Does an embryo develop at all after freezing and thawing? ❄️🔥🥚 It can! Depending on which day the embryo was at when frozen and how long after thawing your procedure is the embryo may continue to develop additional cells or begin to hatch. What is assisted hatching? An embryo is surrounded by a hard outer layer of cells called the zona pellucida, almost like a shell. An embryo must break free of this layer in order to implant into the uterus. Assisted hatching is a procedure where the lab team