# Experience of IVF success rates



## sallylouise (Jan 30, 2009)

Hello ladies,

We were wondering how other people have made their decision as to how many eggs to transfer during IVF treatment. We have read about all the risks that a twin pregnancy carries but at the same time we want to give ourselves the best chance of conceiving. According to our Dr we have 4 options. How many of you have used blastocyst and then tranferred 2 embryos? We are really struggling to know what to do and would appreciate your thoughts and experiences.

Thanks. xx


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## lesbo_mum (Dec 22, 2008)

Hi Sallylouise

i dont really know anything about IVF... have you tried posting on the normal IVF board you might get some good replys.

Em x


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## sallylouise (Jan 30, 2009)

Thanks Em, that's a really good suggestion. Thanks for taking the time to reply. xx


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## SANFRAN06 (Apr 27, 2008)

we chose 2 embryos as it doubles your chances, obviously never beleiving they would both work!!
My pregnancy was fantastic all through. No sickness, no back ache, no bleeding, i worked as a nurse till 31 weeks. Had ELCS at 38 weeks as both breech and we have 2 lovely boys who weighed 7lb8 and 6lb9 at birth.
my advice is that although there are more risks with a twin pregnancy, it isn't always terrible. I think doubling your chances is still a good idea(especially when money matters!!)
This is not to say that having 2 babies is easy!! It is really hard work and my DW has been absolutely fantastic along with all our freinds and family, you ned lots of help!!! well I did and im a paed nurse so have some experience!!

Good luck
kerry


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## SANFRAN06 (Apr 27, 2008)

p.s
my FSH was high too at 13


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## sallylouise (Jan 30, 2009)

Thanks for your advice sanfran. My fsh was 28 last time we tested so we are going to use DP's eggs! Did you use your eggs or your partners? I think I worry about having twins because I am a teacher in a special needs school and we have alot of one half of the twin set at our school with the other twin being ok. My friend has one year old twins and I've tried to help her out as much as possible so I've got a fair idea of what's involved and i think you are all super mums!! 

xxx


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## nismat (Mar 7, 2005)

We transferred 2 embryos to conceive Toby. We only got those 2 that made it to transfer, and neither of them were top drawer quality, so it made sense to us to "risk" using both, as we certainly wouldn't have been able to freeze either of them. Plus Karen has always been keen on the idea of twins! So we definitely felt we'd rather opt for the slim chance of ending up with twins versus the chance of no pregnancy at all. I think that even if we'd been able to go to blasts, we still would have elected to use 2 on that 1st IVF cycle.

Now that we're aiming to do another cycle for a sibling, it might be rather different. Basically, we've agreed that we'll make the decision pretty much at the last minute, all depending on numbers/quality of embryos. We're hoping to get enough to go to blast stage, or certainly enough that we'd have some spares to freeze. If that's the case, then we may well only go for a single embryo transfer, as I'd like to reduce the risk of multiples (not at all sure how I'd cope with 2 babies and a toddler on my own at home most of the time!). But we'll just wait and see - if we end up with the same circumstances as before, we'll probably still transfer 2.


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## candygirl (Aug 1, 2006)

My clinic told me that the only people who had 1 embryo transferred at their clinic were those who only had 1 embryo!  We went for two, and I'm now somewhat anxiously waiting for the first scan.

Candy x


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## mintyfaglady (Aug 25, 2007)

Like Nismat, we got to transfer with only 2 surviving embryos and had both transferred as neither would have made it to freeze anyway. We have a single baby onboard and are due in a couple of weeks. Not sure which way we'll jump second time around.

I'm sure I've heard recently that that there's a push for single embryo transfer to become the norm in women who have no history of miscarrying and are young. Perhaps this pressure is coming from PCTs who are worried about how multiples pregnancies can put a strain on resources if they become complicated?


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## SANFRAN06 (Apr 27, 2008)

hi sallylouise
We used my eggs as im old now!!! Hopefully DW will try in a few yrs.
Good luck with it all and if you have twins contact us again and will try to give tips!!!!!
kerry and jen x


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## sallylouise (Jan 30, 2009)

Thanks sanfran, will do that! I see you live in Herts. We used to live in St Albans and my sister now lives in Dunstable. 

Take care for now. xx


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## nismat (Mar 7, 2005)

Hi SallyLouise, 
I was just looking back at older posts, and this one caught my eye again as we're approaching decision time re: SET in the next couple of weeks (I start stimming tomorrow). 
Have you seen the website www.oneatatime.org.uk? I came across it after reading the SET board here on FF. It's very much in favour of pursuing SET, although it is pushing it particularly for young healthy women who have a high chance of IVF working. Anyway, after reading info there, and elsewhere, I am now sure that if we are lucky enough to get blasts, then we'll only put one back. It seems like far too high a risk of a twin pregnancy if you put 2 blasts back to me, given that we've already got a child & I don't want a complicated multiple pregnancy if we can avoid it. 
If we've only got lower grade/earlier embryos though, I'm still not sure what we will do. Really need to talk to our clinic about their multiple pregnancy rate and their policies on embryo grading/freezing etc. I hope that we get several good quality embryos/blasts as the decision-making process will be that much easier!


