SG Patients- How many embryos age 34.5, Future IVF, Twins

[Anonymous]

To respond to OP's original question, with DC #1, transferred 2 blasts (day 5), 1 took. I was 34. For #2, I had planned on transferring 1, but got pregnant before the transfer. Go figure. Anyway, SG STRONGLY encourages single embryo transfers if the embryos are decent even in "older" women. If we have a third, even at 38, 39, or 40, I'll only transfer one.

[Anonymous]

PP Here -- forgot to add comment about saving for future cycles. I think someone already noted that you don't know how you'll respond to the meds. You shouldn't plan on overstimulating so that you have embryos left over for future cycles, and I doubt that a doctor would allow it. Overstim is a real and dreadful situation. Trust me. We are thankful that we have embryos left over, but I have to be honest and say that I wish we didn't have as many as we do, because it creates an ethical dilema for me. I also wouldn't want anyone to go through went I went through in the weeks after my retrieval. You need to think about the current cycle, and only the current cycle. Then go from there.

[Anonymous]

I do not want to downplay any of the valuable points made so far on this thread, however I do want to note, since no one has yet, that while twin pregnancies are high-risk, and put enormous burden on a woman's body, I do also know people that were overjoyed by twins and have healthy, happy experiences with their twins. Knowing these 'success' cases (and celebrities) is most probably why there are so many couples out there (yes, I know quite a few of them) that hope for twins.

[Anonymous]

Of course, most twin pregnancies turn out fine as evidenced by all the adorable, healthy twins out there. But the rists are much higher. And if you get pregnant with twins by pushing your doctor to be aggressive about how many embryos to transfer and then something goes wrong, you'd have to live with the fact that you knowingly took that risk.

[Anonymous]

My RE encouraged me to do an eSET based on the quality of the embies. We transferred two and ended up with twins. It has been an extremely difficult pregnancy with bleeding since the beginning and bed rest at 15 weeks. We are just going week to week. In the meantime, I am not able to spend quality time with DD and my husband is completely stressed out with taking care of DD, managing his demanding job and running the household. Just visit the NICU and see the # of babies who are struggling being born at 24-32 weeks, many of them being multiple pregnancies. It is truly hearbreaking.

[Anonymous]

we did a 2 blast transfer and had twins that are now 4. Did a eSET and have a singleton that is now 1.

The entire experience from pregnancy to birth to infancy and now young toddler hood has been light years EASIER with a singleton. SO, SO much easier. I feel like I've actually enjoyed the singleton whereas as with the twins it was just survival for at least the first 2 years.
My twin pregnancy was long and difficult with numerous hospitalizations for pre-term labor and I was seen by a group of high risk OBs. Physically it was very hard and spent 2 months on bedrest. (I don't think I was meant to carry almost 12 pounds of baby). In contrast, my singleton pregnancy was a breeze. I had a natural VBAC with a midwife. I ran a half marathon at 25 weeks. I enjoyed the entire experience.

If you have good embryo quality, I would think long and hard about transferring more than one. I LOVE my twins and I have grown to love having twins. But would i CHOSE to have twins again (if I could do things over?) No. NO.

[Anonymous]

OP, for what its worth, I was your age when I did my IVF #1
Retrieved 20 eggs, 12 fertilitzed, 11 fertilized normally,
given my stats the clinic recommended single elective embryo transfer,
all the embryos made it to day 5.
On the day of the transfer the clinic changed their story and said it would
be ok to transfer two if I wanted.
It was my first ivf and my first potential pregnancy, couldn't imagine having twins
when I had no idea what it was like to be pregnant or to be a mom, so we
stuck to our guns and did a single embryo transfer and prayed.

Day 7: none of the remaining embryos made it to be frozen.
Day 14: got the BFP

I am really happy to be pregnant with my little one. While I didn't think it would have affected me,
I mourn the 10 other embryos that didn't make it, and I am looking for ways to honor/remember them,
that's just my personal spiritual feelings about it.

Good luck and baby dust...