What if eggs could be collected before they mature and developed outside the body, potentially reducing the medications, time and physical burden involved in conventional IVF?

In this episode of Knocked Up, fertility specialist Dr Raelia Lew is joined by CREI fertility specialist Dr Violet Kieu to explore in vitro maturation, known as IVM.

Unlike conventional IVF, where hormone injections are used to mature eggs inside the ovaries before collection, IVM involves retrieving immature eggs and completing part of the maturation process in the laboratory.

Raelia and Violet take listeners inside the Melbourne IVF CAPA-IVM study, explaining how the procedure works, who may be suited to it and why researchers are particularly interested in its potential for patients with high egg numbers.

In this episode

• What in vitro maturation is and how it differs from IVF

• Why conventional IVF commonly involves hormone injections

• How immature eggs can be matured outside the body

• Who may be eligible for the Melbourne IVF CAPA-IVM study

• Why patients with high egg counts may benefit from IVM

• IVM for people with PMOS 

• Reducing the risk of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome

• How an IVM egg collection differs from a conventional IVF collection

• The step-by-step process of maturing an egg in the laboratory

• Why embryos created through IVM are frozen before transfer

• The potential role of IVM in fertility preservation before chemotherapy

• What international IVM research has shown so far

• The limitations and unanswered questions surrounding IVM

• Why age remains important when considering egg quality

• The future of IVM and elective egg freezing

• How fertility technologies move from scientific research into patient care

  
  

Episode timestamps

00:00 Could eggs be matured outside the human body?

02:23 Who may be a suitable candidate for IVM?

03:36 How an IVM egg collection works

07:54 IVM for patients with PMOS, PCOS or high egg numbers

12:50 Why IVM embryos must be frozen

16:37 Melbourne IVF message

19:11 What researchers hope to learn from the Melbourne study

24:02 Dr Violet Kieu’s journey into fertility medicine2

28:16 Could IVM change when people freeze their eggs?

About Dr Violet Kieu

Dr Violet Kieu is a fertility specialist at Melbourne IVF with specialist training in reproductive endocrinology and infertility.

She is involved in the Melbourne IVF CAPA-IVM study and has trained with international teams working in IVM research and clinical practice.

In this conversation, Violet explains both the scientific possibilities of IVM and the importance of carefully evaluating its safety, feasibility and effectiveness.

Resources and support

Learn more about fertility treatment, IVF and egg freezing through:

• Host: CREI Fertility Specialist, Dr Raelia Lew

• Guest: Dr Violet Kieu 

• Knocked Up Producer: Jess Clark  

• Follow us on Instagram @knockeduppodcast  @drraelia lew @womenshealthmelbourne

• www.youtube.com/@knockeduppodcast

This episode of Knocked Up is proudly brought to you by Melbourne IVF - where world‑class science meets personalised fertility support.” For more information or to book an appointment visit www.mivf.com.au 

The information discussed in this episode is general in nature and does not replace personalised medical advice. Eligibility for IVM, IVF or a clinical study depends on individual circumstances and must be discussed with a qualified fertility specialist.

Subscribe to Knocked Up and leave a review to help more people discover evidence-based conversations about fertility, reproductive medicine and women’s health.

What happens behind the scenes during an IVF cycle, and who supports patients through the uncertainty, injections, scans and pregnancy-test results?

In this episode of Knocked Up, fertility specialist Dr Raelia Lew sits down with IVF nurse Lucy Elam to explore the essential role fertility nurses play throughout IVF treatment.

Lucy shares her journey from paediatric nursing into reproductive medicine, including her experience supporting children and families through fertility preservation before chemotherapy and other gonadotoxic treatments.

Together, Raelia and Lucy discuss the emotions patients commonly experience when beginning IVF, why information overload can make treatment feel overwhelming and how fertility nurses help break the process into manageable steps.