/links


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## ♥JJ1♥ (Feb 11, 2006)

Clinics are being measured on their multiple brith rates by Dec 09 and so are promoting single embryo transfers to avoid the possible adverse effects that can sometimes happen with multiple pregnancies ie: prem babies with complications for babies and mums.

They are trying to get away from 3 transfers back (for over 40's)  It is so hard !

Lx


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## rosypie (Feb 1, 2007)

i came across something interesting on here, i think somewhere in the waiting for first scan thread... it was something about how if you transfer blasts that are a certain number of days old (maybe 5?) or older then they were statistically more likely to split into identicals. i'm not sure if there had been a study or just a casual observation on a small sample but it was definitely mentioned to someone by their consultant after they became pregnant with quads (2 idents) after a double ET...  anyway, it's interesting i thought.


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## Damelottie (Jul 26, 2005)

Mmmm - thats what happened to me and I've wondered if it was more likely because I had a blast transferred. I had SEt and there were identical twins at my first scan. I miscarried one at 6 weeks but what a shock after deciding on Set! 

LL x


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## nismat (Mar 7, 2005)

Apparently the statistics definitely show that there is a higher than average rate of identical twins following IVF treatment (I think regardless of whether it's blasts or embryos transferred). Weird huh? They have no idea why embryos are more likely to split into identical twins after IVF than after a natural conception, but it's significantly more likely.

I really hadn't realised that around 1 in 4 IVF pregnancies is a multiple pregnancy (20 times higher than from natural conception), mostly down to double embryo transfers rather than a single embryo splitting. That's an awful lot isn't it? Heavens, I sound like I'm spouting the stuff from that website, and I think that actually it's very one-sided. Especially as it qualifies all the pushing for elective Single Embryo Transfer with statements like "The latest research shows that, if you are young (under 35), healthy and have a good chance of conceiving with IVF, transferring only one embryo does not significantly reduce the chance of pregnancy", but doesn't really give any guidance for other circumstances except "talk to your clinician". Basically, the website says that the ideal scenario is to get to blast stage and then just transfer one, as a blast is more likely to result in a pregnancy. Thus you've increased your chances of getting pregnant from a single embryo transfer, but not majorly increased the risk of multiples and all the associated healthy problems. It does make sense to me, but obviously it's not right in all circumstances. I'm 39 now, but I have had a successful IVF pregnancy already, so how likely does that make it that I would end up with a multiple pregnancy if we put back 2 embies/blasts instead of just 1? Really must talk to my clinic more about it! Even though I think we've pretty much made up our minds to go for ESET (much more my decision than Karen's it has to be said, but although she's always loved the idea of us having twins, she doesn't want to risk anything happening to me).

If we could guarantee that we'd get a healthy pair of twins, then I'd be less concerned about the chance of having them, as I reckon that I/we could cope with bringing them up, but obviously you can't get that guarantee! It just worries me too much that something could go wrong (and potentially very badly wrong) during the pregnancy, resulting in very ill babies, or even more tragically, dead babies, especially given that we are already supremely lucky in having one child. It just seems to great a risk to take in our personal circumstances. Alison and Ju's harrowing experience with Alex and Christopher's seriously premature arrival will always remain in my mind whenever I think about the risks of a twin pregnancy   


PS to Lady Lottie - wonderful photo!   I didn't realise that you had miscarried a twin - or that it was even really possible to miscarry one identical twin and not the other. So sorry that you had to go through that   
It looks like you're really blooming with Alfie though!


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## ♥JJ1♥ (Feb 11, 2006)

I was told on my first cycle (06) that if I had 2 embryos put back the rates of pregnancy were slightly higher but the rate of twins was 25% higher than average.

L x


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## nismat (Mar 7, 2005)

Interesting to hear someone's real-life experience/chances L


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## pem (Jan 10, 2007)

Right, so now you have me very very worried...I  have made a definite decision to have SET as OBChol is clearly going to be worse with twins than with a singleton and I have a 60-90% chance of getting OC again, I really don't want to risk twins as I terrified of earlier delivery than we had with Edie....We have been advised to have day 5 blasts and that is what we are going with....this whole natural twins thing has me terrified, can you remember where you heard it Rosy Any thoughts LadyLottie, I shall be really very worried now.....


