IVF FET question

L

Liquorice

Registered User
I had a frozen embryo transfer this morning. My last embryo. On freezing it, the embryo had 4 cells. On thawing it, 1 cell died, so the embryo that was implanted had 3 living cells and 1 dead one. I didn't even know that could happen.

Anyway, does anybody know the implications of this. Seems odd / wrong to me on some level. My doctor said it is still possible that I could get pregnant but, as usual, he didn't really answer my questions properly at all.

It seems to me that the chances of this embryo implanting must be poor given that part of it is not alive anymore.

But also, if it does implant, what effect might this have on a resulting baby?

Does anyone have any thoughts?
 
Hi Liquorice

I've been told at this early stage it's either all or nothing. Either it implants and goes on to become a successful pregnancy, or the rule of survival of the fittest applies and it won't implant. At least that was what I was told when I was worried about having done a procedure involving some radiation on the day I found out I was pregnant w my first, even though I had a lead gown on.

Wrt to the cell number, I am certainly no expert. But I would have thought all the cells would be the same at the beginning. Whether it makes a difference whether at any one time it's 6 or 8, I don't know. Will have fingers crossed for you!!
 
When we did our FET, our doctor told us that it's quite common for some cells to die off during the thawing process but what they then do is to monitor the embryo (sometimes overnight) to ensure that it starts growing again rather than continue dying. He also told us that the success rates from frozen embryos and fresh embryos were more or less the same in his lab/experience.

I hope that goes some way to alleviate your unease, good luck with the outcome.
 
Thanks Gemma, thanks hk-phooey. I'm glad that it is common. They didn't monitor it though, I had the transfer at 9:30 in the morning and they thawed it at 8 or something. So no idea, I guess, whether it will continue to grow and divide. Shame they didn't do that. Anyway - now a long two week wait!
 
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