Freezing day 3 embryos?

[Anonymous]

Has anyone had it done and if so which practice are you with? None of mine make it to freeze on day 5 (i get early blasts and then they all go buh-bye), based on several cycles. I would be interested in freezing on day 3 and then doing FETs with these.

[Anonymous]

I did this at GW last year. My RE retrieved 6 eggs, of which 5 were mature, and of which all 5 fertilized with ICSI. We froze all 5 embryos on day3 at 8-cell stage divided into two parts, 2 embryos and 3 embryos, so I can do two FET.

At FET, GW thawed "day3 embryos" 24 hrs before transfer to see if any of them survive the thaw and viable for transfer.
So, at the time of transfer, those embryos were day4 morula or compacting(? term?) stage.

Sadly, mc at 7 weeks due to trisomy. Hoping to repeat the same early summer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I did this at GW last year. My RE retrieved 6 eggs, of which 5 were mature, and of which all 5 fertilized with ICSI. We froze all 5 embryos on day3 at 8-cell stage divided into two parts, 2 embryos and 3 embryos, so I can do two FET.

At FET, GW thawed "day3 embryos" 24 hrs before transfer to see if any of them survive the thaw and viable for transfer.
So, at the time of transfer, those embryos were day4 morula or compacting(? term?) stage.

Sadly, mc at 7 weeks due to trisomy. Hoping to repeat the same early summer.

Thanks PP. Were they open to transferring 3 if they froze that many in 1 batch?

[Anonymous]

Embryos are hardiest at day 1 (called 2 pn stage) or blastocyst stage. They freeze best at one of those stages. If you freeze them on day 3, I think they are less likely to survive the thaw or more likely to be damaged by the freezing. Because of all that, I froze half of my embryos from a recent cycle at day 1 (just after fertilization). They grew the others out to day 3 and did a fresh transfer. That failed. Then I went back and did a FET with the other embryos later.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I did this at GW last year. My RE retrieved 6 eggs, of which 5 were mature, and of which all 5 fertilized with ICSI. We froze all 5 embryos on day3 at 8-cell stage divided into two parts, 2 embryos and 3 embryos, so I can do two FET.

At FET, GW thawed "day3 embryos" 24 hrs before transfer to see if any of them survive the thaw and viable for transfer.
So, at the time of transfer, those embryos were day4 morula or compacting(? term?) stage.

Sadly, mc at 7 weeks due to trisomy. Hoping to repeat the same early summer.

Thanks PP. Were they open to transferring 3 if they froze that many in 1 batch?

Not PP. But also froze 3-day embryos at GW. Dr F. said that number to transfer depends on how they survive the defrost, also of course of your case in particular. FWIW he would have consider transferring three for me (AMA). Also he said we can grow them to day 5 after the defrost if we were inclined.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I did this at GW last year. My RE retrieved 6 eggs, of which 5 were mature, and of which all 5 fertilized with ICSI. We froze all 5 embryos on day3 at 8-cell stage divided into two parts, 2 embryos and 3 embryos, so I can do two FET.

At FET, GW thawed "day3 embryos" 24 hrs before transfer to see if any of them survive the thaw and viable for transfer.
So, at the time of transfer, those embryos were day4 morula or compacting(? term?) stage.

Sadly, mc at 7 weeks due to trisomy. Hoping to repeat the same early summer.

Thanks PP. Were they open to transferring 3 if they froze that many in 1 batch?

Not PP. But also froze 3-day embryos at GW. Dr F. said that number to transfer depends on how they survive the defrost, also of course of your case in particular. FWIW he would have consider transferring three for me (AMA). Also he said we can grow them to day 5 after the defrost if we were inclined.

OP here. Thanks for this info. I'd love to grow them but they croak on me on day 5... Now I am a bit torn between GW and Cornell for the next cycle. Did you have success with day 3 transfer at GW? How are the wait times for monitoring at GW? Did you have Donna as the nurse? I kinda don't like her from the initial visit.

[Anonymous]

PP with the GW (1st) back. I initially had success with day2 (4-cell) embryo before, but that was a fresh transfer 4 years ago. I have not had success (i.e., take home baby) with day3-turned-day4 embryo FET yet. Had one chemical and one mc@7 weeks from the day3 embryos. I am also AMA, so, the egg quality has something to do with this outcome. Hoping to repeat the fresh cycle again (to bank more embryos).

[Anonymous]

OH, and YES. My RE at GW was willing to transfer as many as 3 or even 4, I believe (since I am AMA also).

[Anonymous]

Woops missed your other question. Wait time for monitoring? That is first come first serve (I believe) and depends on how many show up for the monitoring. But generally, if you come as early as possible, not many patients will be waiting, and you can finish early, too.