They also explore one of the hardest realities of IVF: not being able to control every outcome. From the uncertainty of ovarian stimulation to the emotional two-week wait following an embryo transfer, Lucy explains how patients can maintain some normality while staying connected with their clinical team.

In this episode

• How Lucy transitioned from paediatric nursing into IVF nursing

• Fertility preservation for children undergoing cancer treatment

• What an IVF nurse does throughout a treatment cycle

• Why IVF can feel overwhelming for new patients

• Managing injections, scans, procedures and medical anxiety

• The loss of control patients can experience during fertility treatment

• Coping with the two-week wait after an embryo transfer or IUI

• Why clinics recommend waiting for a pregnancy blood test

• Understanding low or unclear HCG pregnancy results

• Delivering negative and positive pregnancy news

• How fertility nurses manage the emotional weight of their work

• Egg freezing after a relationship breakdown

• Planning ahead for future children through embryo banking

• Age-related changes in egg quality and fertility

• The emotional and practical considerations surrounding donor eggs

• Why teamwork between doctors, nurses and embryologists matters
  

Episode timestamps

00:48 Meet IVF nurse Lucy Elam

02:13 Fertility preservation for children undergoing cancer treatment

05:29 The science behind IVF and fertility preservation

06:14 How fertility nurses support patients from beginning to end

07:22 Common emotions patients experience before starting IVF

10:06 Personality traits, organisation and managing information overload

12:13 Patient vulnerabilities during fertility treatment

14:37 Coping with the loss of control during IVF

15:53 Managing the two-week wait after embryo transfer or IUI

18:04 Making positive and negative pregnancy calls

21:13 The emotional impact of finally receiving a positive result

23:54 Understanding unclear or borderline pregnancy blood tests

26:40 How fertility nurses carry the emotional weight of patient care

29:13 Memorable patient stories from Lucy’s IVF career

30:33 Returning to IVF to grow a family

32:30 Why fertility planning should consider future children

33:31 Knowing when to consider donor eggs

38:27 How Raelia and Lucy work together as an IVF team

About the guests

Dr Raelia Lew is a CREI-certified fertility specialist, gynaecologist, Founder of Women’s Health Melbourne and Medical Director of Melbourne IVF.

Lucy Elam is an experienced IVF nurse who has worked across adult fertility treatment and paediatric fertility preservation.

Resources and support

Learn more about fertility treatment, IVF and egg freezing through:

• Host: CREI Fertility Specialist, Dr Raelia Lew

• Guest: Lucy Elam 

• Knocked Up Producer: Jess Clark  

• Follow us on Instagram ⁠⁠@knockeduppodcast ⁠⁠ ⁠⁠@drraelia lew⁠⁠ ⁠⁠@womenshealthmelbourne⁠⁠

• ⁠⁠www.youtube.com/@knockeduppodcast⁠⁠

If you are considering IVF, egg freezing or exploring your fertility options, speak with an appropriately qualified fertility specialist about your individual circumstances.

The information shared in this podcast is general in nature and should not replace personalised medical advice.

In this episode we explore the often unspoken final chapter of fertility, the moment when individuals or couples begin to consider moving on. Dr Raelila explains that whilst so much focus is placed on creating embryos, freezing eggs and preserving future options, the decision to close that chapter can feel far more complex and confronting. For many, frozen eggs or embryos represent possibility and hope, which can make letting go even harder than the initial decision to preserve them. The conversation highlights how common it is to hold onto these options for years, often until a natural or regulatory milestone prompts reflection, and acknowledges the emotional weight, grief and uncertainty that can come with deciding whether a family feels complete.

The episode also offers a thoughtful and practical look at what comes next, from understanding storage timelines and legal considerations to exploring the options of extending storage, discarding or donating. Donation, in particular, is discussed as a deeply personal yet potentially transformative choice, offering the chance to help others build their families. Ultimately, this is a nuanced conversation about identity, timing and acceptance, reminding listeners that there is no single “right” decision, only the one that aligns with your circumstances, values and readiness to move forward.

