CareMaps? Would you recommend with low numbers?

[Catlady12345]

Hi,

I'm with a Care clinic and they've asked me if I'd like to pay for caremaps and embryo glue? I'm due to have egg collection on Monday, but currently I only have 2 follicles, and so I'm not sure paying for the CareMaps would be worth it as theres only going to be a low number anyway.

I just wondered what your thoughts were and if it's still worth it?

Thanks xx

[Annjali]

Hi

I would definately include caremaps and embryo glue. I have always asked for caremaps in all my treatment rounds as it allows them to monitor with Minimal description ( if I am correct).

If you pay for one of the packages it includes caremaps within it.

[Catlady12345 in reply to Annjali]

Thank you! This is an NHS round so we’d have to find the money separately, but I just thought with my low numbers, whether it would make much difference. Good to know you’ve gone for it! Xx

[Annjali in reply to Catlady12345]

Yes in my personal opinion even more reason to have it with low numbers as you want the best monitoring and best shot at it ( if that makes sense).

I’ve always ended up with low numbers too.

[DianeArnold Partner Nurse Fertility Network UK]

Hi Catlady. Have a look at the HFEA website "Treatment Add-Ons" and see what they recommend. hfea.gov.uk Diane

[LSandJ]

I did care maps (with lots of embryos though - 10!)We wouldn't bother again though, as for us 8 made it to blast and all were good quality and rated similar even with the care maps.

So they used 'the best' first and these failed. They used the next best, still failed. Then they recommended further tested (chromosomal testing) of the embryos "because the care maps just tells you what they look like, not actually anything about the quality of the embryo"! This was news to us, we thought the care maps did tell us about the quality!! Clearly not.

It may be relevant to some people, but we've used 6 (of the "best" looking ones) and still haven't managed to get any implantation (and we cant find any issue)! Now, this may be a seperate issue with me, and care maps still might be useful for some people. But if I have to go for another egg collection, I won't be going for care maps again!

[LSandJ in reply to LSandJ]

I might add though, that now we are having so many issues, it's kind of good to know we tried it. Would it feel worse to regret not doing it and always wondering!?

[Hopeful2021]

Hi there so I’m also with care previously been with nurture. I have used embryo glue 3 times they never stuck the times I didn’t use the glue I got pregnant x 3 but two chemicals and one missed miscarriage. So still in my journey .

As for caremaps it was included in our package - will it change anything is my question :/ you do get a look video of the process after like the cells dividing etc… (unless I have confused caremaps for something else).

This is only

My opinion. My consultant wasn’t overly keen on glue there’s varied evidence for it some clinics love it some others aren’t so bothered!

They are expensive and when I paid for the glue it was me trying to throw eveything at it….

Do what feels right for u x

[HJ841]

We paid the extra on our final 3rd NHS round for caremaps, embryo glue and AOA. As it was our final funded round, we decided to throw the kitchen sink at it and get whatever add ones recommended. We only had 6 eggs fertilise, so not huge numbers, but our fresh transfer from our final round was successful. She's 19months now and my favourite thing is the caremaps video of her developing from a fertilised egg right up until she was transferred on day 5.If you're likely to have regrets with not going for caremaps then go for it. Sending you positive vibes xx

[HopeThisTime]

Hi there, we did 5 of our 10 rounds with Care, and used Caremaps each time. It’s essentially a time lapse camera in the incubator which does allow much closer monitoring of embryo development. This can be helpful with low numbers. In our case it did identify abnormal cleavage at a very early stage, which indicates an abnormality and would not have been apparent if it had been assessed the usual way with daily checks by embryologists. On the surface it looked like an almost perfect embryo. However, as with all things it’s not a magic bullet, if you have low numbers and the quality happens not to be good on this cycle then it can’t change that.

If you intend to PGS test your embryos if they make it to blast then it is really redundant.

In the case of glue - have have been told by numerous medics this is not really worth it. The scientific evidence it works is minimal and if your lining is good and the embryo healthy it will work. I think I’m most cases this is basically upselling.

Hope that’s helpful?! I’ve never written back to anyone before, but unfortunately I’m a bit of an old war horse (we’re about to try our 11th and probably final round) and I remember trying to make all these decisions.

X