PGTA advice

[Rhea87]

Hi,im really worried about my PGTA results. I’m nearly 35 and have 6 embryos. We decided to do this as I don’t think I can mentally cope or take much more of this journey. Especially if we have to go through a few miscarriages. Does anyone have any success stories? I’ve read a lot about bad results or results that re inconclusive and failed implantation and now I worry I’ve made the wrong decision. I’m just so down about all of this.

[Jokiekin11]

I’m sorry to hear you’re feeling down. Are you awaiting the results? X

[Rhea87 in reply to Jokiekin11]

yes I am x

[Jokiekin11 in reply to Rhea87]

How long is the wait for your results?

Our doctor recommended the testing for us after I had a blighted ovum, but because I was only getting 3 eggs we felt that number wise it wasn’t worth it as there wasn’t much selection. With you having 6 it’s understandable you’ve opted for it, hopefully it will save you the heartache of failed transfers.

Wishing you all the best x

[Rhea87 in reply to Jokiekin11]

Thank you xx

[AuroraXen]

Hi Rhea. For what it's worth, I think you've made the right decision here. 6 embryos, put back via 6 transfers, is a lot to go through if the odds are stacked against them frrom chromosome issues. Now, I DIDN'T do PGTA testing on any of our embryos, as I felt we never got many, testing isn't an exact science etc. And those are still valid arguments, I believe. The doctor recommended it when we started our 3rd round, but it was SO expensive at our clinic and I felt at the time we'd be better using that money for another round. However, my view on it all has actually changed a bit over time, and I think if we were ever to go into IVF again, I'd test it. I suspect, after 4 failed transfers with 5 (on paper, good) embryos, they just weren't chromosomally normal. I was 39 when I did my first cycle, and once I got into my 40s, I remember people saying something like one in 10 might be chromosomally normal! I don't know if that's actually accurate, or what age that's based on, and I'm sure people differ anyway. But I think I'd take the view now that knowledge is power, and at least you'll know what you are dealing with. But try not to panic, there is every reason you have some euploid embryos there! 6 is a great number xx

[Rhea87 in reply to AuroraXen]

thank you AuroraXen I have heard so many people say the opposite and that I’ll be lucky to get 1. I feel so conflicted and hate myself for just never knowing what the right thing to do is x

[LadyM2019]

hi Rhea87 , I just wanted to say we’re in a similar situation. We’re going ahead with pgta on a three cycle embryo freezing package. I was against doing PGTA for some time, but I’ve had three chemical pregnancies (embryos aged 34/35) and cannot honestly keep going through them. I know the testing is ‘only’ 97 percent accurate but I’d much rather transfer a normal or mosaic embryo than one with lots of issues. I appreciate there is a view on self correction but I imagine the chances of a live birth would not be very high with an embryo reported to have multiple problems.. You could transfer four of your six embryos before finding the one that’s most like to give you a baby in arms.. From a mental health perspective I imagine that would be very difficult.. All the best going forward xx

[Rhea87 in reply to LadyM2019]

thanks LadyM2019 it’s so hard. When do you get your results and what company are you doing it through? I’m worried that the embryos will be damaged because of the biopsy do you think that’s the case?x

[Runcaptain]

we had 8 embryos from a total of 2 rounds. After a mmc and failed FET we opted to do our 2nd collection & then test all 6 embryos. I was 37 at my first collection and 38 at my 2nd. Of the 6 we tested 2 came back normal and 1 needed to be retested (which we are yet to do).

Our transfer following PGTA has resulted in a pregnancy, currently in my 3rd trimester. For us I am so pleased that we had the numbers we did and I truly believe that we managed to avoid more heart ache. I really struggled with my mental health after my mmc - one of my best friends also died just 6weeks after so I really wanted to try and minimise a future loss. Of course it’s not a fail safe but it was definitely the right decision for us.

[Rhea87 in reply to Runcaptain]

thank you Runcaptain did you have any fertility issues? We have unexplained. So happy for you x

[Runcaptain in reply to Rhea87]

we were also classed as unexplained although I did get diagnosed with mild endometriosis.

[Rhea87 in reply to Runcaptain]

Thanks did you have any other tests done?x

[Runcaptain in reply to Rhea87]

yes I had a quartet of tests : Emma, era, Alice and NK cells. Off the back of this I was recommended to take probiotics in the lead up to my transfer. Nothing else was seemingly wrong. The endo was diagnosed before treatment by laparoscopy & hysteroscopy. I felt after the effort of getting the pgs testing I wanted to make sure I had done everything I could to give our embryo the best chance.

[Poppygarden]

hi Rhea87, just wanted to wish you well with the results. It’s a really tricky decision to make but I’m sure you have made the right one for you.

My Nhs clinic doesn’t offer embryo testing so for my next fresh cycle I will be moving to a private clinic purely so I can test the embryos. I’ve found ivf really challenging on my mental health and I think testing the embryos will help remove some of the loss.