And there's an announcement about what's next for Knocked Up. 

Find us on Instagram - @knockeduppodcast

Join our community! Follow Women's Health Melbourne on Facebook and Instagram (@womenshealthmelbourne), and follow Dr Raelia Lew on Instagram (@drraelialew).

Have a question about women's health? Is there a specific topic you'd like us to cover? Email [email protected]. We keep all requests anonymous.

Women's Health Melbourne is a holistic care precinct, for more information about the work we do click here.

This episode is brought to you by Ellechemy - Lubricants and intimate care to meet your needs created by women's health authority and Gynaecologist Dr Raelia Lew

Discount Code for 10% off and free shipping: KNOCKEDUP
Website: ellechemy.com.au/
Instagram: @ellechemy.com.au

Hosts: Dr Raelia Lew and Jordi Morrison

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What happens when the path to parenthood looks different from what you imagined? In this episode of Knocked Up, CREI fertility specialist Dr Raelia Lew explains donor conception and the extraordinary ways families can be created through donor sperm, donor eggs or donor embryos.

We discuss who might consider donor conception, the emotional and legal considerations in Australia, and the careful screening and counselling that supports families along the way. Most importantly, we talk about what many hopeful parents worry about most: connection. As Dr Raelia explains, the bond between parent and child goes far beyond genetics, and for many families, donor conception becomes the beginning of a deeply loved and meaningful story.

Find us on Instagram - @knockeduppodcast

Join our community! Follow Women's Health Melbourne on Facebook and Instagram (@womenshealthmelbourne), and follow Dr Raelia Lew on Instagram (@drraelialew).

Have a question about women's health? Is there a specific topic you'd like us to cover? Email [email protected]. We keep all requests anonymous.

Women's Health Melbourne is a holistic care precinct, for more information about the work we do click here.

This episode is brought to you by Ellechemy - Lubricants and intimate care to meet your needs created by women's health authority and Gynaecologist Dr Raelia Lew

Discount Code for 10% off and free shipping: KNOCKEDUP
Website: ellechemy.com.au/
Instagram: @ellechemy.com.au

Hosts: Dr Raelia Lew and Jordi Morrison

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If you’re not ovulating regularly, or you’ve been trying without success, ovulation induction (OI) and intrauterine insemination (IUI) are often the first treatments discussed before IVF. In this episode, we unpack what ovulation actually is, why some women don’t ovulate reliably and how medication can safely recreate the hormonal sequence needed to release an egg.

Dr Raelia also explains where intrauterine insemination fits in, who it’s right for and why it’s not simply “the turkey baster method”. From success rates to risks, monitoring and when to move on, this conversation will help you understand your options and what might be the right next step for you.

Find us on Instagram - @knockeduppodcast

Join our community! Follow Women's Health Melbourne on Facebook and Instagram (@womenshealthmelbourne), and follow Dr Raelia Lew on Instagram (@drraelialew).

Have a question about women's health? Is there a specific topic you'd like us to cover? Email [email protected]. We keep all requests anonymous.

Women's Health Melbourne is a holistic care precinct, for more information about the work we do click here.

This episode is brought to you by Ellechemy - Lubricants and intimate care to meet your needs created by women's health authority and Gynaecologist Dr Raelia Lew

Discount Code for 10% off and free shipping: KNOCKEDUP
Website: ellechemy.com.au/
Instagram: @ellechemy.com.au

Hosts: Dr Raelia Lew and Jordi Morrison

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bacterial vaginosis, or BV, is one of the most common vaginal conditions in women of reproductive age, yet many women are unsure how it may affect fertility. In this episode of Knocked Up, CREI fertility specialist Dr Raelia Lew explains what BV actually is, how it differs from thrush, and why the balance of healthy lactobacillus bacteria and vaginal pH matters when you are trying to conceive.

