Caremaps….help with what to do

[OttBott]

Hi

i am feeling incredibly lost. I have one embryo that made it through PGTA testing with a good grading (1,2 - they use different scoring to traditional lettering which is annoying but this is a good score) but my caremaps score is 1. I feel so down as the caremaps score seems to be the score that dictates implantation success. Feeling lost and looking for advice as my DH is wondering if there is any point in implanting something that has such low potential and would lead to heartache. Any help appreciated.

Hi @OttBott I’m no expert but I had embryos transferred with caremaps scores of 10 and 7 and neither implanted. I hadn’t had them PGTA tested though. So I would still go for it personally. All the best to you

Ask to speak to the embryologist. I think my caremaps were 2&5 but well graded otherwise. I’d already transferred a 7 (I think, was definitely the highest hence being used first) and it didn’t work so I felt the others seemed hopeless.

However the embryologist was really reassuring that it’s only one measure that gives them some information but it’s not the be all and end all. It’s pretty new technology, they have high standards for the visual grading and mine - like yours - looked good. She seemed to but more stock into that than caremaps (though didn’t discredit it completely). They wouldn’t transfer it if it didn’t have a chance.

Thank you! I feel so lost and disheartened. I froze my eggs 7 years ago having not met my person and now I have and my back plan is our only plan and we only have 1 embryo so everything we do now seems so loaded with ‘this is your only chance’.

Hi OP. I’m not an expert but in my opinion I think surviving PGTA and being given euploid status supersedes the grading. I would definitely transfer. FWIW I am currently 12 weeks pregnant with a euploid that was rated 3AB (eg not the best rating)

best of luck to you xx

Thank you. I’ve gotten myself into a terrible headspace and so this is helping.

Sorry that’s so much pressure to be under can understand it must feel a lot. But you are absolutely still in the race. Can you try to break it down to smaller bits to try to take some of the pressure off the end goal e.g. first things first baseline scan and try not to look too far ahead (I know that’s much easier said than done). I don’t know your circumstances at all but if there’s anyway to tell yourself there a hypothetical options beyond this could that help reduce the pressure? (Even if those options are less likely or something you decide not to pursue in the end).

Would still recommend speaking to the embryologist and agree with the point above that a euploid embryo is a better indicator of success than anything else. Can your DH be part of the conversation too so he can hear for himself and ask any niggly questions he has? Will be easier to be in a more neutral headspace if you feel like he’s there with you.

i think a lot of the panic is because we used 50% of my frozen eggs and only 1 was PGTA normal. We expected or hoped for 2 or 3. You hear so many people saying the first FET didn’t work so I am upset and worried that with only 1 it is a challenging odd.

the embryologist and our doctor both placed less weight on the caremap score because we PGTA tested the embryo. It’s grading is 5AB so it’s a good embryo but it’s my only embryo.

DH is fairly relaxed in that he’s very rational but it’s not his body now that needs to make it work and I just had in my head that I would need more than 1 go at FET.

Can appreciate that feeling disappointing. Attrition rates can be rough. My last round was a shocker. Was that a lower attrition rate than your clinic expected based on the number of eggs you used, age, any other factors? It could just be down to luck of could indicate something else going on if for example hardly any fertilised. Has your husband had all the tests he can in case you do need to try the remaining frozen eggs?

There is a decent chance this first transfer could work (isn’t it around 30%? And that’s not necessarily even with a pgta tested embryo where the odds of success are higher. Though I appreciate everyone has different odds for a whole load of reasons e.g. age when eggs were frozen). But hopefully you can find a little reassurance in knowing you still have some frozen ones to try if needed?

And if you have only got one, a euploid 5AB is a really good one to have.