This IVF Breakdown Feels Like a Children’s Book, and Somehow That Makes It Easier
IVF, explained in the cutest way that actually makes sense.
Published on Apr 23, 2026
In vitro fertilization (IVF) can be hard to explain, especially to kids or family members hearing about it for the first time. If you need simple, cute visuals to help make sense of the process, this Instagram account explains it beautifully with storybook-style illustrations.
IVF, But Less Scary and Way Easier to Visualize
Inspired by The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle, The Very Busy Embryo turns one possible IVF journey into a visual, step-by-step story that feels less clinical and more like a picture book.
It begins with an egg being retrieved, then fertilized through Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI), “where one sperm is injected into the egg,” before being “carefully grown in the lab over five days as it developed from a zygote to a blastocyst.”
The carousel follows a fresh Day 5 blastocyst transfer, “when the embryo is placed into the uterus after reaching the blastocyst stage.”
It also shows how IVF is never the same for everyone.
Some embryos may be:
• Biopsied for genetic testing (PGT-A/PGT-M)
• Frozen for a future frozen embryo transfer (FET)
• Transferred on a different day depending on development and treatment plan
For many going through infertility, IVF can feel intimidating at first. The process is highly medical, full of unfamiliar terms, and often comes with a lot of waiting and uncertainty. It can feel overwhelming, especially when each step carries emotional weight, and hope is tied to outcomes that are not guaranteed.
That is why efforts to make IVF easier to understand matter. When the process is explained in simple, visual ways, it feels less intimidating and more accessible.
Hanna is a News Desk Writer at Smart Parenting, covering parenting, health, culture, and more. Off the clock, she’s likely people-watching at a café or park, matcha latte in hand.