Day 3 Versus Day 5 Embryos

The debate between Day 3 or Day 5 embryos continues. I have always done Day 5 blastocyst transfers. The theory being that scientists can monitor the embryo for longer so that they can assess which ones are most healthy. This allows them to process and screen out those embryos that are unlikely to survive and are the most healthier. Although, it is not that they are screened out – they just don’t survive.

The risk is that you can lose most if not all of them. Certainly this is something we have experienced. From 19 eggs and 15 fertilised, we were left with only 1 Day 5 blastocyst. The implication being that if this failed to implant we would need to go through the whole process again.

We have now had 7 transfers in total (9 blastocysts) and every one of the them has failed to implant. They say that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over again. Maybe we are insane. It led me to ask the question of my nurse, should we do day 3 transfers instead. Apart from the fact that she suggested I discuss this with my Doctor, her answer was interesting. She said some women have had no luck with Day 5 blastocysts and have tried Day 3 and got successfully pregnant. Others have had had the same result as Day 5. My guess is that there is no easy answer but I am going to give the Day 3 ones a go. Maybe there are better off in my body than some cultured medium.