# Freezing all embryos - due to high risk OHSS - anyone in same boat?



## claireyttc (Feb 3, 2010)

Hi All,

Following complete failed fertilisation in our first cycle, we have just had ICSI.  Had egg collection yesterday and had 27 eggs.  21 have fertilised today which is a vast improvement on zero with ordinary IVF.  Anyway despite my hysterics yesterday when they told me that i couldnt have anything fresh put back because of OHSS, I'm finally calming down and accepting that I have no choice.  I'm petrified of getting OHSS (as I had it last time following 11 eggs) so am trying to take it easy and drink gallons of water.

Anyway - we have been told that a day 3 freeze for all the embryos that survive the next 2 days will be best.  Has anyone else out there had all embryos frozen and had success?  How long do they make you wait until you can put frozen ones back in?

Good luck to everyone. 
Claire x


----------



## MissE (Feb 19, 2010)

Hi huni, sorry to hear you have had to have a freeze all, it is upsetting at first but congrats on all those embies. I know you are disappointed in a freeze all but it will give your body a chance to settle down and hopefully stop you getting ohss.  
Sorry i cant tell you a success story but i understand how you feel having a freeze all as i had the same thing after my ICSI last year. Just make sure you take it easy over the next few days and drink plenty.

I hope your embies do well over the next few days. All my embies were frozen on day 1. I had to wait 3 months before i could have my embies put back but i'm not sure if that is the case everywhere, they just need to be sure your body has recovered. We have quite long waiting lists here which may have made my wait a bit longer. I hope the time passes quickly for you and your snowbabies are home very soon.      

Keep your chin up huni, lots of ladies have had success with FET and i hope your BFP is just around the corner. Good luck.

Emma xx


----------



## lconn (Sep 4, 2009)

Hello hon thats just happened to me except cos i was overstimmed my e2 levels went sky high so i was told i was at risk of ohss and couldnt have a fresh transfer.I got 11 eggs, 5 fertilised and  then on day 3 all 5 were good to be frozen.1x8 2x9 1x10 and 1x13.Anyway i didnt get any signs of ohss cos i drank the atlantic dry.glass after glass.They said that pregnancy would no doubt increase risk.Ive been told to ring on my 3rd period.i had a scan today to look at ovaries and they are a bit swollen still but after 3 mths theyll be back to normal.In a way im glad that if my 2ww didnt work out (On last 2 attempts) its over but i feel good knowing ive got 5 in storage waiting for my body to return to normal.i dont know about success in future yet, but up to now its a success.


----------



## claireyttc (Feb 3, 2010)

Hi MissE ans Iconn,

Thanks both for the messages.  Made me feel a little better.  I had a call this morning from the embryologist to say that with the exception of 3 that looked a bit small, the other 18 seemed to be dividing nicely.  Lots of 4 cells (normal for day 2) and some 5 and 6.  As long as there are quite a few 8 cells by tomorrow, then we should have some to freeze.  


Miss E - are all your frozen ones used up?  Are you trying again?  

Iconn - cant believe they are making you wait 3 months... I was going to ask for mine to be put back in May at the latest.  I havent even had that conversation with the clinic yet as I'm feeling so crap from OHSS.  

I'm dreaming of cell divisions and embryos in labs.  Its all so bizarre isn't it.....

Good luck to you both.

C x


----------



## wanabmum (Jul 30, 2009)

Hi Claire, last August i had a freeze all cycle i got 21 eggs (21 being the cut off)   16 fertilised and were frozen on day 1! We have been gradually going back for them with no success   but have 5 left   anyway the 1 thing i would say is think about taking them all to blast i regret that we didn't think about it , it would mean you would be able to get the best quality from your bunch and could be refrozen if good enough, at the time we thought it was the best thing that could happen and we would have so many chances but it has just caused a lot of heartache and a lot of money as on day 3 they look good but don't do anything. On a brighter note a girl at My clinic had a freeze all 11 embrios took 2 out and her twin boys are now 7 months   and still has 9 to play with! WHAT WILL BE , WILL BE!!!!!!!!!!!1


----------



## MissE (Feb 19, 2010)

Hi ladies, how are you all doing?

Claire great news on your embies huni, i have everything crossed they continue to do well for you.           Might be worth asking the doc and embryologist about taking them to blast.
I have 5 embies left, for each of my FETs i thawed 6 each time. My last FET was december and i am just now waiting on a start date. The waitng list at my clinic is sooooo long even though it is a private tx. I am hoping i have a sticky embie in this next batch.

Iconn i hope the time passes quickly and your body settles down very soon. It wont be long til your snowbabies are home.  

Wanabmum i hope you have at least 1 sticky embie in the 5 you have left huni.        

