Mediocre grade embryos...

iVillage Member
Registered: 11-09-2007
Mediocre grade embryos...
14
Sun, 11-18-2007 - 6:00pm

Hello there...


I just wanted to introduce myself.  I'm new to this message board but it seems like a nice support group for women dealing with infertility.  I just went through my first cycle of IVF.  Did follistim and menopur for 10days and had 9 follicles retrieved.  Only 4 fertilized normally of which only 1 was graded A  (4 cells) and the others were graded B and 2 were graded C.  I think the grades have something to do with the morphology of the cells with B and C grades being less superior to A.  There was some degree of fragmentation on the B and C embryos.  I was pretty disappointed that I didn't have more higher quality embryos.  I'd be so devastated if this doesn't work.....the whole process has been so costly and straining on my marriage.  I've only bee married about 1 year and after 6 months of being infertile and trying unsuccessfully, we were referred to IVF.  I suppose it had do with multiple factors....my age (37), my FSH was boderline high at 10.6 and my husband's semen showed poor motility...


Anyone out there have any experience with mediocre grade embryos...Is there any hope of implantation with less than perfect embryos???  I'm very worried....I had such high hopes for IVF as my RE kept encouraging me that I should be a very candidate and would probably have a successful round.


Any advice would be so very greatfully appreciated.


Polytimy


 


 


 

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iVillage Member
Registered: 11-17-2007
Sun, 11-18-2007 - 9:30pm

Hi there.

I am still in the IUI w/ injections stage, but....both of my sisters had successful IVF procedures. My oldest sister was 39 at the time of the IVF and it worked on the first try. I believe that she had four implanted. My other sister is 43. She got pregnant naturally at 41 but the fetus had Trisomy 21 (she was devastated). She lost the pregnancy. She then went through 10 rounds of IUI w/ and w/o injections (did I mention that she and her husband split up during the process? Fortunately it was not related to the infertility issues and he was her sperm donor for all the IUI and IVF attempts). She did her first round of IVF on Thanksgiving of last year. They implanted three and none stuck. She was devestated but determined to be a mother. She did her second round of IVF last April. They implanted six and she did the thing where the RE breaks into the egg on behalf of the sperm (the sperm weren't all that strong) she also used the glue on the second time. It stuck and she is about to deliver a healthy baby boy on Dec 20th! You have to remember that it only takes one good one and it is more important to have quality over quantity! Are you on bed rest right now? When do you find out the results? Have you decided what to do if for some reason this time doesn't work? I will keep my fingers and my toes and everything else crossed for you. I do know that statistics are on your side given your age. Also, they say that with each attempt the odds of success get higher and higher.

I am in the 2WW myself. I did my first round of IUI combined with injectabes (Lupron and Menopur). My two weeks will be up a week from Monday. I have had so many disappointments that I am afraid to hope, but at the same time I do believe that positive thinking can be powerful.

Hang in there and I am hoping and praying for the best for you!

Kim B.

iVillage Member
Registered: 11-09-2007
Sun, 11-18-2007 - 10:10pm

Thank you Kim for all your kind encouraging words, thoughts, and prayers....


I was scared to hear about the Trisomy 21 experience of sister....Did she get

iVillage Member
Registered: 11-17-2007
Sun, 11-18-2007 - 11:06pm

Not to worry. Trisomy 21 has absolutely nothing to do with IVF. In fact, the fetus with that issue was the result of an ART free pregnancy...meaning that she conceived on her own with no assistance. Her healthy baby boy that she is carrying now, is the result of IVF. So put your mind at ease. Trisomy 21 is a genetic anomaly resulting from the wrong number of chromosomes. Although the likelihood of it occurring increases exponentially with age, for the most part it is a very sad and unfortunate genetic fluke. And yes, she did go through genetic counseling prior to finding out and she did have a plan of action from the start.

I don't know a whole lot about the grading of embryo's. My sister is the absolute expert so when I talk to her tomorrow I will check. I hope that you can do your best to try and relax. I know that it is a powerless feeling but there is absolutely nothing you can do to change the outcome of things at this point. What I do know is that it only takes one! Also, I am sure your RE would not have implanted embryo's that would not be viable. It is my understanding that it this point you are hoping and praying that they stick, implant and make it through these next two weeks.

