# Do the embryologists know the gradings?



## JamesBrown (Sep 7, 2005)

Hi

Today, at our appointment with our hospital, we went through the gradings of our frozen embryos.  The best one was a 4ab one so I asked if they would be defrosting that one at our satellite clnic.  The nurse told me that they would just pick one to defrost and won't know the grading of it.

Just wondered if anyone knows this to be true?  I (probably foolishly) thought that they would know exactly which ones they were going to defrost based on the gradings.

Thanks and good luck ladies.   

J9
x


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## angel james mummy Dee (May 27, 2009)

Hi j9,

good luck with t/x   , 

we had our follow up appt for our failed donor egg cycle and we have been told the grades of our to frozen embies so I would have thought that the embryologist would have this in your embryo report, in this situation I would ask again as it does seem a little odd that they dont know,

Hugs Dee xx


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## angel james mummy Dee (May 27, 2009)

hope all goes well,

I have a 4BB and a 4BC thawing in Jan, hoping they both survive!

xx


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## greatgazza (May 27, 2010)

That does seem ridiculous and i wonder if that particular nurse just didn't really know what she was talking about.  I don't know much about this as only had my first DFET yesterday but what would be the point in the whole grading system if they can't even then tell which ones they're defrosting??!   Just wouldn't make any sense at all.

I was offered 2 xhb gr 1 (like A i think) and then when i went for the treatment doc said the quality was 1 x hb grade 1 and 1 xhb grade 1-2.  I queried the difference (that one was now grade 1 to 2 and not 1) and he said that was the grade post thaw.  But my point is that they know what embryos look like, hence how they grade them, hence how they choose the best etc.  Just to pick 'any old' embryo out would be ridiculous, surely they'd always pick the best, cos as i said, what would be the point in grading anything?  

I'm sure more experienced people will come along with better answers, but from a purely common sense point of view for them not to know what the grade is or which one they'll pick sounds like a ludicrous thing to say.

GGx


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## ruthybee (Jun 15, 2010)

Hi,

We had 1 day 5 blastocyst transfered 2 weeks ago and when we asked what the grading of it was we were told that they don't grade them once they have survived the thaw.  Apparently all they look for look for is that the embryo has survived or not.  I'm not sure whether this is correct or not, but that was what the embryologist told us.  We also thought it was a bit strange that they didn't know the grading or re-grade the embryo post thaw.    Unfortunately ours didn't grow and we ended up with a BFP.  So it back to hospital in the new year to start another FET cycle.

xx


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## greatgazza (May 27, 2010)

Sorry to hear about your BFN ruthybee.  Good that you have a plan for the new year.  

J9 congrats on being PUPO, sorry to hear your your FET was a nightmare   what happened? 

Hmmm i don't know about this grading lark then.  All i've ever read on here is women quoting what grade embryo they had put back so it seems quite commonplace for the clinic to know and the patient to be told.  What clinics are you at?  As i said i don't really understand how they can NOT tell you etc.  What's the whole point of the system?? I can see what they're saying about the embryos that survive the thaw being strong etc but i'm absolutely sure if you were having 3 thawed and wanted 2 put back and they all survived then you would want/need to know the grade to decide which to put back rather than pot luck.  If they couldn't regrade them one of them could have dropped to a grade 6 or something (i don't even know if there is such a thing but you know what i mean).  Confused.com.  Why do other clinics bother to give grades if it's so unimportant....

GGx


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## ruthybee (Jun 15, 2010)

Hi,

Thank you for all your best wishes, hopefully our next FET cycle in FEB will be a success, we need to keep positive.

Good luck to J9 and GG - will be keeping my fingers crossed for BFP's for you both.

Grading of the embryos seem so straight forward when they are fresh, I really don't see why it should be so difficult to grade the once they have thawed.  Oh well, I don't know enough about gradings of embryos, so I guess trust in the hospital and the embryologist an the important thing.

Ruthybee xx


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