From Miracle to Milestone: The World’s First IVF Baby Louise Joy Brown Shares Her Story

Written By Lora Shahine, MD

On July 25, 1978, family building changed forever when the world's first IVF baby was born. Over 12 million babies have been born through in vitro fertilization worldwide, and Louise Joy Brown was the first. 

In this very special 100th episode of Baby or Bust, Dr. Lora Shahine sits down with now-adult Louise Brown. They discuss her experience as a living symbol of the powers of fertility medicine. Louise shares her parents' journey of choosing IVF, questions she got from friends growing up, and how she advocates for IVF now.

 You can catch the Netflix movie, Joy starring Bill Nighy, out now, which is the biological drama set in the 1960s and 1970s about the nurse, scientist, and surgeon determined to develop the first “test tube baby.” 

In this episode you’ll hear:

[0:30] The Birth of IVF: A Historical Milestone

[1:21] Growing Up as the First IVF Baby

[4:16] Family and Media Challenges

[7:05] Personal Reflections and Advocacy

[16:31] Modern IVF and Future Hopes

[27:09] Concluding Thoughts and Gratitude

Resources mentioned: 

Joy 2024 film

Dr. Shahine’s Weekly Newsletter on Fertility News and Recommendations

Follow @drlorashahine Instagram | YouTube | Tiktok | Her Books

Lora Shahine, MD

Dr. Lora Shahine, reproductive endocrinologist at Pacific NW Fertility and Clinical Assistant Professor at the University of Washington in Seattle, completed her residency in OBGYN at the University of California in San Francisco and fellowship in reproductive endocrinology at Stanford University. She is dedicated to educating and advocating for increased awareness of infertility, miscarriage, and the impact on environmental toxins on health through an active social media presence, teaching, clinical research, and authoring multiple blogs and books including best selling, ‘Not Broken: An Approachable Guide to Miscarriage and Recurrent Pregnancy Loss.’

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