embryo monitoring as well, because with so many ambiguous factors, they can’t afford any further risks. Selection is paramount in their case.

Does continuous embryo monitoring via time-lapse technology improve IVF success rates?

As previously mentioned, there is some evidence of improved clinical outcomes regarding blastocyst development with time-lapse embryo monitoring like EmbryoScope. This may potentially lead to fewer failed transfers and an overall reduction in the time it takes to achieve pregnancy.

What embryo monitoring can't do

While embryo monitoring technology is helping revolutionize IVF, it’s not a magic bullet: Yes, it can improve identification of viable embryos, but it can’t fix any underlying problems.

That means embryo monitoring won’t fix chromosomal issues or turn poor-quality eggs into good ones. It also can’t compensate for uterine factors or other issues with your infertility. It also can’t guarantee implantation or a live birth result.

At the end of the day, embryo monitoring still requires skilled embryologists to interpret the data, which would also be the case when undergoing standard IVF.

Your success depends on having embryos to monitor in the first place.

Questions to ask your clinic about embryo monitoring

Embryo monitoring can sound incredibly high-tech, but what really matters is how your clinic uses it and whether it actually adds value for you. These questions can help you cut through the buzzwords, understand what you’re paying for, and make sure your care plan is based on evidence, not assumptions.

• Do you use time-lapse incubators? Which system?
• Is it included in my IVF cost or additional?
• How do you use the data in embryo selection?
• Can I see the time-lapse footage of my embryos?
• What's your success rate with monitoring vs. without?
• If I did IVF at another clinic without monitoring, how might this change things?
• Would standard care be sufficient in my case? Why or why not?

Making the decision: Is embryo monitoring right for you?

Open communication with your fertility team is critical when it comes to time-lapse embryo monitoring like EmbryoScope. The bottom line about this technology is that it reduces stress to your embryos, helping keep them safe. It also helps embryologists make more informed decisions.

This is also a good time to ask yourself if you want the level of data that time-lapse embryo monitoring provides, because there is such a thing as information overload. Trust your gut about what feels right: You may ultimately want all of your embryos’ details, but you may not. Only you can make that choice.

It can also help to zoom out and remember that embryo monitoring is just one piece of a much bigger puzzle. Clinics already rely on embryo grading, and for some patients, PGT testing can provide clearer information about chromosomal health than time-lapse data alone. And importantly, IVF success doesn’t hinge on choosing the single “best-looking” embryo. Many pregnancies come from embryos that weren’t graded as top quality on paper. A thoughtful strategy that balances grading, genetics when appropriate, uterine health, and your personal comfort with data is often far more impactful than any one lab tool on its own.

Want to feel more confident in your fertility journey? Learn how tools like EmbryoScope and EmbryoGlue can support informed decisions and stronger conversations with your doctor.