Choosing a pH balanced lubricant that supports healthy vaginal flora, like those from Ellechemy, can help maintain the natural environment lactobacilli need to thrive, which is especially important when you are trying to conceive.

Find us on Instagram - @knockeduppodcast

Join our community! Follow Women's Health Melbourne on Facebook and Instagram (@womenshealthmelbourne), and follow Dr Raelia Lew on Instagram (@drraelialew).

Have a question about women's health? Is there a specific topic you'd like us to cover? Email [email protected]. We keep all requests anonymous.

Women's Health Melbourne is a holistic care precinct, for more information about the work we do click here.

This episode is brought to you by Ellechemy - Lubricants and intimate care to meet your needs created by women's health authority and Gynaecologist Dr Raelia Lew

Discount Code for 10% off and free shipping: KNOCKEDUP
Website: ellechemy.com.au/
Instagram: @ellechemy.com.au

Hosts: Dr Raelia Lew and Jordi Morrison

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Progesterone is often called the “pregnancy hormone”, but what does that actually mean for your body and your fertility? In this episode of Knocked Up, CREI fertility specialist Dr Raelia Lew unpacks how progesterone works, why timing is everything, and how this hormone helps prepare the uterus for implantation and early pregnancy.

We discuss what “low progesterone” really means (and what it often does not), how levels differ in natural cycles versus IVF, and why cycle length can tell us more than a single blood test.

Find us on Instagram - @knockeduppodcast

Join our community! Follow Women's Health Melbourne on Facebook and Instagram (@womenshealthmelbourne), and follow Dr Raelia Lew on Instagram (@drraelialew).

Have a question about women's health? Is there a specific topic you'd like us to cover? Email [email protected]. We keep all requests anonymous.

Women's Health Melbourne is a holistic care precinct, for more information about the work we do click here.

This episode is brought to you by Ellechemy - Lubricants and intimate care to meet your needs created by women's health authority and Gynaecologist Dr Raelia Lew

Discount Code for 10% off and free shipping: KNOCKEDUP
Website: ellechemy.com.au/
Instagram: @ellechemy.com.au

Hosts: Dr Raelia Lew and Jordi Morrison

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

IVF success rates are often the first thing people search when starting fertility treatment. But what do those numbers actually tell us, and just as importantly, what do they miss?

In this episode, CREI fertility specialist Dr Raelia Lew unpacks the latest IVF success rate data, released in 2025. Dr Raelia explains how success is measured, why the data is always years behind, and how modern IVF practices like embryo freezing and banking are not properly reflected in the numbers patients see online.

If you are navigating IVF, choosing a clinic, or feeling confused or discouraged by statistics, this is an essential listen to help you understand the data with clarity and context.

Find us on Instagram - @knockeduppodcast

Join our community! Follow Women's Health Melbourne on Facebook and Instagram (@womenshealthmelbourne), and follow Dr Raelia Lew on Instagram (@drraelialew).

Have a question about women's health? Is there a specific topic you'd like us to cover? Email [email protected]. We keep all requests anonymous.

Women's Health Melbourne is a holistic care precinct, for more information about the work we do click here.

This episode is brought to you by Ellechemy - Lubricants and intimate care to meet your needs created by women's health authority and Gynaecologist Dr Raelia Lew

Discount Code for 10% off and free shipping: KNOCKEDUP
Website: ellechemy.com.au/
Instagram: @ellechemy.com.au

Hosts: Dr Raelia Lew and Jordi Morrison

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Thank you for your questions! In this episode we discuss: 

Why do some IVF clinics genetically test embryos and some do not? 
What can I do before FET to assist chances of success? 
Going to try for a 2nd child. Should I still see the GP for pre-pregnancy bloods? 
Why is the centre of most women’s health fertility and not quality of life? 
What is the opinion for DQ alpha testing for recurrent loss? 
3 failed transfers & and one ectopic, where to from here? 
Can I TTC whilst breastfeeding? 
How many babies do you make each year? 

