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This Happened

This Happened — July 25: First "Test Tube Baby" Born

Louise Brown, known as the world’s first test tube baby was born on this day in 1978 in Oldham, England. Her birth marked a significant milestone in reproductive medicine and assisted reproductive technology.

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What does it mean to be a "test tube baby"?

The term "test tube baby" was a phrase used to describe a child conceived through in vitro fertilization (IVF). IVF involves the fertilization of an egg with sperm outside the body, typically in a laboratory dish or test tube, before transferring the resulting embryo to the woman's uterus for implantation.

Who were the scientists involved in Louise Brown's' conception?

Louise Brown's conception and birth were made possible through the groundbreaking efforts of British gynecologist Patrick Steptoe and scientist Robert Edwards. Steptoe performed the egg retrieval procedure, while Edwards developed the IVF technique. Steptoe and Edwards dedicated years of research and experimentation to develop the IVF technique, aiming to help couples facing infertility issues conceive a child. After refining the process, they successfully implanted an embryo into Louise Brown's mother, Lesley Brown, leading to the world's first successful IVF birth.

How did Louise Brown's birth impact reproductive medicine?

Louise Brown's birth revolutionized reproductive medicine and opened up new possibilities for couples struggling with infertility. IVF has since become a widely practiced and continuously advancing technique, helping millions of couples around the world achieve parenthood.

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Society

How Parenthood Reinvented My Sex Life — Confessions Of A Swinging Mom

Between breastfeeding, playdates, postpartum fatigue, birthday fatigues and the countless other aspects of mother- and fatherhood, a Cuban couple tries to find new ways to explore something that is often lost in the middle of the parenting storm: sex.

red tinted photo of feet on a bed

Parenting v. intimacy, a delicate balance

Silvana Heredia

HAVANA — It was Summer, 2015. Nine months later, our daughter would be born. It wasn't planned, but I was sure I wouldn't end my first pregnancy. I was 22 years old, had a degree, my dream job and my own house — something unthinkable at that age in Cuba — plus a three-year relationship, and the summer heat.

I remember those months as the most fun, crazy and experimental of my pre-motherhood life. It was the time of my first kiss with a girl, and our first threesome.

Every weekend, we went to the Cuban art factory and ended up at the CornerCafé until 7:00 a.m. That September morning, we were very drunk, and in that second-floor room of my house, it was unbearably hot. The sex was otherworldly. A few days later, the symptoms began.

She arrived when and how she wished. That's how rebellious she is.

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