Transfer 2 embryos at 34 years old?

[AliceAbsolum]

TTC #1 for nearly 4 years. I've always been really keen to have 1 embryo transferred, but now I'm starting to question that. If this cycle fails we will be going onto our 3rd round, we don't have the money to keep doing this and I'm concerned about embryos not surviving the thaw.

Any thoughts?

Has anyone else under 40 had 2 transferred?

What do your clinic recommend? Are you in a situation where you have frozen embryos already, or are you cycling right now for a fresh transfer?

I have had 2 transferred under 40, but they were day 3 and not overwhelmingly good quality.

I’ve had two embryos transferred on four occasions - a mixture of day 3 and day 5 transfers when I was aged 38 and 39. My previous three transfers (at a different clinic and at age 37) were all single day 5 transfers. With one exception, I always had top quality embryos transferred.

Like you, I initially went for single embryo transfer due to the risks associated with multiple births. Once it became clear we’d be lucky to get anything to implant, I relaxed a lot about that issue - particularly because, like you, we were worried about the cost of multiple transfers.

In the end, two of the double transfers resulted in a BFP. One ended in an ectopic and I’m now 18 weeks with a singleton pregnancy from the other. (One of the single transfers also resulted in a BFP but ended in a MMC.)

A lot depends on your clinic though - my first clinic tended to do single transfers as the default (although you could request a double transfer), while my second clinic always does double transfers if possible (although again you can request a single transfer).

To be honest, I don’t think there’s a right or wrong answer on whether you should do a single or double transfer. I have no regrets about doing double transfers since it would have taken another four transfers for me to get to this point had I done them all as singles, but I might view my decision very differently if I had ended up pregnant with twins and had suffered complications. I’d discuss it with your clinic and use their advice and your own research to make your decision.

Good luck with whatever you decide - and fingers crossed your current cycle is a success and it becomes an irrelevant question!

I had a double transfer (aged 36) but only because clinic said they weren't great quality and we kind of knew we would need to do another collection so rather than spending money on 2 separate transfers they agreed to the one to use them up!

Ended in ectopic....

Had follow up with clinic yesterday and they've have said since we have decided to PGS the next egg collection they won't do a double transfer even though I argued we would be happy with multiples and that if we got 5 blasts and were lucky enough to be successful on the first transfer leaving 4 in the freezer unlikely that DH would support another ivf transfer further down the line and they would be wasted

They also said if I had c section delivery the wait time before next transfer is 18 months and I personally feel I would be getting too old to do it all again (I've always wanted 3 kids and twins would complete our family in one go)

At your age no clinic in the UK is going to support a double transfer - most have a minimum age of 37

At 36 and after 2 MCs our clinic said we could transfer 2 if we wanted, but we're pgs testing so will transfer 1 (if any are normal). I have been tempted to transfer 2 but the twin pregnancy risks are scary.

I’ve got twins from double embryo transfer at age 34 both day 5 FET blasts.
Age 33 I had 2 rounds of IVF and once transferred 2 rubbish 3 day embryos and once 2 day 5 blasts. The blasts resulted in miscarriage at 9 weeks - only one took.

Twins didn’t overly scare me maybe they should have as they are hard work!

I have twins from a 2 embryo transfer aged 33. They’re fab but hard work. We never had any more. I would have liked more than one pregnancy but after 4 years of trying I count my blessings. Good luck with whatever you decide.

Thawing rates are 98 or 99%(?) and I think I read somewhere that success rates are higher after FETs. I'd just go with your doctor's recommendation - maybe 2 if they're v poor quality.

I was 33 and had 1 failed round of ivf. The clinic suggested it and I was worried about twins but obviously so desperate I went along with it. She is just turned 3 now and my little miracle that lights my life up.

What you need to think of is the % chance of implementation - 2 embryos is doubling your chance I think and if it ended up being twins it would be a double miracle. Not much risk associated with carrying twins. Different with quads etc. Good luck 🍀

I should add that one was frozen and one was fresh. I only got 1 from second cycle so had none to freeze and only one in the freezer

Weirdly 2 embryos doesn’t double your chances of implantation, but it does massively up your chance of multiples, and associated issues. Basically the theory is failure to implant is less to do with the the embryo (or all top rated embryos would implant) and more environmental (how the transfer goes, state of the uterus, general health of mother, etc). It’s the theory behind why frozen transfers seem to be more successful when compared to fresh. Your body has the chance to recover from the egg collection before the transfer.

