41 and anxious about embryo outcome

[Ma261182]

Hi all,

I follow this community with interest. I have now undergone 2 egg collections at 41 and have 3rd pending in January ( consultant as advised I have a rest)

1st cycle - 8 eggs retrieved and 5 fertilised with 3 making it to day 3 (7cell, 8 cell and 9 cell with small amount of fragmentation)

2nd cycle 9 eggs retrieved, 2 not mature but 7 were and all 7 fertilised. All 7 made it to day 3, with 4 being frozen at day 3 ( again 6 cell, 6 cell 8 cell and 8 cell embryos)

3rd cycle pending

We are doing PGTA testing so after the 3 cycle will unfreeze all the day 3 embryos ( 7 in total) and grow everything today 5 in including embryos y I get from our 3rd cycle ( hopefully another 4 or 5 fingers crossed)

Any one had experience of unfreezing day 3 embryos and growing them to day 5? I am worried about further drop off and wondered if anyone had this experience also at 41?

it’s hard to not read all the numbers and stats and panic!

Thanks all xx

[Greenfig123]

Hi! Could I ask why your embryos were frozen at day 3 and then unfrozen and grown to day 5, rather than just freezing on day 5 in the first place?

I’ve heard of this happening, but it isn’t something my clinic would do, so I’m curious..

[Sams25]

seeing that you have a good amount of eggs, if I were you I would discuss with the clinic the option to grow them until day 5 and then freeze the blasts instead for the next round. I am not sure I understand why freeze at day 3 because the main transition to the embryos happens at day 3-4, when the DNA from the sperms starts to impact development. It’s a good way to assess if there are any issues with the sperm too. My clinic only does fresh transfers at day 3 if there are less than 3embryos else all are let to grow until day 5. Know that the drop off is pretty steep for everyone between day 3-5, I think only 30% make it.

Positive pants on! You only need 1!! And have clear and honest discussions with your clinic. Make them work for you vs listening to whatever they say.

All the best!

[Ma261182 in reply to Sams25]

Thanks, it just does seem an odd way of doing it, rather than the frezzing and then thawing!

I am hoping from these 7 embryos atleast some make it to day 5 although if there is an issue with sperm which I believe is responsible after day 3? That we wouldn’t know until after 3 egg collections

The 3rd retrieval everything will be taken to day 5

X

[Sams25 in reply to Ma261182]

That’s good to hear, and fingers crossed for you! 🤞🏻🤞🏻🤞🏻

[Rainbow2023]

Hi, we followed the exact same protocol aged 42 this time last year with embryo batching over 3 cycles.

We got 8 x day 3 embryos in the end which went on to form 3 blastocysts on day 5. The 3 blastocysts were sent off for PGTA testing and all 3 came back as normal!

We transferred the best quality embryo (which came from the first cycle) back in February and we were blessed with our beautiful daughter last month.

Stay positive and keep faith - miracles do happen 🙏🏽

Sending you lots of luck and baby dust

[Ma261182]

This is so lovely to hear and huge congratulations!!! I think I need to stop reading facts and figures and go with it! The fact we can make embryos is a huge positive in self!!! xx