# of embryos. How do you decide!?

[Adanma]

I am 29 with tubal factor. We have just started IVF. This is our first and only cycle as we have no coverage for this at all. My doctor thinks that a single embryo transfer would be good because of my age and no factors besides tubal factor. That sounds well and good to me as I have NO desire to have more than one child out of this. However, while the clinical pregnancy rates are similar for both, the live birth rate for single is around 30% while the birth rate for double is closer to 45%. That means basically that a lot of people miscarried their 1 and with a "backup" there is a better live birth rate.

I'm now leaning toward two because we cannot do this again and 45% sounds way better to me than 30%. The other factor is the whole twins thing. I already have two young kids. I also know that preterm birth is more likely with twins although many women have full term twin births. The question is what is the acceptable risk?! I think I would much rather have twins than have only put 1 back and have 0 wondering if I had put two back if I would have a baby. ugh! How did you decide?!

Adanma

 

[Mrs. Bear]

I would do at least two but I wouldn't personally have a concern about having twins. It is really a personal decision that you have to make based on your individual situation. But like you said, I would hate to see you second guessing the decision and blaming yourself if you only do one and get a BFN. Good luck!

 

[Flake-y]

I personally had one put back cause it was what our clinic recommended based on my age etc etc. And as you can see from my ticker, it did work! And it was only an 8-cell day 3 transfer!

I didn't really want twins either, not cause of the 2 babies thing, but just cause of the increased risk. I don't think the point in having IVF is to get as many babies as you can at the expense of the babies health. I know some people have no problems with twins but lots of people do, they are usually premature which comes with its own problems, and there is also a higher miscarriage risk with twins. And I would have never forgiven myself if I'd pushed to have 2 embryos put back then I'd lost them both.

Although, considering this is your only cycle, I might be a bit more tempted to have 2 put back!

You might be best to wait & see how many embryos you get & what stage they get to, if it's a 3-day transfer I'd maybe have 2, a blasto then maybe 1?

If you get a lot of spare embryos that can be frozen would you be able to do a FET?

 

[W8ing4ours]

Hi, my husband and I struggled with this as well, we went back and forth between 1 and 2 all the way until the day of the transfer. My Dr. "strongly" suggested only putting back in 1, but ultimately we decided with 2. You just never know, and if you are blessed with twins after putting back 2, that is just part of your path. That is how we rationalized it. And as you can see from my ticker, I'm pregnant! I will find out on Thursday if it is one baby or two, but at this point, either way, I am so thankful we did two.

Whatever you decide, just make sure that the risk and or worry about having twins outweighs the potential regret you will have if you only put back 1 and it doesn't work.

Good luck! Please keep us updated!

 

[MiBebe]

That's a tough decision. Personally I'd ask for two if I knew this would be my one and only IVF.

 

[readyformore]

Oh that is tough. I would think it would require a lot of soul searching.

I wouldn't be as concerned about twins as say triplets. 3 would REALLY freak me out and be very high risk.
Yes, you could have prematurity with twins, but as an OB nurse, I have seen prematurity with singletons too.
Even a singleton pregnancy can result in bedrest and complications. It's less likey, but still possible.

Good luck, whatever your decision!

 

[Adanma]

Ugh. Thanks so much guys! How nerve wracking this whole process is from start to finish!

A FET may be an option in a few years, but with the money we pulled out of savings to do this, it would not be sooner than that and my kids will be 7 and 5 when the baby is born if it works this time. I don't want to have kids sooo far apart and niether does hubby. Not out of the question though.

My husband and I have had some serious heart to hearts about this issue. We were talking about it last night again in fact. I had read a story about the lady who had two put back and they both split! I got scared! lol! My husband said that whatever happens we will deal with. It may be hard with two, but two is better than 0. So that's that. If we have two available to transfer we will. I really like the idea of one at a time if you are able to do more than one cycle. I have friends with insurance coverage who get 4 fresh cycles paid! I would certainly do SET at that point! But for us I think it's wiser to do two.

Thanks again for your input and your stories.

