# 5 day blasts for 40+ ladies?



## AlmaMay (Oct 15, 2004)

Dear Ladies,

My next flare cycle will start in May and I'm seriously thinking of asking for our embryos to go to 5 day blasts.  My first ICSI we had 3 day embies, second we had 2 day embies.  Would any of you be willing to share your experiences of using 5 day blasts?  Success or otherwise.

Thanking you in advance,
Almamay


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## Lorri (Apr 17, 2005)

Hi Almamay,
I don't have experience of having blasts put back, but I did ask my consultant at my last followup if this would increase my chances of implantation, and he said no.  

From what I can gather, if you have hard shells on your eggs (as older women sometimes do), then assisted hatching of the blasts could be advantageous, but I am by no means an expert, so its probably a question your consultant or embryologist should advise you on, based ontheir knowledge of your eggs/embryos. 

My clinic only usually take embryos to blasts if there are no clear front runners on day 3, and they only freeze blasts too, and I have never been lucky enough to get that many good quality embryos. 

I believe that embryos are usually better in your uterus than in the dish.


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## AlmaMay (Oct 15, 2004)

Lorri - The reason I ask for personal experience is because of this new study just published.

http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=healthNews&storyID=2006-03-16T132500Z_01_N15292971_RTRIDST_0_HEALTH-EMBRYOS-DC.XML

Thanks,
Almamay

This post contains an unconfirmed link/information and readers are reminded that FertilityFriends.co.UK or its owners are not responsible for the content of external internet sites


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## Lorri (Apr 17, 2005)

Thanks for posting the article, interesting reading, but I am curious to know how many that were being taken to blasts didn't make it and would have been put back other wise.


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## fluffy57 (May 19, 2005)

Hi AlmaMay,

Interesting article.  I had read this somewhere and when I went back for ET on my first IVF I asked if they should be left to Blasts and the answer was they were better put back inside and that there was no advantage to keep them in the petrie dish.  I think I might request that they be left to go to that stage further next time. a) to give them a better chance and b) to see how the quality levels. I also read somewhere that clinics unless absolutely necessary Clinics dont like leaving them out as if they fail then they have to tell the patient that the lost an embryo. I think it makes sense that they implant naturally on day 5 and they are in a foreign environment if put back in on day 3. 

Regards
Fluffy


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## Shamrock63 (Jan 24, 2005)

I agree with what the other ladies have said. We also enquired about blast transfer and assisted hatching this following my 1st cycle this time last year.  The Embryologist told us that our eggs are the same age as I was and as a result, he wouldn't risk it.  If your eggs are Grade 1 quality and you've got plenty of them, by all means go for it if you think you'll have a better chance.  But I think the jury is still very much out in some IVF circles as to whether blast transfer/assisted hatching actually increase your chances.  HTH

Shamrock63


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## Essex Girl (Apr 3, 2005)

Hi ladies

My clinic is pro blastocyst transfer and has a good track record, but what I was told is that growing the eggs in the lab for 5 days doesn't actually improve the eggs or growth rate, but does mean that they can see more clearly which are growing the best, so they can select the strongest ones to put back, and that is why the success rate is better.  They did say that they will only do blastocysts if you make a reasonable nuymber of embryos, and as I only had 6, they advised me not to, as there was a greater chance of the embryos failing before day 5, and an outside risk that none of them would be good enough.  Us Goldies tend to make fewer eggs (and therefore embryos), so it is unusual for 40somethings to have blastocyst transfers.  I hope that helps.

I will be joining this board shortly as I am about to embark on another IVF cycle after having a fibroid removed.  Not feeling particularly optimistic, but we have to give it one last shot.

Essex Girl


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## shade (Oct 20, 2004)

Hi Ladies

On my last cycle of IVF we had 5 embryos. As there was no front-runner they were left to divide till day 5. Two made it to blast. However, we still got BFN. I think insisting on blasts doesn't make sense as you loose other embryos and it still doesn't increase your chances of success and the drop out rate is high. There is lots of younger ladies who have 10 or more embryos and still get only 3-4 blasts.

My clinic recommends day 3 transfer with assisting hatching. Again, because we are older and our embryos are not the best quality, it still doesn't guarantee pregnancy and these my not hatch at the end.

Good luck with whatever you decide.
Love
Shade
xx


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## collymags (Jan 3, 2006)

hi ye lassies

last year our 2nd ivf cycle got to blastocyte stage(mind you i did have my 28 year old sister's eggs) we had been led to believe that getting to that stage meant stronger embryos.  it was grade 1's that they transferred but we had a bfn. however at follow up appointment they were genuinely shocked it'd not worked and were convinced it was probably the drug regime that wasn't quite right.

Today we start again, its day 2 and i'm off for a scan and hopefully collect drugs ready for fet in a few weeks. we've had an 8 month gap because of me getting diagnosed with thyroid probs.  but i'm feeling nervous and jittery already.  going to the hospital conjures up thoughts of hope and sadness, so in a way dreading going back, but needs must.  byeeeeeeeeeeee for now xx


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## Athene (Mar 5, 2006)

I am now 42 and my only successful IVF cycle was with a 3 day transfer. I have since transferrd 3 blasts,  in two fresh cycles and 2 frozen blasts - results - Nada, BFNs 

Athene


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