Find us on Instagram - @knockeduppodcast

Join our community! Follow Women's Health Melbourne on Facebook and Instagram (@womenshealthmelbourne), and follow Dr Raelia Lew on Instagram (@drraelialew).

Have a question about women's health? Is there a specific topic you'd like us to cover? Email [email protected]. We keep all requests anonymous.

Women's Health Melbourne is a holistic care precinct, for more information about the work we do click here.

This episode is brought to you by Ellechemy - Lubricants and intimate care to meet your needs created by women's health authority and Gynaecologist Dr Raelia Lew

Discount Code for 10% off and free shipping: KNOCKEDUP
Website: ellechemy.com.au/
Instagram: @ellechemy.com.au

Hosts: Dr Raelia Lew and Jordi Morrison

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Fresh or frozen embryo transfer. Which is better?

In this episode of Knocked Up, Jordi Morrison and fertility specialist Dr Raelia Lew unpack one of the most common and confusing IVF questions. Together, they explain what actually happens in fresh and frozen embryo transfers, how hormones and the uterine lining affect implantation, and why the “best” option depends entirely on the individual.

From embryo freezing technology and safety considerations to cumulative success rates and long term family planning, this conversation breaks down the science while reinforcing one clear message: IVF is never one size fits all, and personalised medical advice matters.

Find us on Instagram - @knockeduppodcast

Join our community! Follow Women's Health Melbourne on Facebook and Instagram (@womenshealthmelbourne), and follow Dr Raelia Lew on Instagram (@drraelialew).

Have a question about women's health? Is there a specific topic you'd like us to cover? Email [email protected]. We keep all requests anonymous.

Women's Health Melbourne is a holistic care precinct, for more information about the work we do click here.

This episode is brought to you by Ellechemy - Lubricants and intimate care to meet your needs created by women's health authority and Gynaecologist Dr Raelia Lew

Discount Code for 10% off and free shipping: KNOCKEDUP
Website: ellechemy.com.au/
Instagram: @ellechemy.com.au

Hosts: Dr Raelia Lew and Jordi Morrison

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We take a look decade by decade look at how fertility changes across your 20s, 30s and 40s. Dr Raelia explains why the 20s are considered the biological peak, with high egg number, high egg quality and fewer health conditions that can interfere with conception. She also unpacks why lifestyle choices, while always important, have comparatively less impact at this age due to stronger cellular health. For those not yet ready for parenthood, the discussion covers practical ways to protect future fertility, including STI prevention and why late 20s remain the optimal window for elective egg freezing.

Moving into the 30s and 40s, the conversation explores how egg number, egg quality and natural conception rates gradually decline, why miscarriage becomes more common, and what this means for both natural conception and IVF success. Dr Raelia breaks down realistic expectations for each decade, when to seek specialist advice and how conditions like endometriosis often come to light in the 30s. The episode closes with grounded guidance for each age group, including the importance of not delaying parenthood unnecessarily, the role of genetic testing in IVF for women in their 40s and why men also experience age related fertility changes.

Find us on Instagram - @knockeduppodcast

Join our community! Follow Women's Health Melbourne on Facebook and Instagram (@womenshealthmelbourne), and follow Dr Raelia Lew on Instagram (@drraelialew).

Have a question about women's health? Is there a specific topic you'd like us to cover? Email [email protected]. We keep all requests anonymous.

Women's Health Melbourne is a holistic care precinct, for more information about the work we do click here.

This episode is brought to you by Ellechemy - Lubricants and intimate care to meet your needs created by women's health authority and Gynaecologist Dr Raelia Lew

Discount Code for 10% off and free shipping: KNOCKEDUP
Website: ellechemy.com.au/
Instagram: @ellechemy.com.au

Hosts: Dr Raelia Lew and Jordi Morrison

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.