Wishing you well

X

[Rhea87 in reply to Poppygarden]

thank you Poppygarden i hope you are successful asap x

[Boo718]

I hope you are ok. We have done the pgta tests and if we went back for another round I’d honestly do it again. On one round we had 3 out of 4 good quality embryos abnormal. It saved us so much heartache as those 3 were never going to work xxx

[Rhea87 in reply to Boo718]

Thanks Boo718 how many rounds did you do? I hope you were lucky in the end?xx

[Boo718 in reply to Rhea87]

hello I had 5 transfers plus a few cancelled rounds and am currently 20 weeks xxx

[Rainbow008]

I’m sure you’ve made the right decision for you, and that’s all that matters! We are debating testing our embryos now after 4 transfers and 2 post heartbeat detection miscarriages. I’ve had lots of tests done which haven’t identified a cause of the miscarriages and I really don’t know that I can cope with another one. We are having karotype testing on ourselves first, as I have low AMH and only 2 embryos in storage. Best of luck, I really hope it works out for you xx

[Rhea87 in reply to Rainbow008]

Thanks so much Rainbow008 what is karyotyping? I hope you are successful asap xx

[Rainbow008 in reply to Rhea87]

from what I understand it looks at your chromosomes to see if you have any abnormalities between the 2 of you that could lead to issues with your embryos. We are relatively young at 32, so think that’s played a part in the advice given. Thank you, I hope you have success too xx

[Gerti2020]

hiya, I’m a lot older than you - 43. I had 6 apparently good looking embryos at my last round but only 1 came back normal. I’m currently pregnant with that special ‘1’

I hope that with you being alot younger that you will have a few more normals, for me it was the best decision, I probably saved about £15k and a year by not transferring those abnormal embryos.

Wish you all the luck in the world x

[Rhea87 in reply to Gerti2020]

Thanks so much Gerti2020

[Chowlady14]

we are on our second cycle of iVF and have done the testing this time as I’m 36 now with a history of MMC & husbands sperm this time was morphed. We did iVF 4 years ago & no problems with husbands sperm then but 3 5AA embryos failed before we were blessed with our son. We got 6 embryos this round & have 3 viable for transfer. The testing didn’t damage them so I’m happy we’ve done it as I think 3 failures again would have maybe stopped me trying a forth time which would have potentially been the first with any chance of sticking. I started medication for fet a few days ago. Hopefully it all goes to plan xxx

[Rhea87 in reply to Chowlady14]

Fingers crossed Chowlady14 xx

[Nuszkahope]

yes, after doing PGTA the ivf finally worked for us but on the 3rd transfer

[Rhea87 in reply to Nuszkahope]

Thanks  Nuszkahope had you done PGTA previously? Congratulations on your success xx

[Nuszkahope in reply to Rhea87]

yes, it worked on 3rd PGTA tested embryo

[Bookbroad]

hello. Not sure I’m adding anything extra in addition to the lovely comments above. But just to say I’m sure you will feel better once the results are in. The wait is gruelling, we were lucky it took place over Christmas so it didn’t feel so bad but I’ve found this the hardest of waits of the whole process. I think you will appreciate the clarify when it comes, regardless of the results. We have had 6 failed transfers and have spent a year a half transferring what looked like healthy embryos with no success. We’ve had some good results from the PGT testing and it’s made me feel positive about moving forward and that there is still a chance we might succeed. I think if the results had been bad it would have been awful but it would have at least gotten us off this terrible merry-go-round of hope then disappointment. Will be thinking of you and hope you can cut yourself some slack, this process is hard enough and you’ll never know whether your decisions were the best shout but we’re all fumbling around in the dark trying to do what’s best for us at the time. Go easy. Xxxx

[Rhea87 in reply to Bookbroad]

Thank you Bookbroad fingers crossed for you also! Really hope it happens soon xx

[Haf05]

Hi Rhea97, to PGTA test or not is a tough decision - or at least i found it tough. We had 7 embryos (from eggs collected when i was 37), which we ended up getting tested after a lot of deliberation. 3 were "abnormal", 2 were "normal", and 2 "low mosaic". I am currently 15 weeks with our second transfer of a "normal" embryo. Also got a call about a month ago, saying that, due to new research, they had reclassified our 2 low mosaic embryos as"normal" (!) So its an evolving science for sure, but I am glad we went for it. Even after the positive pregnancy test, the fact that the embryo was "normal" gave me a lot of comfort in the nerve-wreaking few weeks leading up to the 6 week scan.

All the very best xx

[Rhea87 in reply to Haf05]

Congratulations Haf05 , what company did the testing for you? Good news re mosaicism. I am so worried about the abnormals its such a horrible wait. xx

[Haf05 in reply to Rhea87]

The company was called Igenomix.