Adanma

 

[CanAmFam]

I am 29 with tubal factor. We have just started IVF. This is our first and only cycle as we have no coverage for this at all. My doctor thinks that a single embryo transfer would be good because of my age and no factors besides tubal factor. That sounds well and good to me as I have NO desire to have more than one child out of this. However, while the clinical pregnancy rates are similar for both, the live birth rate for single is around 30% while the birth rate for double is closer to 45%. That means basically that a lot of people miscarried their 1 and with a "backup" there is a better live birth rate.

i really wonder where these numbers come from. i just got back from my consult about IVF percents i was given were

45-50% 'take home baby' rate for IVF, with 40% chance at twins. this was based on 1-2 embryos.

my doctor like yours will only transfer a max of 2 eggs due to age and health.

i think you have a hard decision to make. i like you dont have the funds to burn through this, however im OK with having twins if i had to (and if it ended up more id probably freak out, but then be OK with it.) but i, like you, only really want one baby out of this. i understand it being a tough choice to make with only one go at it, so i feel for you.

oh how i wish i had 4 cycles paid.. i wish i had one cycle paid! the prices on paper right now in front of me are scary. im really wanting to do the IVF because of the drastic % increase of success compared to OI, but i just keep thinking ill get burned. good luck, and i hope you get the family you want and are ready for.

and totally unrelated , i was smiling when i saw your pictures on your signature. it has been a while since i have seen the 'NT' written. It brought many a memory back of fighting with my professors in college about the use of 'NT' .

 

[Adanma]

can am: I figure if I'm labeling Ian with asperger's I've got to label my Preston as well! hahahahaa! Moms have to be fair after all! I was reading a couple of papers that had been talking about inflated success rates at IVF clinics and how multiple embryo transfers make the numbers look better because each additional embryo increases the chance of one taking. Then there was an argument about the benefit of SET. While the pregnancy rates are similar for single and double embryo transfer the live birth rate is higher with double because even if one baby is lost the other ups the chances of a live birth still occurring from the cycle. The IVF success rates usually go by pregnancy rate so it can be misleading. I wish the clinics would give this kind of info! How are we supposed to make informed decisions!?

Rant over. Hopefully in a few months I'll just be blissfully pregnant and not give a crap about IVF papers and studies!

Adanma

 

[Adanma]

Oh! And you're Canadian! Me too! But living in Illinois.

Adanma

 

[CanAmFam]

lol youre right.

i do have to hand it to my specialist that he really, REALLY does not want multiple births. he is even super big about no twins. I think it is a valuable ethic to have in the profession.
in his 23 years he has a great record of low level multiples. i think he had said 8 sets of triplets, and 2 quads ( My memory from all of his stats 7 months ago is foggy. ).
i think for all the ppl he treats, that is a pretty good record. i can only hope that the quads were all ppl that didnt listen to canceling cycles. (he had that recently happen --24 yo had 4 follicles, he canceled it, girl got mad, took her shot, had sex and all 4 stuck. shes now even more angry.)

good luck to you. i hope you can get your singleton.

 

[psp2011]

Interesting coversation! And yet again my DH and I are contemplating this as well!
So my clinic lists sucess rates on their website as "clinical pregnancies" so guessing that means BFP and not necessarily live births. Anyhow, the rates for under 35 y/o fresh cycle are 61.5%, frozen 43.9%, 36-39 y/o 51.8%/39%. (This is for my individual clinic) Doesn't incorporate based on number of embryos transferred either. I would think that means each cycle based on how ever many they decide to do. Doesn't make this easier though! Both my previous cycles we did 3 as they recommended 3 for my personal situation. (one ovary, endo, blocked tubes, now 34 y/o) First time 1 took, second time 0. This next time I would like to do 3 again given my track record. My DH is scared of multiples so we have to talk more about it. I just want my best chance of success since this is it for us. (all self pay -except meds, borrowed all we can!) And last time my FS said only like 2-3% chance of triplets.

 

[W8ing4ours]

Hi ladies trying to decide! I feel like I need to update. I wrote a few weeks back and said it was very hard to choose between 1 or 2, and that my Dr STRONGLY recommended only putting back one. Well, we went with 2, and I found out on Thursday(at 6wks, 2 days) that we are pregnant with a singleton. Honestly I was relieved. Twins would have been a blessing, but it was scary at the same time. So, that said, had we gone with his recommendation, and only put in one, I might not be pregnant right now. We will never know which one took and which didn't, but I do know how THANKFUL I am that we went with two. Thank God for this miracle baby inside of me...

