Embryo Archives - Page 2 of 3

Day 3 Versus Day 5 Embryos

August 16, 2009 By Carol Leave a Comment

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.

Things You Do During The Two Week Wait

August 8, 2009 By Carol Leave a Comment

I am officially living in the zone of the the “2 week wait.” Although, it is actually a 9 day wait it still seems like 2 weeks. If my embryo has survived, it will be 8 days old and hopefully starting the process of implanting itself to my uterus.

I wonder if this means that my breast will start to become sore. Yesterday and today I have found myself groping my breasts to determine if my breasts are more tender than what they were the day before.

Of course my boobs don’t feel any different. After every IVF cycle my breasts are always tender. They are not however mind-droppingly sore like when you are pregnant.

I know I will be groping my breasts for quite a few days more. I have become attuned to my body. I know I will checking them, testing them and groping them to analyse if they are more sore or less sore than before. If my breasts, stop being sore I will know before my period comes that I am not pregnant. If they continue to be sore then there is still hope.

Unpredictable Nature of IVF

August 6, 2009 By Carol Leave a Comment

A positive situation from yesterday has turned out to be not so positive today. Of the 13 embryos that we had yesterday, none survived!!! None. Not even the one that made it to early blastocyst stage. It is terrible. No fall backs. Nothing. Such is the unpredictable nature of IVF.

All our hopes are pinned on the one that was transferred yesterday. It is not a good situation to be in. If this one fails, then we know we are potentially going to face yet another cycle of IVF. I am not sure when a stopping point comes but sooner or later it has got to happen.

Embryo Transfer Moments

August 5, 2009 By Carol Leave a Comment

Wow. What a day. One expanding blastocyst transferred. One early blastocyst in the making. And drumroll please …. hopefully at least one more blastocyst to come.

The transfer itself went smoothly. The only hiccup was when I went to go to the toilet to empty my bladder and found that someone was already in the toilet.

That’s right. The occupant forgot to lock the door. I don’t know who was more surprised, the occupant for being sprung or me for finding this woman standing up over the toilet facing the door. The mind boggles. Not how I would use the toilet anyway.

Now my only perplexing thing is that the embryologist told me that there were still 13 embryos going along. You may recall that yesterday my nurse told me that there was 11 with 3 not looking so good. I sure hope they get their stories straight when I ring up tomorrow afternoon to find out the final outcome.

Some other random thoughts about the day and why you know you have done IVF too many times:

– When the admission nurses all greet you by your first name without looking at your file.
– When the Doctor asks you if you would mind if a student watches your transfer and you ungratefully say that’s ok but with an attitude that sounds like an imposition.
– You vow to say no to the student next time because news flash! It is an imposition. You don’t want any more people looking at your girlie bits even if it means annoying the doctor who is helping put the embryo inside you.
– You start becoming less amazed with the science of it all and more impatient for a result
– You start telling people not to ask you any more questions about how your IVF is going because you know if there is a failed result this time, you will be devastated and “tear up” at the drop of the hat

Day 4 – IVF Fertilization Success Rates

August 4, 2009 By Carol Leave a Comment

There are now 11 surviving embryos. Of these, 8 look good and 3 don’t look so good. If we get 8 blastocysts tomorrow that would be fantastic but maybe it’s a touch unrealistic.

Today is the first day since egg collection that I feel remotely normal. My tummy is still a bit bloated but the pain has gone. I can walk normally instead of being bent over like an old woman.

In any case, I am booked into admission at the clinic for 7.45am. Bugger – no sleep in. The big transfer happens at 8.30am and then I am off to work. Lucky work is only 15 minutes away from the clinic so I reckon I will only be half an hour late.

I’ve told my manager and she has been pretty good about it, even offering for me to work from home if I want to. I am not sure if it will help, I work in an office so nothing I do at work is ever strenuous on my body (maybe my mind but that is another story).

It is hard to know what to do. Believe it or not, there is a meeting at work I want to go to. Besides, I’ve tried taking time off to rest and I have also tried working after a transfer. Neither options have worked. I guess there is no right or wrong thing to do. I think it can happen either way – just depends on the quality of the embryo.

A lady at work got pregnant at 43 on IVF and she had her transfer when she was in the middle of some high level negotiations with a leading retailer. So it just goes to show that it doesn’t necessarily matter.

Anyway, the woman in question has now gone on maternity leave and I arrived at work today to find out that she had a little baby boy. I am very happy for her.