Emma xx


----------



## lconn (Sep 4, 2009)

miss e-because we cant have more than 2 ebies put back would i be best  to thaw 2 not 1 incase if i say 1 and that doesnt develop again id have wasted a month and will hav to wait.would you say 2.Mine are 5 really strong embies that are frozen and i feel it was a shame to have had to have them frozen.me and dh think about whether id have now been pregnant with fresh transfer cos they were that strong. i hope all this freezing doesnt affect them  
wananbamum-i like positive stories like that it makes me thnk id still have 3 left.we could only have them frozen on day 3 so therefore they had to be good.Its such a worry but still cant believe 5 out 8 fert and  frozen.i expected 2 or 3.i want to keep them in storage forever knowing they are there.
claire-drink loads of water and if you think you are then even more!!!lol.!hope you feel better soon


----------



## littlemissgiggles1980 (Oct 17, 2008)

Hi Claire, I always overstim, (even on clomid) and despite all the docs care produced 44 follicles, 33 eggs, 18 of which fertilised and were frozen on day 1. Most uncomfortable! However I recovered quickly, drinking more gatorade and water than I ever care to see again, and only had to wait one cycle before starting FET, my EC was end of Sep, and my ET was 5 Dec so it was quite quick. We thawed 5 embryos, 2 made it to blast and one was put back (NHS rules). We did get a BFP but sadly miscarried new years day due to blood clotting complications we have since discovered. Just getting ready to try FET no 2. It was so disappointing not to be able to get straight on with the ET and to have to do a freeze all but in retrospect I felt so awful after the EC it was the best thing all round, and not too long to wait. And it did work, although sadly only briefly for us. Hope you feel better soon and good luck for your FET


----------



## claireyttc (Feb 3, 2010)

Hi All,

Thanks so much for the posts.  Great to hear from others who have had similar experiences.

We were called on Saturday (day 3) to say that they were freezing 15 Grade 1 embryos.  They hung onto the slower dividing ones to see what they would do over the weekend on the off chance they would get to blastocysts they would have frozen them.  They called today they wouldnt be freezing them, which is fine by us, as we are happy to focus on the others ones.

I'm still swollen with mild/moderate OHSS.  Had a scan this morning and they said there was some excess fluid etc, but nothing too alarming, so I will rest until tomorrow and go back to work on Tuesday.

We will definetly be looking to thaw a few at a time and take them to blast.  I'm of the view that if they dont make it to day 5 blasts in the lab they are highly unlikely to make it in the womb anyway... so its a risk we are willing to take even if we lose some along the way.  In retrospect we wish we had taken them all to day 5 now before freezing so that we would know for sure how many realistic embryos we have....  Hindsight is a wonderful thing...

Now need to wait for my period and then start planning a FET, probably after our holiday in May.

Littlemissgiggles - best of luck with round 2 of the FET.  Please let me know how you get on. Glad they have identified the blood clotting issue for you.  Hopefully that resolves everything!

Iconn - interested to hear how many you decide to thaw.  What do the clinic think?

wannbemum - hope you have luck with the last of the embryos and you are right, what will be, will be.  

C x


----------



## MissE (Feb 19, 2010)

Hi lovely ladies,

Claire fab news on those 15 embies, i hope they freeze and thaw well for you when the time comes huni. Sorry you are still feeling sore, hopefully you recover very soon.      

Littlemissgiggles sorry to hear about your miscarriage  , glad they have identified the blood clotting issue and hopefully they can give you tx to help with your next FET. Good luck huni.      

Iconn i am only allowed a maximum of 2 embies transferred too. Because mine were day 1 embies i was advised to thaw 6 each time to get 2 good embies for ET. It is definitely worth talking to your doc about how many to thaw but thawing 2 would hopefully give you at least 1 good one to thaw, possibly 2.  

I phoned the clinic today cos waiting is driving me nuts. They said i should have a letter out to start FET with my april cycle. Not sure if it will be here on time though cos my af should be due in the next week or 2. At least though i shouldnt have much longer to wait.  

Emma xx


----------



## rosebud_05_99 (Apr 15, 2008)

hi there

i had a freeze all at day 2 pn as i had over stimmed , i have 15 frozen, 5yr ago at a different clinic i had the same and they froze 12 day 2 and then thawed them all and grew 6 blasts refroze 5 and tx 1, however my new clinic informed me that they do not refreeze this has upset me so much , now i dont know how many to take out to have a tx, as im terrified of any being left over if they wont refreeze , the embryologist has told me they take out 4 with the hope of 2 on day 3, but im scared in case there are 3 or 4 and i dont want to only take out 2 as i might get no tx then, its a awful dilema especially when i didnt know this was clinic policy, i just assumed all clinics refroze . did your clinics do this?

rosebud


----------



## claireyttc (Feb 3, 2010)

Hi Rosebud,

I have posted on the other thread about this.  My clinic does re-freeze.  Has yours explained why they won't.  It just seems ridiclious not to (for you and for their own sucess rates).  Do they have concerns about the qualify of re-frozen ones?

c x


----------

