4 high quality embryos at day 3 - what should I expect at day 5?

[Goodluckjonathan76]

Mid way through our first cycle of IVF. They retrieved 6 eggs and 4 fertilised. The embryologist called me on day 3 and said all 4 embryos were high quality (at least 10 cells and minimal fragmentation) and so they could keep them until day 5 or 6. I am due an update tomorrow am and probably ET tomorrow afternoon or Friday (day 5 or 6) and just trying to set my expectations for the news tomorrow. How many usually die between day 3 and 5? If we do have at least one left, what are my chances of it sticking? I've gotten so pessimistic that I've sort of ruled out it working. Should I assume it's not doing to work or should I be more hopeful?

JoJo, that's so funny re your DH's names! At least he is imaginative!

Going to google the clexane injections - must be possible to inject elsewhere. I had got used to doing them but my stomach has had enough.

JoJo, I had also found the Birth Company and will go there if I do opt for panorama. Curious to know why other clinics don't offer it, just harmony. Does anyone do both tests or is that a complete waste of money?

Goodluck, I suppose you could do both tests but that does sound a bit unnecessary. So which pram are you going to get?

Good luck for your scan today goodluckjonathan

twicker how are you doing?

jojo your DH definitely has some interesting names! Are you going to find out sex of baby ? What about everyone else? Do you have to pay privately for panorama? Can you get something similar on nhs?

Scan next week but it does feel like an eternity. I'm sure it will go quickly after that assuming all is well. Happy Monday all!

Hi sorry for my absence again, I’m so tired and nauseous, how are the rest of you doing.
To go back to a point from a while ago we had icsi but no assisted hatching.
Otters is your scan on the 21st? Ours is then too but in the evening. It’s goingbto be a long week to get there!!

Goodluck, keeping everything crossed for you today :)

Twickerhun, poor you. I can imagine it must be very challenging with nausea, tiredness and a little one at home!

Otters, we are going to find out the sex. The sooner, the better ;) In terms of NIPTs, I don't think they are available on the NHS although I think that I've heard of it possibly being available in the future if you come up high risk after the nuchal scan.

Sounds like there will be a lot of scans next week as I've got one booked for Friday 24th.

Goodluck thinking of you today x

Twickers yes my scan is on 21st. 8 more sleeps ... really hope it goes well for you. It's a good sign that you're feeling sick right? I have zero symptoms so don't know if it's good or bad. Hate this limbo period. Just want to be able to hear a good strong heartbeat and feel more reassured.

Jojo what scan are you having - is that your panorama scan? It seems to have come round quickly!

Otters, yes, it'll be the Panorama scan. If it's ok, then they'll take a blood sample to send to America for the Panorama. 11 more sleeps! Also count yourself lucky not to have symptoms. I threw up this morning and have been nauseous since. But most days I just get very tired and feel sick after about 8-9pm.

Otters I had no symptoms last time till I was 9 weeks... enjoy it

Hi all. Just had scan and all looking good! We saw the sac, a 1cm little bean, and the heart-beat! The sonographer said they didn't measure the heart rate at 7 weeks (no idea why) but that it was very good. Measuring 7 weeks 1 day (I am officially 7 weeks 2 days) so spot on, apparently. DH came along and we both got a bit emotional. They gave us a photo we will treasure. They booked me in my next scan/harmony test on 4th December when I will be 10 weeks 2 days but think we may go to the Fetal Medicine Centre as they do a really good package for harmony test and scan plus 12 week sca/nuchal. They also gave me my treatment plan for weaning off the meds (thank gawd!) I will be completely med free by 30th December.

How is everyone else? I am still not feeling sick at all so starting to think I have another boy in there. Cannot wait to find out the sex!!!

Goodluck, that’s brilliant news! Such and special moment for DH and you:)

It’s a bit strange about the heart rate. They told us ours and it’s in our ‘scan report’ that was emailed later. Our favourite moment was listening to the heart beating.

Do you only need to wean off the Clexane or other stuff too? I think my clinic just told me to stop estradiol and progesterone at 12 weeks.

I wonder if your prediction of it being a boy is right.

Twickerhun and Otters, do you have any thoughts as to whether yours are boys or girls?

I’m sort of convinced that mine is a boy but that’s only because 70% of hatching blasts on Day 5 are boys and it was our only hatching embryo that day.

Yes, it is weird but CRGH seem to do things a bit differently, not sure why. Are you at Zita West or was that Twickers? Weird that some of the leading clinics have different pratices.