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## nismat (Mar 7, 2005)

Oh dear Emma, sorry to worry you so much   And I really understand why you would be worried after the OC last time and all that that brought with it. 
I read about the higher chance of identical twins after IVF somewhere on the oneatatime website, but couldn't find it again when I looked this morning (I was looking for statistical rates); I don't think that it said anything there about identical twins being more likely to happen from a blast than from a day 3 embryo, just that overall there was a (slightly) increased chance of identical twins following IVF. 
I'll see if I can find it again. I don't think it's a high risk thing, it's just that it can happen in some cases. I feel bad for causing you so much extra stress now    Maybe the best thing is to talk to your clinic to see what they say about their experience of identical twins after a single blast transfer, to find out just what the rate is and hopefully put your mind at rest.


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## nismat (Mar 7, 2005)

OK, I found the bit I'd previously read which says "*The chance of a single embryo dividing and resulting in identical twins is also higher after IVF though it is not yet known why this happens. So it is possible to end up with twins from a single transferred embryo, or triplets from 2 embryos."*
The link to the page is http://www.oneatatime.org.uk/96.htm (look under the section How Does IVF Affect The Risk of Multiple Births?"). Further down the page (under "What are my options?" it says "If only 1 embryo is transferred during IVF (single embryo transfer), the risks of multiple birth are greatly reduced (*although the risks are not completely eliminated as you are still 2 to 5 times more likely to become pregnant with identical twins after receiving fertility treatment than after natural conception*)."

It doesn't make any reference to whether it is more or less likely with blasts than with day 2/3 embryos. In fact, it repeats exactly the same statement within the explanatory info on cleavage (day 2/3) embies and for blasts, which would I would infer means that they don't see a significantly greater incidence of identical twins from a single blast than from a single embryo (unless that's where the difference between 2 and 5% chance comes in).

The rate of becoming pregnant with any kind of twins from natural conception is 1.3% according to the site, and so the natural rate for identical twins must obviously be less than this - probably less than 0.5% as there are more fraternal twins than identical. So that should make the rate of idents after IVF somewhere between 1% (or less), and 2.5% (at most) - pretty low risk.

But do talk to your clinic for reassurance, please Pem!


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## Damelottie (Jul 26, 2005)

Oh Emma - I'm so so sorry. I didn't mean to make you so worried. I should have thought before I typed  .

I hope the info from Nismat has been reassuring and helpful. It was only from reading on FF posts that I picked up about the 'twins more likely following blasts'. I had/have no idea how right that is - it just fitted in with my experience.

I didn't particularly know it was possible either Nismat/Em. I'm still slightly stunned by it tbh. I had my bloods taken after my positive pee stick. The nurse phoned and said 'you did said you only had one transferred didn't you, because these levels are HUGE. I really think you will be carrying twins?'. That was approx week 4. Too early for scan. Week 6 had a bleed. I still decided to wait another week for a scan. Had a scan at week 7 and there they both were. Scan showed that one wasn't as developed as the other and had possibly perished during the 6 week bleed as its was only showing 6 weeks for size. Had another scan at 7/8 weeks and it had gone  . Quite a strange experience all round really. I sometimes look at the scan photo and try to take it all in. It was just so unexpected.

LL xxx


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## sallylouise (Jan 30, 2009)

Hi ladies,

I've heard of something called 'disappearing twin syndrome' where up to 12 weeks the other twin just mysteriously disappears. I only know this because when my friend who has twins from IVF (2 blasts put back) went for her second scan she was told about this and was worried one might have gone. 

I still don't know what we'll do.  there's pro's and cons in both decisions. At the moment I think we should be focussing on the process rather than thinking too far ahead. 

Good luck to everyone whatever you decide. 

Nismat/Emma- good luck with the IVF. We start next Thursday. Bit complicated as I am carrying DP's eggs. I only have to have one injection which will shut me down for 6 weeks. Anne- Mari has to sniff for 2 weeks to begin with and then inject. I can't believe we're finally getting there!

Ladylottie- I love the name Alfie. My new nephew is one month old and is also called Alfie.


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## Steph29 (Apr 28, 2009)

Hi sallylouise,

Saw your post, you and your DP are doing the same as me and my DP.  My DP is going to carry my eggs and I hope to donate too. We have first appointment next week and are not really sure the process and how long it all takes. We are a bit unsure about what is gonna happen on my side and my DP'S side just looks very complecated.


Steph x


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## pem (Jan 10, 2007)

Hey guys!!

Don't feel bad..please, it is good that it has been brought to my attention, I can now ask the doc about it when we next go.... Was having terrible Downregging induced panic yesterday. Now I am more rational, I think whatever will be will be, que sera etc etc etc... We will hopefully be succesful with a singleton and if twins happen then they do and we shall have to take one day at a time.. I had NO idea about the natural twins thing either with IVF, they keep that a secret don't they!

Ladylottie - I bet that was a really strange/sad experience

better choo choo off, making Edie chicken bolognaise....yum yum yum!

Emma x


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