success rates of FET cycles?

[Sana]

Hi all,
Firstly I want to say that my thoughts are with all of you who are trying to concieve. I know what an emotional struggle it can be, and I hope that every one of you becomes a parent very soon.

I was lucky enough to succeed with IVF, and have been left with 5 frozen embryos. I am considering doing a FET cycle, to give my embryos a chance. The website of the place where my embryos are stored, says they have a success rate of 25.9% per transfer (based on 2004 results). It doesn't say if one or two embryos were used. I am 32, and was 28 when the embryos were created. Can anyone give me an idea of the likely success rate using one embryo, or the success rate using two?

Thanks

[ann]

Sana,

I don't know if I can really help. But my clinic says Succsessful rates for FET in my age group up to 38 is 30%.

I am hoping to be part of that percentage rate, I had FET transfer last Thursday, 2 blasties, and already I am having some symptoms, but I am not reading that much into it, as I have had different symptoms during previous cycles that all turned out to be BFN!

Wishing you heaps of luck!

Ann

[Minky]

Eliza was a 4th cycle FET single transfer, I'm not sure what my clinics rates are will check and post back. I think it all depends too on the quality of the FE too. When Eliza was defrosted they made comment on how good the embryo looked and surely it took. We also mucked around with natural cycles and then on to artifical.
Bec

[Sana]

Hi girls, thanks for responding. I tried to post again here in response to your posts earlier today, about 5 times, but there must have been a problem with the site.

Ann Good luck!!!! I hope you are one of the 30%. Can you do a preg test early if you haven't taken any meds during your cycle?

Bec G, I'm so glad your 4th FET transfer worked. Will you be trying again?

I spoke to a nurse at my clinic today, and she said my success rate may not be as high as 30%, as my embryos were frozen 4 years ago, using the techniques they had then. She said 60% survive the thaw, so that will leave me with about three, and they would pick the best one that hopefully gets to blastocyst stage for the transfer. So, I don't know, it looks like out of 5 embryos, there will be hopefully one for transfer with a less than 30% chance of succcess. The logical part of me says it's not even worth trying, but the the other part of me says I've got to give them a chance.

[Keen]

My RE had advised me that success rates do not increase or decrease whether you have one or two transferred back. How this works exactly I have to say I dont understand. But he swears to me its true....

Keep in mind stats are just stats. I havent had a single emby stick yet (fresh or thaw), however every one of them they have always thawed brilliantly. I have had single ones put back and two put back, as well. So you just never know.

I always think I would be tempted to give any remaining ones a go. I remember someone very special on BB once said "We leave no soldiers behind" and I guess thats how I would be thinking - but then I dont have any children yet so I guess it is much harder when you already have two beautiful boys...

[Sana]

I think what your RE means that they chances for each embryo remain the same, but the chances for each cycle increase if you put back two. Meaning, say (this is just an example I'm making up) each embie has a 15% chance of success. If you put back one, the embie and cycle have 15% chance of success, but if you put back two, each embie has 15% chance of success, but because there are two of them, the cycle increases to a 30% chance of success. The other way of putting it, is if you have two embies, they have the same chance of success, but it's your choice if you want to give them each a turn in separate cycles, or in the one cycle. Medically it's better to do it in two separate cycles, as you would be avoiding the chances of twins, but emotionally, I know I personally couldn't have coped with a lot of cycles, so I guess I was thinking of myself and taking a chance when I put two back in a fresh cycle. I loved both of my embies, but at the same time, I was kind of hoping I wouldn't have twins. With twins, the risks to the babies and the mother are higher, but the amount of work on poor mum when they come out would be so hard. One baby is really hard, I don't know how people manage with two. For example leaving one to cry while you help the other is really hard. It was hard when I had a newborn and a 2 year old, if they were both newborns, with little practical help from the family, I would have gone nuts.

Anyway, re. leaving no soldiers behind, I think each child deserves to be wanted, and I'm not sure I'm ready for another one. I never planned to have 3. I think maybe the right thing is to donate my embies to another couple, but knowing exactly what I'd be giving away, I would spend every day of my life wondering what is happening to my biological child. I would also need to tell my family about this, as one day the child will most likley come knocking on my door when they are 18. What do I say when they ask why I gave them up, and chose to keep their two brothers. My two boys look very similar, and have similar personalities. I feel like I know exactly what I'd be giving away. I don't think I can do it. Hence the terrible dilemma.

[MumofLewis]

Hi,

I had 6 IUIs, 1 cancelled ivf, i failed ivf and then my little poor quality embryo was frozen and transferred as a last resort and it took!! I only transferred one and it was 7 cell when they transferred it. There is no explanation why this worked and all the others failed. It was a natural cycle with no drugs.

I had been having acupuncture for 5 months, plus took a baby aspirin for the last month to try and make my uterus more receptive. I had also organic drank apple cider vinegar every day(!) to get the liver up to speed and pumping blood to my uterus! Who knows what did it in the end but I am now 13 weeks pregnant and still in shock.

So don't give up on FET's!

[Cherie]

I know this is a really late response, but my FS said that success rates for a FET cycle were in the order of 30% (compared with 40% for a fresh cycle).

Keen - I've heard similar to what you said. There was also an article I read in a scientific journal that said the difference between putting back 1 or 2 embys was only about 1-2% (for example, 28% BFP rate for a 1-emby FET cycle and 30% BFP rate for a 2-emby cycle), rather than the success rates being additive IYKWIM. There is obviously a higher chance of multiple with a 2-emby cycle, but the actual success rate overall doesn't really rise much whether 1 or 2 embys are put back.

Honestly, it's hard to get my head around it ... when I eventally use my frozen emby's, the logical/rational part of my brain is going to want to have 2 emby's put back each time to give myself a better chance ... even though it seems the percentages don't support that.