With standard IVF (I-V-F), eggs and sperm are combined in the laboratory to create human embryos. These are normally placed back into the womb after three days of growth.

Choosing the sex of your baby is a process known as sex selection. This is becoming increasingly common for couples with two or three children of the same gender.

The first test tube baby was born in 1978 by the process of in vitro fertilization. This pioneered the era of assisted reproductive technologies, which has helped many couples have healthy babies.

Many couples are worried that their babies will have a birth defect or other genetic problem. Fortunately, genetic testing is available to ensure the health of the baby in early gestation.

The first birth through in vitro fertilization in 1978 dramatically increased awareness of clinical alternatives for the infertile couple. In vitro (VEE-trow) fertilization, or IVF (I-V-F), involves the careful stimulation of multiple egg production in a woman using a series of hormone injections or oral medications.

In vitro fertilization, or IVF (I-V-F), is an advanced fertility treatment in which a woman's eggs are placed with her husband's sperm in a laboratory environment to promote fertilization.

The number of multiple births in the United States has significantly increased in recent years. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention attributes the increase of multiple births to the number of older women trying to become pregnant with the help of fertility drugs after delaying pregnancy for many years.

If you're having problems conceiving a baby, there are many ways that modern technology can help. Artificial insemination inserts semen into your uterus or vaginal canal.

For an increasing number of couples, the joy of achieving pregnancy results in a devastating situation in which a miscarriage occurs with the loss of a pregnancy, usually in the first trimester.