My embryo was the fastest growing but not hatching (3BB I recall). Not sure on that basis if boy or girl. Is it really the case that 70% of hatching blasts are boys? Crikey! Does ICSI have any impact on hatching? Actually, I am sure I read that ICSI increases chances of a girl quite a lot as girl sperm are slower moving.

Yes, I wean off clexane and progesterone. I stopped the estradiol after the blood test which confirmed the pregnany. Didn't wean off, just stopped.

Yes, I’m with Zita West.

Thats quite interesting about boy sperms being faster - is it the size of chromosomes? With the hatching on day 5 being mostly boys, it’s to do with some chromosome de-activitation between days 3-5. However, a lot depends on maternal age and the culture mediums in the lab too.

I was reprofit in the Czech Republic.
I think mines a boy as the embryo developed at the same rate and quality as my little DS (alsoa hatching blast).

Definitely wean off progesterone - I just stopped last time and felt like death (headaches) for a few days.

Yes, apparently male sperm swim faster and girls are slower but survive longer. In natural conception, apparently if you DTD on the date of ovulation you increase your chances of a boy as the fastest sperm get to the egg first. If you DTD before then more likely to be a girl as the male sperm would have died off by then. Didn't know there was any link between maternal age and sex but did read about the culture mediums having an impact. Either way, sex is determined by the man, even in IVF/ICSI, so totally beyond our control!

Goodluck, I meant to say that maternal age and culture medium affects if the blast is hatched, hatching, expanded, full, early etc I know the sex comes from the sperm ;)

What do you guys reckon to this
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3551800/

I’d like to stop the progesterone early as I don’t like the side effects but I’m too scared too. My clinic say take it for 12 weeks then wean off

Good luck - great news about your scan! When can you find out the sex? Remind me do you already have 2 or 3 boys? I can't wait for our scan and hope we can hear a strong heartbeat and get a photo.

Interesting about the boy sperm and girl sperm. One of our frozen embies was a hatching blasto. Current embryo hadn't hatched yet so who knows ? Will be interesting to see if the theories are correct!

Twicker - interesting article but it does say more research needed. I'm inclined to stick to 12 weeks maybe even a little more if there's no harm as I'm so worried about anything going wrong!

We can't decide about whether to find out the gender or not. DH wants to know and I want it to be a surprise so still under discussion. Sounds like you're all finding out?

Otters, we're both control freaks and not that keen on surprises so want to know asap ;) but there's something romantic about about getting the baby held up to reveal the sex when it's born :)

Twickerhun, that study included only fresh cycles. Was yours a medicated or natural FET? I did a medicated so have no corpus luteum at all. The placenta doesn't take over the endocrine function till late in the first trimester so I use my pessaries religiously. With a natural FET, there's a corpus luteum so you probably don't need extra stuff.

JoJo, I didn't know that maternal age affects a blastocyst's development, other than in terms of egg quality. I guess I just thought you need a good egg and good sperm to meet then the rest if kind of variable, as in you can have a good egg and sperm but it might not fertilise and develop into a baby. Seem to be some many variables.

Otters, I have 2 boys already with my ex. I would love another boy - would be so weird to have a girl! We will find out scan when we do harmony test at 10 weeks (it takes around a week to get the results).

I am definitely sticking to progesterone for 12 weeks (actually it'll be 14 before I am weaned off completely). I had a fresh cycle so not that clear on why I need it but, given that it's easy to take (easier then injections anyway) will keep on. It's giving me dreadful thrush though. Anyone else had this??

We will find out "sex" not scan. Going mad!

So, I now have 3 weeks with no scans or tests although I do have a GP appointment tomorrow. I think you get to pick the hospital, right? Has anyone else seen their GP yet? How else do you all plan to get through the next 3 weeks??? Long to wait but quite exciting to think what is going on inside as development is so rapid in the first trimester. How worried are you all about downs, trisomy etc? I am quite worried but think I may be a bit older than you all (41).

Hello ladies, can I join you all? I am 45 (will be 46 next month) and we are 5dp5dt of 3 grade 1 excellent blastocysts today so a little behind you all. I have got my 12dpt bloods booked for Tuesday 21st but have started testing fmu yesterday using ic - have hot told DH as he thinks I’ll drive myself crazy if I don’t get positive results straightaway!!

This is our first ivf cycle and we had DE due to my age; we went to Gynolife in Nicosia north Cyprus; we flew home on Saturday after 2 lovely weeks relaxing and doing very little. DH has 2 adult DC aged 28 and 24, I don’t have any yet. DH keeps asking me how ‘the triplets’ are doing and whether I feel pregnant!!!

It’s lovely to read all your excitement and I’m hoping to add to the successful cycles this month!!

Remember - 3 embryos? Woah. Everything tightly crossed for you.