IVFers - question

cmw&tdm · July 2010

For our IVF we only got four eggs. Three fertilized normally (one abnormally), and at 5 days past retrieval we had three embryos. We put the two best back and one was poor quality (D on a scale A-F), and didn't make freeze, so it was discarded.

Sometimes I wonder about that last embryo ...

If you had embryos from your IVF cycle that were still going but didn't make freeze do you ever think about them?

crystalgirl · July 2010

Yep, we had one in our first IVF, and it made me really uncomfortable. As far as I know, they require embies to be of a fairly high quality in order to freeze them. I feel like if I want it frozen, they should just do it. I'm an adult; I understand the risks and am paying for it... It bugs me that they get to make that decision and not me. And yet, I feel guilty about it.

epphd · July 2010

I am a scientist by training and anything but sentimental, so maybe I am the wrong person to ask.

No, I don't think about those embryos in any sort of a wistful way. I think about them and I am disappointed and sad and angry at my stupid body. We had 78 eggs retrieved total and like 30+ embryos. By day three they were all so crummy that my uterus was an only slightly better alternative than the garbage can. They all would have crapped out eventually. I don't think of them as potential babies - they were genetic dead ends.

Aliki · July 2010

I think about our two that didn't make freeze.. but also the ones that are in freeze.... man, is it expensive...

GenRN45 · July 2010

we had a similar situation. Of 4 embryos, only 3 were viable on day 3, and only 2 of those were rockstars (and both implanted). The third was a major eh.

rather than discard it, we put it back. I'm sure it fizzled out, but i couldn't bear to toss it when we had put back 3 of even worse quality with the previous IVF.

RoxBride · July 2010

I don't. I kind of think of them like all the other eggs that don't make it every month, not everything is meant to be.

juliannat · July 2010

Nope. I'm with ephdd on this one. I do wish we'd had some to freeze with my donor cycle given all the costs, but maybe it will all work out ok anyway. Good luck to you!

Courted · July 2010

I can understand why you would think of them, I didn't though. I guess because with 3 IVFs I have never had any to freeze. There is already so much to stress out on, I tried not to overload myself with things I have even less control over in the process.

LVBlvd · July 2010

RoxBride:
I don't. I kind of think of them like all the other eggs that don't make it every month, not everything is meant to be.

Ditto this, exactly.

hannah&ben · July 2010

Well my situation is a little different b/c of the PGD stuff... But, on transfer day we had 7 embryo's still alive and kickin'. Only 2 were (supposedly) healthy. So, those other 5 got discarded... Of course I think about them..

I also think about that other one that we transferred. Wonder what went wrong with that little guy?