Hope you get your results soon. Fingers crossed xx

[Rhea87 in reply to Haf05]

Thank you Haf05 🤞🏽

[Somoe]

Good luck with the results, I can sympathise with your anxiety. We opted for PGT-A testing, also with 6 embryos and 3 were normal. Also, like you, I was fearing the worst based on all the reading and statistics out there but as people have already commented, it’s very individual and feels like a total lottery. I am currently 28 weeks pregnant (and older than you!) so I hope this offers some hope.

[Rhea87 in reply to Somoe]

Thank you Somoe this is reassuring xx

[DreamingOfTwo79]

Wishing you the best of luck for that results call from the embryologist! The wait for news is the most agonising, I can absolutely relate. I am nearly 44 and we had 5 good quality blastocysts tested, of which 2 were confirmed to be euploid which was so very fortunate as the stats are somewhat stacked against you the older you are. In our case I was not prepared to risk a transfer of an untested embryo after suffering four back to back losses, two of which had a confirmed cause of chromosomal abnormalities. Like a number of ladies said before me, one of my main reasons for believeing in PGT-A to be the best decision for us was the time saving factor, we potentially saved ourselves three heartbreaking failed transfers, I would not have been able to cope with after multiple losses already. Even though PGT-A is no guarantee for a successful pregnancy, our consultant said that chances of a life birth increase to 65% when you transfer a euploid embryo (this can be further improved to 84% if you also have investigations and treatment following EMMA/ALICE/NK cells and ERA), which is all the reassurance I can ask for when we eventually book our transfer. It may still not work but I would find comfort in knowing that I have given myself the best chance of success. Keeping everything crossed that you will get your results soon and that they will be what you hope for! X

[Rhea87]

Thank you DreamingOfTwo79 fingers crossed for you also. I don't know what those tests are is it worth doing? xx

[DreamingOfTwo79 in reply to Rhea87]

EMMA is a test which gives you a view of your endometrial biome, depending on the makeup of your bacterial flora in your uterus the consultant may prescribe antibiotics/probiotics to achieve a better balance said to aid implantation. Studies are a little divided on this but my consultant will be predominantly looking for lactobacillus cultures which are said to contribute to higher live birth rates. ALICE is pretty much the same test but will specifically highlight any imbalance in your uterus that points towards chronic endometritis which can cause miscarriage (this is allegedly more common in women who have given birth previously). ERA is confirming whether your uterine lining was receptive/post or pre receptive at the point of biopsy, it will tell you whether you need more or fewer hours of exposure to progesterone when determing your transfer window during a frozen (and predominantly medicated) cycle. Studies on ERA have been mainly done on HRT cycles where they completely take over your cycle but my consultant believes it's worth doing for natural modified cycles as well. And Natural Killer cells testing will determine the level of uterine natural killer cells (biopsy) and natural killer cells (blood) and whether your consultant may want to modify your immune response via steroid treatment, intralipids and IVIG treatment during the first ten weeks of pregnancy. I decided to commit to all these tests even though they are costly and add at the very minimum a month to the timeline as we only have these two euploid embryos. They are our only two chances and I want to make sure I have done all I could to create optimal conditions for transfer. But of course, as we all know, there are no guarantees but knowing I've exhausted all my options would ultimately help me to move on I think. X

[Rhea87 in reply to DreamingOfTwo79]

Thanks so much for taking the time to respond. And also to everyone on this thread. I’ll need to speak to my consultant about this as I don’t know if they even do it. So hard knowing what/ not to test. I’m sure you will be success with two. Wishing you the best of luck 🤞🏽 xx

[Crie1983]

Hi Rhea, unfortunately I don’t currently have a success story to share (yet) but have read all the replies to your post and found them really comforting as I too have opted for PGT-A testing. I am 39 and after 3 failed transfers and I early miscarriage I wanted to save myself from further heartbreak using embryos that might not have a chance.

I’ve got 5 embryos in the freezer ready to test, but have gone for a 3 cycle package where they’ll freeze all and test. I still have 2 cycles left.

Anyway I just wanted to wish you the best of luck and am sure that you have made the right choice for you. I’ll be thinking of you and praying for your results. X

[Rhea87 in reply to Crie1983]

Thank you Crie1983 I’m sorry you’ve had a difficult time hopefully next time is the one xx

[VBN365]

hiya, sorry you’re going through this. We kind of all or in one way or another so understand.

At 36 we tested 5 that made it and 4 were good. We transferred 1 that resulted in miscarriage/blighted ovum. The second failed to implant and the third also didn’t implant. We have 1 left. Although this might not sound reassuring, I say that to say this and hopefully save you what could be potential heartache. Before collecting anymore eggs and transferring the last I'm going to undergo immune testing because this is the only thing that makes sense at this stage as ny embryos were good grade and tested as genetically normal/healthy.

Maybe consider these tests if you haven’t already so you can get ahead of this and rule out and like me hopefully receive some additional treatments or support before taking the transfer plunge.

So although I don’t have success stories as such I have a plan that I wish I’d have been aware of before transferring 3 embryos.

I wish you all the best and try not to fret. It only really takes 1 after all. X