Really helpful, thank-you. My clinic would recommend one (Reprofit Czech Republic), which with a few days of thought and reading your posts is probably the best way. It will be donor eggs so the likelihood of getting some decent quality blasts is high (although we got 1 this cycle, so not exactly guaranteed).
I think it is impatience more than anything else...plus the wonder of twins, I've always wanted 2, but the way we are going we will be lucky to have 1.

My last clinic (Nuffield Woking) had a 2 page bash on twins - the impact on your relationship, money, health, it was harshly written, made a big deal about the children being disabled for life...horrible.

As @GemmeFatale says - there is more chance if your body hasn't just been through an egg collection so hopefully as this is the case with you it will go well.

That article about twins sounds awful. A twin is a friend for life, hardly a disability.

Please come back and let us know how you get on. Fingers crossed for you

@AliceAbsolum I was 35 and did a single and double fresh transfer. Both BFN. Now 36 and just completed a double FET day 3 transfer. BFN again. We'll transfer our 2 remaining 3 day embabies together later in the year. All embryos have been 'good' and our doctors haven't been worried about DETs.

My thinking is it doesn't work out for us as is at least we'll have got through it quicker and saved some money.

I had 2 embryos transferred early 20's!

1 stuck, have a 5yr old now. X

I had 3 back in tho was 40

They said not good enough to freeze so implant or throw

They said what would we prefer. Triplets or no baby

We born said triplets at same time

None took

This was in uk tho 2014 so maybe laws have changed in last 5yrs

My first try at ivf was successful and resulted in DD. Second try at ivf resulted in a negative, then we had an embryo transfer which again was a negative. We were convinced it wasnt going to work for us, so for our second embryo transfer we decided to transfer 2 embryos... which was successful and resulted in my twin boys! Love them to bits, but twin babies and a toddler is hard work! Our embryos were high graded too, i would maybe look to see if anything else could be changed this time around... endo scratch, medication tweaking etc..
Hope it all goes well for you xx

Forgot to add i was 30 when 2 embryos were transferred!

I had 3 transferred last year at age 39, ended in MC.

Then 2 transferred for the FET which ended in BFN.

I had 3 transferred last year at age 39, ended in MC.

Then 2 transferred for the FET which ended in BFN.

I used DE like yourself op. I had two transferred because I was convinced the treatment wouldn’t work anyway. My twins will be one in two weeks time...

If you’re happy with the thought of having twins and the associated potential issues don’t bother you (mine came at 34 weeks and spent five weeks in NICU) then I would transfer two. That’s a shocking angle for your old clinic to take on twins. My twins are the best thing that’s ever happened to me. Yes they are hard work, but having twins is magical!

Thaw rates for blastocysts are really good, and if they don't survive the thaw they probably wouldn't have made it anyway. For this reason and the risks that can be involved in twins my clinic absolutely pushed for single transfers. They are based in Belgium though where FET's are really cheap (about 200-300 euros) and they let you try back to back with FET's if you have more than one frozen. I wasn't tempted to do double transfers for this reason.

I had two transferred during my first cycle of IVF. I only wanted one but was pressured by the doctor on the day, who told me it would give the stronger embryo a better chance of success. I was in tears on the day and spent the next few days terrified of twins (I'm on my own). It didn't work. I had three further single transfers (different doctor, no pressure) and the last one resulted in my daughter.

The main thing I'd say is only go ahead if the idea of twins does not terrify you as it did me.

I think NICE guidelines are if it’s your second attempt consider transferring 2. However, I would be cautious as the stats for twins is terrifying - 1 in 12 die or have serious disability.

I am 31, I had one transferred cycle one (though nhs offered to transfer 2 as they were poor quality but I was too scared as it was our first attempt). Second time age 32 I did go for two embryos being transferred - I have one happy healthy six month old now.

I don’t think there’s a right of wrong answer just what feels right for you. Good luck x