Plz Help How Many To Transfer??

[katiecaskey]

My husband and I and our RE are "arguing" over how many embryos to transfer. I am 24 years old, dh is 25 and this is our first IVF and maybe only due to finances. Please give me your opinions please. We are going back and forth between 2 and 3 and I would really like to make a decision and stick to it. Thanks!

[Grace37]

At your age I would go with 2, unless you have some serious female issues or the embryos are not the best quality. There is a high chance that you may end up with triplets. Usually they transfer more in older women. It also depends which transfer day. I'm 37 and I had 2 5 day blasts. Unfortunately I got BFN. Good luck to you!

[Chicken]

Hi Katie,
I am 32 going to be 33 next month and DH is 42 and when I did my first transfer we only did 2 embryos. It didn't work. The next time we did 3..that worked, but m/c. We have done up to 4 at a time. I guess it all depends on how many babies you think you could handle if they all worked. The odds of that happening are slim if they do it right. What does the RE say to do? My Dr. recommended 3 at a time because the odds are a little higher of it being successful. Take your time and think about it. Once you do it you can't go back...lol. I would ask for statistics...maybe that will help you decide. Good luck!! You'll be in my thoughts and prayers.

[katiecaskey]

Well my doctor recommended 2 as does my husband but I want to do 3 so who knows?? I Dont want triplets but the chances are slim right?

[belle3]

hi katie

dh and i went through our first ivf last year. he was 28 and i was 27. we never discussed how many to transfer! as i was laying there, legs wide open, and doc with the cathader in her hand....she said "im thinking we should only transfer 2"...so in less than 5 minutes dh and i had to decide between 2 and 3. i'm glad that you arent in that position.

our RE wanted to only transfer 2 because she felt that we were very young and that there was such a good chance that they would all attach. she was very uncomfortable that i may have multiples....especially triplets!

i, however, felt that if neither attached...i would always wonder if the 3rd one would have. i just felt that the more we put in...the better the chance.

then RE mentioned that we could always look into selective reduction. where if all 3 attached and if the triplet pregnancy was to endanger the other 2, we'd be willing to reduce 1....and so forth. not that i wanted to abort anything....especially since we've been trying so hard for even 1.....but i did agree to do what i'd have to do if it meant giving birth to at least 1 healthy child.

we did end up transfering all 3....and none attached. BFN! i am very glad with the decision we made...otherwise i think i'd still be wondering...what if....
i plan to do the same on our next cycle later this year.

i hope this helps. really think about your options...and what makes YOU feel comfortable will be the right decision
good luck!

[jeppy]

My doc also recommended 2 embryo's at a time. I am 25 and dh is 30 so he said cause of our age he would not do and more than 2.
I think that when you choose 3 or more you have to be realistic about the possible outcome. Twins are considered a high risk pregnancy so you have to think about the risks of triplets on your body as well as the newborns.

These decisions aren't easy but the hard decisions make us stronger

[amg]

I think a lot of it will depend on the quality of the embryos anyway. I'm 28 and DH is 31 and my RE said he would only transfer 2. That was the standard for my age and because this was my first attempt. Well as it turned out on the day of transfer the RE says that all of my 17 embryos that fertilized were poor quality so he would recommend taking the 4 best ones and implanting all 4 (grade 3). So that's what we did and I got a BFP. I'm thankful that we did and like I said my RE was strict with the 2 only until he saw what the quality was. If we had perfect 8 cell embryos then I'm positive we would of only wanted and been allowed to transfer 2.

[Chicken]

I'm not going to lie. You can wind up with Triplets. I too would wonder "what if..." if I didn't transfer the 3rd one. I've had 2 positive results, but both m/c (both with 3 embryos transferred) and to tell you the truth I look at it as if God wanted me to have triplets than triplets it will be. The first one I made it all the way to 6 weeks and there was only 1 with 3 transferred. I guess it should depend on the quality. I'm not afraid of multiples..so I will continue with 3 at a time. It's a hard decision, but you'll do what you feel is right. Good Luck!! Thinking sticky thoughts!!

Remember: Miracles happen every day so believe!!!

[mathgeek]

Don't put back more than you are willing to carry-period. Don't assume "Oh it won't happen to me" because it CAN. I know women (yes, that's plural) who put back 2 and ended up with triplets from an identical splitting. What if they would have put back 3,all 3 took AND had the twinning? They'd have been pg with quads! Oh and not to be a downer but one of the women I know of who had put back 2 and ended up pg with 3 lost them.

But I do think you have to weigh the quality into the issue, if you have low grade embryos then I say go for it, but if you have 2 high grade blasts I'd say stick with 2.

I'm sorry if I seem harsh but I've been around long enough to see a lot happen. I'm just trying to be a voice of experience. You asked for opinions and I'm just trying to be honest with you.

Good luck!

Tara

[katiecaskey]

After reading all your responses and carefully weighing my options, I am going to side with my husband and RE and transfer only 2 and pray for the best! Thanks again, Katie