To freeze or not to freeze

[ekh123]

Preparing to start my first IVF after 3 failed IUIs. We are still deciding if we want to freeze any leftover embryos or if we should wait and see. What did you do and why?

ETA for clarify: I'm 28 and we hope to have more than one child (over time). We would implant one or two embroyos during the IVF.
I have a good supply of eggs so I expect to have leftover embryos after my first IVF implantation. I'm not sure if we should spent the $ to freeze the eggs or donate them. I hope that it only takes one IVF try to get pregnant, but I know it may take several. Is it worth it to freeze the embryos and avoid going through the extraction process again?

[Anonymous]

You mean you would do a retrieval, see how many embryos you get, implant one or two and then not keep the rest?

[Anonymous]

I don't understand the question either. Is it an age thing (e.g., you'll just transfer all)?

[ekh123]

I edited for clarity, Basically should we freeze any leftover embryos after the cycle?

[Anonymous]

Plan to freeze them. Preserve your options - you have no idea what the future will hold.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Plan to freeze them. Preserve your options - you have no idea what the future will hold.

Yes, 100% freeze. The cost of an FET is so much lower than the cost of another fresh cycle - it would be illogical not to freeze. It isn't as if you will know whether the cycle worked when you do the freeze. It might be a closer call if you do become pregnant and then have to decide whether to pay the storage costs for a decade or something, but that seems unlikely.

[Anonymous]

ekh123 wrote:I edited for clarity, Basically should we freeze any leftover embryos after the cycle?

Yes. No question.

[Anonymous]

So, according to your plan, you want to go through IVF and transfer some, the get rid of all the extras. What happens if your transfer doesn't work and you get a BFN. So instead of paying $1000-$2000 for freezing, you are willing to pay another $20,000+ to go through another round?

So even in the best case scenario, you get pregnant on your first round of IVF. You get rid of any extras. Then in a few yeas you want another child. What makes you think that you won't need assistance to have that child? So, again, you are willing to pay another $20,000 just to save the $1000-$2000 freezing fee, plus another $500 per year plus $5000 for a FET. Which, if you waited 4 years, would be at most $9,000.

I don't understand how not freezing is even an option you are considering?

[ekh123]

My insurance covers the IVF but freezing is an out of pocket expense.

[Anonymous]

How many tries are covered? Hopefully you won't need more than the standard 3 covered by some insurance policies but that very well might not be the case. Freeze what's left. You will kick yourself if you don't.

[Anonymous]

Plan to freeze them becuase its a lot to go through just to throw extras away. Fresh transfer doesnt always work or maybe youll want to fome back for a sibling. But don't count your chickens yet. I was 29 and assumed we'd have something to freeze. I didn't even have 1 blast to tteansfer, much less anything to freeze.

[Anonymous]

Absolutely freeze. No question at all. Even if another round of IVF would be totally covered, would you really want to go through all the injections and everything again just to re-make embryos you're essentially throwing away?? If your first round doesn't work, you will really want those extra embryos to try again. And even if your first cycle results in a baby, your egg quality and fertility may have declined by the time you're ready to try for another baby in a few years.

[Anonymous]

ekh123 wrote:My insurance covers the IVF but freezing is an out of pocket expense.

Just because IVF is covered now, there's no guarantee it will be covered in a few years when you're ready for #2. Absolutely freeze anything you have left.

[Anonymous]

ekh123 wrote:My insurance covers the IVF but freezing is an out of pocket expense.

Freezing should only be like 2k. In the grand scheme of things, relative to this process, that's nothing. But if you want to go through the piles of drugs and the retrieval over and over again and waste embryos, instead of keeping what you have, by all means.

[Anonymous]

Freeze!!! Definitely! The first round of IVF might not work and then you have to go through the process all over again. I don't meant to be negative, but it is worth the money to freeze. Also, you don't know how many embryos you are gong to get at the end. You can anticipate having something to freeze but don't count your chickens. I have been ostensibly health women have nothing to freeze. I don't want to scare you, but you can't anticipate how your body will react. You can have an idea, but you just don't know. Best wishes for your cycle!