Have you had blastocysts frozen?

[LittleT123]

Anyone had blastocysts frozen after day 5 transfer recently? I’ve not spoken to anyone who has lately and starting to feel if I paid private I would have more choice as to what they are happy to freeze? Maybe not got funding to be freezing blastocysts anymore? I’m interested to know if anyone NHS funded like myself has had successful freezing lately and if any private self funding patients have had successful freezing? I’m not a political person I just want to know if I pay private will I have more choice and say over things? Thank you

[Millbanks]

Hi lovely, I've had day 6 embryos frozen at both the NHS and Privately. x

[LittleT123 in reply to Millbanks]

Hi when did you have this done was it recently? Thanks x

[Millbanks in reply to LittleT123]

Both this year (March / April) and last year (August / November) xx

[LittleT123 in reply to Millbanks]

Thanks for the information and were they day 3 embryos or day 5 blastocysts? Xx

[Millbanks in reply to LittleT123]

They were day 5 and day 6 blastocysts. I've never had any day 3 frozen x

[Hidden]

I have two day 5 and one day 6 blasto in the freezer on a private donor round currently x

[MrsOrangejuice]

I had day 5 blasts frozen on the NHS in March and privately in June. Both seemed to want them to get to day 5 if possible although they were prepared to give them an extra day to develop before freezing if needed.

[Pnw2020]

Hi.The embryologist will consider the grading of the embryo and whether they feel it will survive the freeze thaw process. Might be worth discussing this with your clinic to understand their decision. Clinics can use different grading systems so there isn’t necessarily a blanket rule.

I think they often wait until day six to give the embryo more chance to develop. In my first cycle the embryo deteriorated between day 5 and 6 so wasn’t frozen.

[LittleT123 in reply to Pnw2020]

Thanks you and yes I’m going to speak to the clinic to better understand the decision.

[Bistbee]

I’m with a private clinic and they usually freeze on day 5 but will let the embryo go to day 6 if they feel the quality is still there. You’re led by the advice of the embryologists really but I think you do get more of a chance to chat things over and ask questions when you’re doing private treatment as opposed to nhs.

[LittleT123 in reply to Bistbee]

Yes I just feel with nhs they just tell you the basics, skim over things, no frills and I prefer to know more detail about things in relation to gradings and why they haven’t made it to frozen stage. I do feel I may consider private in the future

[Solly-44]

Hi,I have but mine aren’t recent. A friend had Day 5 blasts frozen after her ICSI this summer though (NHS funded around June or July). My clinic always freezes any viable embryos, I’m amazed any wouldn’t 😳 Did they say why? We did have some others that made it to day 5 but weren’t frozen as they weren’t good enough grades to survive the freeze/thaw process xx

[LittleT123 in reply to Solly-44]

Hey thanks for your reply. They were graded at 4DD and 5CC and they said they didn’t think they would survive the thawing process. I’m just disappointed as a friend of mine had a poor quality blastocyst frozen a few years ago and he was born last week at 10lb 8oz, so that shows poor quality can make it. Maybe mine were lesser than hers, I don’t know. I just have a feeling that funding in different areas is different and possibility of freezing and storing on NHS depends which trust the hospital is in. I maybe wrong. Just that I know I’m different trusts they give out different funding for nhs cycles, some give 2 and some 3 so I am wondering if it’s a postcode lottery with regards to freezing embryos too.

[KiboXX in reply to LittleT123]

Hey lovely,

It’s less about NHS/funding and more about the clinic. Every clinic has their own criteria for freezing embryos, some may be willing to freeze lower quality embryos but most won’t as they are unlikely to survive the thaw process. I’ve had private treatment at two clinics and both wouldn’t freeze embryos they didn’t believe would survive thawing xx

[LittleT123 in reply to KiboXX]

Hi thanks for your message and that’s really good to know. I was considering going private for my next round but I have a round left funded so might as well stick here if it’s the same at private clinics xx

[LittleT123 in reply to KiboXX]

I appreciate you sharing this thank you again xx