Embryo banking while in a Shared-Risk program?

[Anonymous]

I'm 36 years old with unexplained infertility and my husband and I would like to have 2 children. I am currently enrolled in Shady Grove's Shared-Risk IVF program (bring home a baby or your $ back). I paid $22.5k for the program. I underwent an IVF retrieval and ended up with 3 blasts--all PGS normal (PGS was free through a study I participated in). I did a FET in October of 1 blast and got a BFP but subsequently miscarried at 6 weeks. I now have 2 PGS normal embryos left in the freezer. Dr. said the chance of getting 2 babies from the 2 remaining blasts is 25%, therefore, she mentioned doing embryo banking for an additional $7.5k. Basically, I would do another retrieval and use the new batch for (hopefully) baby #1 and save any remaining embryos, including the 2 PGS normals, for baby #2. The thing is, if the new blasts don't work, I have to use up the old batch (the 2 PGS normals) before I can undergo a new round of IVF on their dime, so in a way, I'm reducing their "risk." The other thing I should mention is that I can get all of my IVF meds free before the end of the year because I've met my OOP deductible.

Would you pay the additional $7.5k to bank more embryos if you only had 2 PGS normals and definitely want 2 kids? I'm worried I'll need more IVF when I'm 38 or 39 to have baby #2, and at that point my fertility will have further declined.

[Anonymous]

You paid for a (bring home a baby or your $ back) program. They are asking for 7.5K before they fullfill their obligation? I'd tell them to do one more FET before talking about 7.5K banking.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You paid for a (bring home a baby or your $ back) program. They are asking for 7.5K before they fullfill their obligation? I'd tell them to do one more FET before talking about 7.5K banking.

OP here--thank you! That's what my husband and I are thinking but I wanted to see others' opinions as well.

[Anonymous]

The point of shared risk is to use it, not to pay SGF more money! You've only done one transfer and are still relatively young, so if I were you, I'd transfer the blasts you already have. I would focus on the first baby first, then worry about a sibling later. For all you know., the two blasts you have could both work.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The point of shared risk is to use it, not to pay SGF more money! You've only done one transfer and are still relatively young, so if I were you, I'd transfer the blasts you already have. I would focus on the first baby first, then worry about a sibling later. For all you know., the two blasts you have could both work.

OP here: thank you so much for your comment! This is actually really helpful to hear!

[Anonymous]

Everybody has a different experience - but here is mine ... I was around your age and I had 3 PGS normals - one resulted in a chemical pregnancy and the other two are my children. My doctor gave me a 60% chance of having a baby from each individual embryo.

[Anonymous]

If #2 fails, I think you'd go with banking cuz you only have one embryo left and you want two children.

What if #2 is success? #3 transfer would be delayed at least 1 year away, and the success rate would still be 50%.

By making decision after #2, the odds are clearer. That's your choice. Depend on your tolerance of risk.

[Anonymous]

I would do another for 7.5k and here is why. #1 if your second transfer works and then you wait a few years and transfer the 3rd and it doesn't, you will have to pay another 22.5k plus meds, #2 you can get free meds now, but you might not have that perk in a few years if it doesnt work, nor will you have it after january if this transfer doesnt work, #3 as you know IVF is stressful in every way, if you can limit your financial stress now and get all you need, you can hopefully move forward and not look back on that part of the journey. It is November, if you transfer in December and it doesnt work, I doubt you would know in time to get meds. Such a hard decision, but it gives you more security.

[Anonymous]

OP here: Thanks for all of your comments--additional comments are still welcome! I think I'm going to go ahead and go into another FET without banking. All of my IVF meds had refills so I ended up ordering them just so I have them. In the event that FET #2 doesn't work, I think I'll seriously consider banking and will use the meds I was able to stock up on. If I'm lucky and I get pregnant and bring home a baby, I'll keep the IVF meds a month or two prior to their expiration date and then donate them (I think they're good for about a year and half unopened).