# Single or double embryo transfer



## teppar (Mar 1, 2018)

Hi ladies. I’m on day 4 of round 2 of ivf as a singleton. Tomorrow is transfer day. I’m 42 years old but luckily this time seem to have embryos to choose from (using own eggs). I wanted to know what you guys chose in terms of number of embryos transfered and why. I insisted on a single the first time and it was a BFN. This time I thought I’d do double since that’s the recommendation but as the day approaches I’m having second thoughts. Having twins at my age and alone isn’t the most ideal scenario. Though I would like to have more than one child just not at once. What did you guys do and why?


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## Felix42 (Oct 14, 2007)

I transferred 3 donor eggs at 42 resulting in my eldest. At 42 with own eggs I would definitely transfer the 2. Especially if that's what the Dr's are advising. You don't want to be regretting not doing so and it's very unlikely you'd regret the success of two. I'm sure twin single mummies will be by shortly to advise the same. Good luck. Exciting times. Felix xx


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## teppar (Mar 1, 2018)

Thanks Felix! I ended up going ahead with a double embryo transfer today. Now it’s time for the fun wait. 😊


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## cosmopolitan4112008 (Oct 18, 2013)

Were your embryos genetically tested?


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## asinglerose (Oct 18, 2018)

All the best Teppar! It’s a hard decision but I would have done the same thing.


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## teppar (Mar 1, 2018)

Hi cosmopolitan. It was a fresh transfer so no genetic testing.


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## sunshine82 (Mar 14, 2013)

I had two embryos transferred and they both took.  And one of them split so I ended up pregnant with triplets.  Then I lost all of my triplets at 19 weeks.  I am so heartbroken.  I was so lucky that the IVF worked first time.  Now I wish I had only had one embryo put back, then I'd have my baby right now.  Instead all three of my beautiful babies lost their lives.  Now I have to go through it all again if I want to have another baby.

Just wanted to post here so that other women don't make the same mistake as me.  I had just turned 36, and after 7 failed attempts at IUI, I thought that I needed to transfer two embryos to get one to take.  So if you are my age or younger, if it's your first go at IVF, if you have excellent quality embryos or no known fertility issues, if you just need to have IVF because you don't have a male partner, please think about the risk of ending up pregnant with triplets.  Please don't risk putting yourself in the horrible position I was, having to choose between having a reduction (with the risk of losing all babies) or trying to keep them all (with the risk of losing them all).  I never thought this would happen to me.


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## bombsh3ll (Apr 19, 2012)

I am so sorry for what you've been through sunshine82.

You are very brave to share this to help others. 

I have always been a proponent of transferring more than one embryo - in fact I transferred three, twice. I was desperate for a baby, financially limited and emotionally shattered, wanted it over and done in the least number of rounds.

My last cycle, two out of the three took initially, but one passed early on, with one ongoing. I was blessed with a healthy baby in the end, but nearly lost my own life to placenta accreta & massive haemorrhage during delivery. I would almost certainly not have survived the delivery of term or near term twins (this complication is RARE btw, I don't want to scare anybody expecting twins), but if I had the life experience then that I have now, I wouldn't have transferred 3. I am unsure if I would still have transferred 2, def not had I known I was going to have a rare complication. 

Thank you for sharing your story to highlight the risks of multiples. I am so sorry you lost your little angels, I wish you peace and if you try again, success. 

B x


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## Me731 (Aug 16, 2018)

Hi sunshine82. I am so sorry for your enormous loss and heartbreak. May I ask if you don't mind: did you have selective reduction and lose the three via selective reduction? Big hugs x


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## asinglerose (Oct 18, 2018)

sunshine82, I am so sorry for what happened to you. 

It’s very hard to know what the right number of embryos to transfer is as the results vary greatly from person to person. It seems really rare that people end up with triplets even when they transfer three embryos. It seems twins and singletons are the most likely outcome of transferring two or three embryos. In a number of cases, there isn’t even a BFP. This seems to be true even with donor eggs/donor embryos. So I don’t think there’s a magic ball that can tell anyone what the right number is. I think decisions have to be made on a case by case basis with the knowledge that there’s no way to truly determine the outcome.

That is even harder for those of us who don’t believe in fetal reaction because even with triplets, I know I wouldn’t agree to a reduction. I would simply hope for the best. Women have managed to carry quads and even higher order multiples so it’s not impossible. There’s simply no way to know what would happen. 

For those with time and money, it definitely seems sensible to transfer one at a time. Two is fine too in most cases as embryos rarely split. But all this is a very personal decision, and often a hard one too.

Me731, she said she refused to have a fetal reduction and believes that by refusing to do so, she endangered all the children and ultimately lost them all.


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