Ali Herweck, MD, MPH

That circle you see on ultrasound is a follicle, not the egg itself! Follicles are fluid-filled sacs that MAY contain an egg, which is why follicular scans are used to estimate timing, not confirm maturity. As follicles grow, the likelihood of retrieving a mature egg increases (especially in the 16–22 mm range) but: • not every follicle contains an egg • not every retrieved egg is mature This is why we track growth over time, not a single measurement, and why egg maturity is ultimately confirmed at retrieval. ✨Education like this matters because it helps set realistic expectations during ovarian stimulation and IVF. #ivf #ivfjourney #eggfreezing #eggretrieval #ultrasound