When do you test? I can understand how hard all of this is financially and on ones marriage. For me there are a lot of feelings of sadness, jealousy, resentment, anger etc. My husband is super supportive but I feel like at many levels he just does not get it the way another woman in a similar situation does. One big problem that we are experiencing is that sex is no longer for fun or spontaneous. There is always some business to it and a hoped for outcome. I also think that as hard as he may try, my husband has a hard time understanding the hormonal stuff that is happening to me as a result of all the fertility drugs. I may have already told you, but my marriage would not have survived many more rounds of Clomid. Clomid made me crazy like nothing else ever has. My emotions were raging! Fortunately, I have not had the same experience with the Menopur, Lupron, Estradiol and Progesterone. Although I have gained about six pounds as a result of the drugs. It doesn't help to feel fat and infertile!

Hang in there. Keep telling yourself, it only takes one good one. Also, for me it helps to have a back up plan in my head Even if the plan is to take some time off to re-think things.

Take care.

Kim B

iVillage Member
Registered: 11-09-2007
Sun, 11-18-2007 - 11:36pm

Thanks Kim....


It's reassuring to hear that the Trisomy was just a fluke.

iVillage Member
Registered: 09-11-2006
Mon, 11-19-2007 - 12:20am

Hello and Welcome!


It sounds like Kim has jumped right in and shared her story, which is fantastic.

iVillage Member
Registered: 11-09-2007
Mon, 11-19-2007 - 6:24am

Karla...


Thank you so much for your welcoming words and your support.

iVillage Member
Registered: 08-10-2007
Mon, 11-19-2007 - 2:17pm

Hi Polytimy,

Good luck with your first IVF and I hope one of those little embryos sticks! I'm sorry I don't know much about IVF yet, and even less about embryo grades, but like Kim I agree that your doctor would not have transferred embryos that he thought had no chance of surviving. Stay positive and strong.

Reba


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Remembering o

iVillage Member
Registered: 10-19-2004
Mon, 11-19-2007 - 2:37pm

Our situation is similar to yours, but I am a little older. I am married just over one year, and an on C15 of TTC. I am now 39, DH is 36. DH has motility and morphology problems. We have done one failed IVF/ICSI, 3 unmedicated IUI's, and I am now 10 DPIUI after IUI with injectibles. I don't have much hope due for that to poor sperm.

According to my RE, grades A and B are both "good". "C" is not good---though occassu=ionaly can produce a pregnancy. I think we had about 2 a's, 4 b's, and 6 c's. On day 3 I had 4 embryos that were 7-8 cells grade a or b. These were the "good" ones. We transferred 3 at 5 days, one grade a and 2 grade b early blasts. no luck. We had 1 grade b to freeze the next day, and 2 grade c early blasts they told us notto bother with but I had them freeze them anyway. Grade c's usually don't survive the freeze. Yet I have heard stories where people got a pregnancy from much worse "quality" embryos, or just implanting one. I was hyperstimulated and had high estrogen, which can prevent implanation, so we don't know if it was that or the embies.

Anyway you have half "good ones" which is not bad at all. Remember, getting more eggs is a double edged sword. They retrieved 35 from me, way too many, and most were immature. This made my estrogen very high which reduces chances of success. I have heard lots of success stories where people only get a few embies. What is the max you will transfer?

I totally understand about the financial strain...it is so expensive when you don't have coverage. It makes it all so much more stressful. Good for you for not wasting time. I wish we had started testing and discovered the male factor issue earlier. I'm nearing 40 now and getting worried.

-Jenna

- Jenna
iVillage Member
Registered: 11-09-2007
Mon, 11-19-2007 - 3:27pm

Jenna


Thank you so much for your information and insight.

iVillage Member
Registered: 11-17-2007
Tue, 11-20-2007 - 10:56pm

Okay...finally spoke to Dr. Sister:) I asked her about the grading of the embryo's. She said that the system she is used to is the number system not the letter, so take this for what it is worth. She said that she was told by her RE (my family should get a group discount from her because she has done a total of three IVF procedures for us already!) that the grading system has to do with the quality of the embryo's. She said that the quality is in regards to their projected possibility of properly implanting. She said that it should have nothing to do with their genetic make-up or any issue with their intrinsic quality. She did mention that during IVF she was given the option of having her embryo's tested for genetic anomalies or mutations. She said that she chose not to have this done as her RE said that the test itself would negatively impact the viability of the embryo's in the implantation process. My sister assured me that no RE would implant "problematic eggs" or eggs with genetic issues. Hope this is helpful and puts your mind at ease. I know that it is no substitute for hearing straight from the doc....but hopefully it will give you some peace of mind:)

Take Care,

Kim B.

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