Instead of immersing human reproductive cells in a single culture medium throughout the various procedures used in IVF, a process is provided by which the reproductive cells may be moved through a sequence of distinct culture media as the various IVF procedures are carried out. In one implementation, the culture media specifically formulated to provide a physical environment similar to that found within the female reproductive tract and conducive to growth and development of human reproductive cells during the various stages of the IVF process. In this regard, specifically formulated culture media can be applied to support the reproductive cells in one or more of the following procedures: oocyte retrieval and handling; oocyte maturation; ordinary fertilization; oocyte, zygote and embryo examination and biopsy; embryonic development to the eight-cell stage; embryonic development to the blastocyst stage; embryo transfer, and cryopreservation.