Unexpanded 5 day blastocyst anyone with a positive story?

[Peanut1980]

Hi,

So this morning I had an ET. I was told I had great quality embryos but they hadn’t expanded. We could have waited until tomorrow but risked losing them both (I had two eggs of this quality). I dont know why I didn’t agree to that so at least I could have heard within 24 hours whether it was game over. But instead I made the decision to have one put in. It was graded 4BB. I’m really hopeful that it will expand, hatch and implant but I just feel like it’s all over. I’m having a big blub at the moment. Selfishly thought I’d have some great news to share this Christmas after losing my uncle last Christmas. Thought it would be a good tonic for the whole family as know my Sad in particular will struggle.

Does anyone have any positive stories to help that might offer a glimmer of help?

Xxxxxx

I meant my Dad will struggle and a glimmer of hope not help. Autocorrect and teary eyes aren’t a good mix!

I don't know how much this will help, but one of my non expanded blasts, hatched and expanded on day six and was then frozen. It's one of two frozen embryos that I now have.

My embryologist said it didn't matter if they hatched on day 5 or 6 and that the two I've got frozen are considered equally viable.

Thank you @si1ver that has helped 😘🤞😘

I'll keep everything crossed for you. Let us know how you get on.

Peanut - I’d try not to panic. There are loads of examples of people who will have got pregnant from a 4BB embryo (particularly following a fresh transfer). Embryo grading isn’t a particularly reliable indicator of chromosomal abnormality, which itself is a major determinator of success. Google Jamie and Ellie’s IVF journey on Facebook. They’re currently pregnant with DC2 after a 4BB- fresh transfer in August.

Thanks @cariad2017. It was more the fact it hadn’t expanded that I was worried but hopefully it’s just a little late on doing so 🤞🤞🤞 I’ll have a look on google now. Thanks so much 😘😘😘

As I understand it if the embryos hadn’t expanded they would have been graded a 3, whereas a 4 is expanded, just not hatching.

This link (assuming it works) might help: www.advancedfertility.com/blastocystimages.htm

That’s really interesting @cariad2017 but her grades really contradict her words. She (the embryologist) is going to call me in the morning so I’ll check with her again x

OP my ds2 was a 4BB, and I think 4 means expanded but not hatching

Thank you @mowglik. That’s great to hear. Was yours ICSI?

One of my frozens didn't do what it was meant to Tim day 6 - but then they graded it an AA and said it looks great. So I think there's hope yet! X

@hoping2018 thanks so much. You’re all so kind to stop and comment. It means the world x

My wonderful, amazing, beautiful 4-year-old son was a 4BB FET.

Good luck @Peanut1980

@Peanut1980 no he wasn’t ICSI. Good luck with it, stay positive!

And one of my transfers was hatching out of the shell and it ended in BFN, so you just never know.

The blastocyst gradings are given before freezing and are based on development stage, plus quality of the two components of inner cells and outer placental cells.

I have not heard of them being graded again after defoliating, just given a percentage based on expansion.

My clinic only implants blasts that are more than 50% expanded. Mine only just made the cut off, but they can continue to expand once inside.

Sadly mine didn't result in a positive result for me, but there is some good research online that shows a reasonable percentage of success for partially expanded blasts so please do stay positive.

If I am honest, I wish I'd had a more positive mindset throughout my 2ww. Looking back I think I wrote it off without giving it a chance. Who knows whether it affected the outcome or not :(

Defrosting! Not defoliating!

Hi @botanica. Thanks for sharing your info. Hope you’re feeling a bit stronger now lovely 😘😘😘 I was reading last night and came upon ‘PUPO’ pregnant until proven otherwise so I’m going with that mindset. Seems to be doing a good job x

Hi @Peanut1980
I like the concept of PUPO and hope I get an opportunity to apply it again some time.
Stick with that thought!

Here's the article I mentioned
www.fertstert.org/article/S0015-0282(15)01544-7/fulltext

Wishing you lots of luck. Just remember you've got a good one on board and there's no reason it shouldn't work!

So just to provide an update. I actually had a 3BB and not a 4BB. Promised myself I wasn’t going to test early. Not meant to test until Thursday. My sister sent me this weird psychic text that she got last night. I read it at 04:00 this morning and decided to take a test right there and then and I got my first BFP. I’ve struggled to sleep since then. It’s very early days. I have some brown discharge which I’m hoping is implantation bleeding. It’s very early days so trying not to get too excited. Just wanted to feedback that that little embryo did go onto so what is was meant to 😁

That’s brilliant news Peanut. Sending sticky vibes your way. Wishing you a very boring and uneventful nine months ahead.

Thanks @cariad2017 😘

Brilliant news. I got light brown discharge around the time of my bfps so I don't think that's a worrying sign.

Best of luck to you.

That's great news @Peanut1980, my clinic said brown was fine (even a good sign) but red was more concerning.

Wondering how your BFP went, eventually progressed to full term pregnancy? Anyone else got a BFP despite transferring day 5 unexpanded blastocysts during FET? In the same boat ..