Embryos not surviving thawing.

Hi ladies,

I am currently on my first FET. Had IVF in September with a BFN. They managed to collect 17 eggs of which 13 fertilised and 5 were strong enough to be frozen and the other one was inseminated. (I did get OHSS BTW).

Just to voice my thoughts - I just had ET on Monday and was told that it took thawing 4 embies to get a good one and that one was transferred... Doing a bit of research, I found that 2/3 of embies dont survive the freezing and thawing process.. I'm just at a loss with it all.. Going into FET, I was content knowing I've got 4 frozen embies and now only 1. I think in my head I'm thinking "why weren't they strong enough?" I dont know? I should count myself lucky that at least I had one to transfer? Has anybody thought this way or had something similar happen to them?

Lisa, I remember going into my 2nd FET thinking "it's ok, there's three embryos, we've still got another two goes if this one doesn't work". It didn't work... But we lost two embryos in thawing, so going back in for what should have been my second embryo, was going in for my last.

For me, the OHSS on both fresh cycles has been so bad that fresh transfers just haven't been possible. Nothing I can do about thaw rates but sit and hope. I've had a similar thread going, asking the same things - 2/3 failing to survive is much higher than the averages I've been given.

The biggest problem is that for each couple, thaw rates will vary significantly. One couple may get 100%, another 50%, another might be lucky to get 25% thaw successfully. It also varies from cycle to cycle for each couple, too.

Sadly, the only way to tell if an embryo is going to thaw or not, is to actually thaw it and see. Averages mean bugger all to that individual embryo, though. It's a bit like tossing a coin - you have an even chance of getting heads or tails. You can toss that coin 5 times in a row and get tails every time - the next toss, you're still just as likely to get heads as tails as you were on all the others. You can calculate the probabilities all you like, but it really won't change how things are going to turn out.

Sorry if I've rambled, I do want you to know that you most definitely are NOT the only one that's ever wondered about this!

BW

Hi Lisa
I did an IVF cycle Nov/Dec, got OHSS and BFN. I am doing a FET cycle next month as I have 4 in the freezer. I have also heard bad stuff about embys not dethawing well and losing them in the process. I am worried that when they dethaw them it might lose/use them all in one go and have to do another full cycle almost straight away.
I'm sorry I can't help but I am interested in seeing your replies.
Good luck for this cycle. Hope the 2WW goes very quickly for you.

LisaC,

unfortunately that's always the risk. As BW said, you think you have all these embryos in the freezer, but an FET is a whole other numbers game, and losing a few or even all is a very real possibility. It's okay to have mixed feelings, the loss of embryos you've held out hope for, and gratitude of having embryos survive so you can have a transfer. In fact, I'm sure it's a pretty common feelings amongst us IVFers. :hug:

Thanks Ladies for your replies..

I think that's the way I have to look at it BW. It really made sense what you said.. There are endless possibilities.. The whole TTC bandwagon was not called that because it was an easy ride!! Too many variables and way too many things have to go right in order for everything to work out perfectly!

Thanks for your replies. They are all helpful :) I think it was a shock to me that most of the embies didn't make it as I was comparing myself to a friend who had all of her embies survive and transferred and it was a bit of a shock to the system when that didn't work for me. A leason I have now learnt. Good luck to you all xo

:hello: ladies,

The statistics are just statistics - they say there is a 5% chance that none of the embies will survice thawing. I have a friend who had 11 on ice and each time she thawed one it was okay - the Fs says alot of it has to do with the quality of the embie they THINK but there is alot that science will never understand - for example they can transfer an embie that does not look crash hot and it works and then they can transfer a blastie and it doesn't work - its nature and thats out of our hands. I too am doing a FET soon with donated embies so god i hope some defrost okay as it has been a real hard road getting to this point and i feel so blessed to have these wonderful little donated embies given to me to i just :pray: for all of us that we have success. :goodluck: ladies

Very interesting thread girls. We have 5 Blastos waiting I think only 4 good ones tho what makes a good one??? We are in FET cycle noe just waiting on blood tracking for go ahead. I have been lucky enough to have my alexander from the same batch. has any one heard the odds are better if you had a good pregnancy from that batch?? or is it just me wishful thinking!!

Natty

I think it depends on when they were frozen also - I know MIVF often freezes them at 2 days as the success with rethawing is very very high. They actually have excellent statistics. I have just had second FET and both thawed out well.Both thawed as 2 days and split again at day 3 one to 8 and the other to over 9 (which is the one I am currently in 2ww with). You need to research the clinic and the methods I think - but what everyone has said is right if the embbie is going to make it - it will - which leaves me at a loss as to why if its strong enough to thaw out - why it wont implant? Third time lucky I guess....