# How many to thaw?



## ferness (Jan 12, 2011)

Hi I need some advice please! 

I am just about to start my first FET cycle following 2 failed ICSI cycles. We are really lucky to have 8 frozen blasts - 4 from each cycle - of average quality at best I think. The clinic is recommending thawing 4 so they can see which are best to transfer (assuming more than 2 make it through the thaw intact). I'm sure this is good advice and I know that it's likely they won't all make it through the thaw but I can't help thinking what if they all thaw ok and look good, then we'd be wasting two perfectly good embryos. Am I being stupid?! What proportion of blasts make it through the thawing process ok?

Any experiences or advice gratefully received!


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## babysparkle (Mar 28, 2011)

Hi, I was in the same position a month or so ago. I had 5 day 2 embryo's frozen, all stored separately yet they wanted to thaw all 5 and select the best 2. However we stuck to our guns and asked them to thaw 3 to start with and all 3 survived intact and started to divide again. One then had to be discarded but that was better than 3 potentially being discarded. The hospital thawed them in the morning and could tell straight away if they'd survived but their policy was to do the transfer the following day giving them a chance to start dividing again. However they did say if the first lot didn't survive they'd wait until the day of ET and thaw them 30 mins beforehand so they'd know if they survived just not if they'd continue dividing.
If you aren't happy thawing 4 at once then have a chat with them about your options. I must have spoken to someone in the lab at least 3 times about it   It's a big thing to decide and it's almost going against doctors orders but.............

Good luck xx


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## Missy123 (Sep 12, 2009)

ferness i can't help you as i have the same decision to make soon with my 6 x3 day embies. 
Just wanted to wish you lots of    but like babysparkle says what if they all make it can they refreeze some again for you? Can't they just take out 2 then another 2 later if they aren't so good?
Please let us know how you get on    

Babysparkle congratulations and you have given us hope.


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## mrssigns (Aug 25, 2009)

Fernes

My embryos were frozen on day 4 in straws of 3. My clinic thawed 1 straw for each of my FETs.  Of the 12 embies I have had thawed only 1 has not made the thaw and kept growing. 2 of my embies were refrozen, but my clinic would only use the refrozen ones as a last resort, which hopefully now will not be necessary.

Mrs Signs


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## ferness (Jan 12, 2011)

Thanks so much for your replies. You have given me a lot more questions to ask the clinic!  I'm not sure whether our embryos have been frozen individually or in groups so I need to sort that one out first! I also didn't know that there was a possibility of re-freezing, although it sounds like that's not the ideal thing to do. I'm going for my nurse consultation on Tuesday so I'll ask more about our options then. 

Huge congratulations Babysparkle and thank you and Missy for your good wishes. Mrs Signs - it is really good to hear that the thawing went ok for you and all the best for your tx.


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## Here&#039;s Hoping1 (Jun 5, 2011)

Hey Ferness

I am about to have a FEt at the end of Nov. We have 4 frosties.
I spoke to our consultant and he told us we could either do all 4 and then choose the best 2 or just do 2 to begin with.
I had a FEt last year and both little embies survived the thaw so we have decided just to do the 2 and see how we get on.
Anyway the point of all of this was just to say that their approach was really very flexible and so I think it just depends on the clinic.
I think you have got to decide what is best for you and then go with the flow!
Hope this helps
x


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