Criteria or reasons for 3dt vs. 5 dt

[Laenae]

Just wondering what determines if they transfer on the 3rd day or the 5th day? In my IVFs with my own eggs, they were all 5 or more days transfer. If they transfer on the 3rd day does that indicate that the eggies would not make to the 5th day?

Thanks in advance for your respones.

Love,

Laenae
(anxiously awaiting the verdict of when her little ones will be transferred)

[BC-MAV]

I asked this question of the RE in CA... the one I like and who is a hottie and cutie and intelligent-LOL! He said there is no difference in the pregnancy rates using 3 day ebmryos vs 5 day ebmryos. I'd go for 3 day because the ebmryos might not make it to 5 day. Better in the body than in the dish.. just my opinion!

Several differences...although the pg rates are the same with 3 and 5 day embies, use of 5 day embies (blasts) allows RE's to put fewer in. This reduces the chances of multiples which is very desirable. So they might put 3 3-day embies in or 2 5-day embies in with the same pg outcome, but the chances of multiples are higher with the 3 embies transferred.

Also, different clinics have different success results with 5 day embies. The medium required to grow 3 day embies has to be changed at some point to support a 5 day embie. Some clinics are more successful than others at doing this and getting blasts.

You also might ask this question on the IVF board. The ladies there are VERY knowledgeable on this subject!

Diana

FWIW, all my transfers except one were 3 day embies. The quality was nothing to write home about and, honestly, I don't think my clinic had that great a protocol to getting the little guys to blast!

[BC-KarenS-MI]

MAV & Diana said it best. The thing that will determine what day your transfer will be done is going to be how your little ones look on day 3. If they look good, they're more likely to let them go to blast. PErsonally, I wouldn't do a blast transfer. There's too much risk that you could lose most/all of them before transfer. There's not any difference in success rates, like they've already said, just more chance of cutting down on multiples.

Good luck!!

Karen

[Laenae]

for your responses. The way my Nurse coordinator sounded on her voicemail message yesterday, it looks like it will be Saturday - 5dt. She will call me at work this morning to let me know for sure whether it is today or Saturday. Hopefully, that is a good sign in that she thinks the little guys can make it to 5dt. I just hope I have little ones to freeze if the fresh cycle goes bust. I e-mailed my nurse co-ordinator and asked that she send a few prayers my way. She said that she would, however, she thinks I have it in the bag. It would be great if her prediction comes true and there will finally be a light at the end of this long tunnel.

Keep me in your thoughts and prayers folks.. I need all the help I can get !!!

Love,
Laenae

[flicka7]

Laenae,

My thought is that if your embryo is going to make it to a live birth, it will certainly make it to day 5 in a dish. Now that I'm 15 weeks pg, I've also learned that I don't have that much control over the outcome. Certainly, I'm taking care of myself and eating right. But I worried about little things like bedrest in the 2ww, pushing too hard in the bathroom, having sex, drinking a cup of coffee once a week, etc.

If the embryo is healthy enough and strong enough, it will make it to day 5, to implantation and to a live birth. I would rather wait to day 5 and find out which embryos truly are the best quality. You might find that an 8 cell on day 3 doesn't make it to day 5. My belief is that it wouldn't have made it inside you either.

I know that isn't what other ladies have said, but wanted to give you another opinion and reassurance about day 5 transfers.

Good Luck!

[hildes]

Whatever they recommend, you can bet that it's what they think will have the best result, because every success they have increases their success rate (duh). So, I think there's pros and cons either way, and either way will probably be fine.

My experience has been that I've been told when it'll be, not asked for my opinion. According to my RE's nurse, they had been pushing for 5-days for awhile (as planned for my three previous IVF's with my own eggs), but recently has reverted to doing more 3-days because of slightly better success. I thought it was interesting.

Hilde

[Laenae]

It is interesting to see what reasonings they have for doing the different day transfers.

In my caes, I guess we are going for blasts. Clinic called and told me to hang tight til Saturday! Another day and a half and I hope to finally be on my way and on the dreaded 2ww once more!

Love,
Laenae

[BC-MAV]

If you have that many eggs fertilized the RE/embryologist can check on day 3 and if there are say 12 embryos they can freeze 6 on day 3 at the 6-8 cell stage (where they are supposed to be on day 3) and then they can let the other 6 embryos grow and see how many have reached blastocyst stage on day 5.

Yes they do have to change the culture medium. And with blastocyts you can be more conservative and most RE's will NOT let you transfer more than 2.

That said our surrogate had a transfer of 2 blastocysts and no pregnancy. I also had a transfer to me of 1 blastocyst and no pregnancy. Same surrogate had transfer to her of THREE 3 day embryos and there was a pg. but m/c at 6 weeks... just happenned... no reason. The other transfer of THREE 3 day ebmryos to our surrogate.... resulted in our son!!!! So for us, blastocyst was not a better thing. If you have more embryos it is nice to have the option of growing to blastocyst and being conservative in the number of embryos you transfer. But even with 2 egg donors we NEVER did blastocyst and were STILL conservative with the number of embryos transferred on day 3.

You will have a baseball team or a ballet ensemble. Don't worry. Things sounds really good at this point!

[50/50]

I have been told that even though a 3 day embryo may not make it to blast in a dish it does not necessarily mean that it wouldn't have grown to a pregnancy inside of you.

Who know's what's the real truth? Sometimes I think this is just a guessing game and it's all about luck.