 

[psp2011]

Hi ladies trying to decide! I feel like I need to update. I wrote a few weeks back and said it was very hard to choose between 1 or 2, and that my Dr STRONGLY recommended only putting back one. Well, we went with 2, and I found out on Thursday(at 6wks, 2 days) that we are pregnant with a singleton. Honestly I was relieved. Twins would have been a blessing, but it was scary at the same time. So, that said, had we gone with his recommendation, and only put in one, I might not be pregnant right now. We will never know which one took and which didn't, but I do know how THANKFUL I am that we went with two. Thank God for this miracle baby inside of me...

Congrats! So happy for you!! It's tough though right? With us, try #1: 3=1, try #2: 3=0, so I'm leaning towards 3 again! I would love twins, but trips would be crazy!!!!!

 

[W8ing4ours]

Hi ladies trying to decide! I feel like I need to update. I wrote a few weeks back and said it was very hard to choose between 1 or 2, and that my Dr STRONGLY recommended only putting back one. Well, we went with 2, and I found out on Thursday(at 6wks, 2 days) that we are pregnant with a singleton. Honestly I was relieved. Twins would have been a blessing, but it was scary at the same time. So, that said, had we gone with his recommendation, and only put in one, I might not be pregnant right now. We will never know which one took and which didn't, but I do know how THANKFUL I am that we went with two. Thank God for this miracle baby inside of me...

Congrats! So happy for you!! It's tough though right? With us, try #1: 3=1, try #2: 3=0, so I'm leaning towards 3 again! I would love twins, but trips would be crazy!!!!!

Ya know, it really is hard. I don't know that there is a perfect answer, or any way of knowing exactly what to do. But since you have already done 3 twice, sounds like that might be the way to go again. Good luck with your choice and with the result, lots of baby dust!!

 

[Chris77]

My doctor told us that he would transfer 2 embryo's when we do IVF, so that's what we'll go with. I'm 33 years old and both DH and I have unexplained infertility.

Good luck with whatever you decide!

 

[princess_1991]

hiyaa just thought id pop on nd say were going for 2 embryos but thats just cuz we would love to have twins of course if we end up with one then thats still amazing rather one then none at all everyone to their own thoo, good luck xx

 

[cvaeh]

Hi
I am going through the same dilemma. We are starting our first IVF cycyle this month. We have two paid for cycles on the NHS and they want us to decide whether we want 1 or 2 put back. I am 30 (husband 31) and we have unexplained infertlity). I would like one healthy baby but it wouldn't be a disaster if I had two. I am just worried that having two somehow decreases my chance of having a live birth because the graph they have given us seems to suggest that. Also I worry because I am only 5 foot one I may struggle with twins. Any help gratefully appreciated x

 

[andsowelaugh]

Hi
I am going through the same dilemma. We are starting our first IVF cycyle this month. We have two paid for cycles on the NHS and they want us to decide whether we want 1 or 2 put back. I am 30 (husband 31) and we have unexplained infertlity). I would like one healthy baby but it wouldn't be a disaster if I had two. I am just worried that having two somehow decreases my chance of having a live birth because the graph they have given us seems to suggest that. Also I worry because I am only 5 foot one I may struggle with twins. Any help gratefully appreciated x

I am 5'0" and made it to 36 weeks, 1 day with no bed rest with my twins. Us short little ladies can do it, don't worry about that. We look like we swallowed the Goodyear blimp though.

I am also trying to figure out if we want to put 1 or 2 back. We are using frozen embryos, so we have to worry about them surviving the thaw. We only have 2 and each has a 75% chance of surviving. I am just so panicked about having another set of twins. I really just want one. One little baby to complete our family. I am 37 and since we are using frozen, our doctor strongly recommends using 2, so I think we are going to follow his advice. If we use both, he gave us odds of 30% for a live birth and 10% for twins.

 

[Adanma]

Congrats to w8ting! It's such a tough choice, but all we can do is get as much info as we can and make the best decision at the time for us right?

Adanma