One major bottleneck in successful embryonic development is hatching of the early embryo (blastocyst) from a protein “shell” known as the zona pellucida. Hatching is essential for embryonic survival and implantation in the maternal uterus. Implantation failure is a major factor faced by many infertile women. Current methods to improve hatching include using a laser to make an opening in the zona pellucida. Less invasive, less expensive, and more effective methods of increasing hatching rate are needed. Culturing embryos in conditions that optimize hatching could rescue hatching in these instances, increasing efficiency and success of artificial reproductive technologies. Here I present data using mouse embryos as a model for this process, manipulating culture conditions to optimize hatching rates. I culture embryonic day 2.5 embryos for 48 hours in media containing various DH additives. Embryos cultured with exogenous DH1, DH2, DH3, or DH4 exhibit significantly higher hatching rates. Interestingly, one other DH family member did not show similar effects (DH5). Embryos treated with these conditions exhibit normal morphology, total cell number, and lineage specification, as assessed by immunofluorescence. Due to the limited nature of human embryos, optimization of hatching in mouse embryos is critical to establish protocols that could be implemented in IVF clinics. Embryonic culture in DH additives could improve IVF efficiency, limit embryonic damage from lasers, and reduce patient costs, thus improving patient outcomes.