Do I keep some eggs back?

[Sandra00]

I froze 10 eggs at 37, 6 at 36.
i’m 40 now. The plan is to thaw the 10 and do a final cycle to get more..
the doctor mixed up my meds this time (after a terrible cycle a few months ago when I only got 2) It looks like I may get 8 or 9 eggs.

This is more than expected… would you still get the 10 out the freezer (leaving the other 6) and with my fresh eggs too create as many embryos as possible?

or leave some eggs back… I’m just aware my partner and I aren’t married but we have been together a while. It feels scary to get all 10 out the freezer but also want to maximise my chances and know that not every embryo will become a blastocyst or a pregnancy and I’m not getting any younger…

advice please!

Id be getting all out making embryos and transferring this year. Id also get your partner to marry you before you have a baby for that legal protection!

Best of luck with this round xxx

Is it cheaper for you to do them all together?

It could make more sense to see what happens this round first. In particular to see whether any potential sperm issues show.

Thanks what legal protection @MocktailMe ? I guess it’s best to have as many embryos as possible.. I know there’s an attrition rate and really need to get pregnant this year !

The chances of the eggs becoming blastocysts, or you getting pregnant with those eggs/blasts, are almost entirely to do with the age you were when you made the eggs. The age of your partner has a bit to do with it, but it's mostly your age when you made the eggs.

In your position, I would leave some in the freezer TBH, unless it's ruinously expensive not to.

@SarahAndQuack Thanks.. why?
I do still have 6 frozen from age 37 too at another clinic,
the plan was to put fresh and my other frozen 10 together to create embryos. It does save on lab costs but my main reason was to see how many good embryos I can get and give myself the best chance now. If I just used my 40 year old eggs they may not have as high a chance hence the all in approach.
but it does worry me a bit too as my younger eggs feel so precious!
the clinic recommended against splitting 10 up and just keeping 5 frozen.. because they won’t all dethaw and fertilise so splitting the batch wasn’t recommended. It was either just use the fresh, or thaw 10 too. But it’s obviously my choice so if I can do what I want.
It’s so hard to know what to do. Just hope it all works out.

Oh, I see. YY, if they are worried about thawing part of a batch then I wouldn't, I'd do one batch and not the other.

If you did a batch now and a batch in, say, 5 years time, my best understanding is that you won't hugely change the likely outcomes, so what is the benefit to doing it all now?

I would just thaw all of them, try and fertilise all and then you know how many blastocysts you have to play with overall and also you have all the info to transfer the highest quality ones (you could end up making the best ones with the 6 you're planning to keep frozen for e.g.). I cam't really see what you have to gain by keeping any back - especially at this age. Is the logic that if things ended with your partner you have a handful you could use with someone else/a donor? That doesn't seem to be a healthy mindset to have for a relationship where you're committed enough to be trying to have a child. It would be the equivalent of couples going through IVF together and the woman holding back some of their eggs in case they split. I have done 4 egg collections with my partner and that would never have occured to me to do. I suppose if you have doubts about this relationship but want to seize the chance for a kid maybe that does change things slightly but it doesn't seem the healthiest approach to starting a family, if I am honest!

Actually have you tested your partners sperm? I definitely wouldn't want to use all the eggs if I wasn't sure if the sperm would work! So that might be a reason to do some and hold some back - sorry changing my mind here haha!

Yes if your partners sperm is tested and good then I don't understand the sense in holding any back.

The best eggs you have are the ones frozen from when you were younger.

But, for all your eggs, they're either going to make it to blast, or they aren't. Let's say after this fresh cycle you have a total of 20 eggs available (frozen and fresh all put together). Playing through the attrition rates, you'd probably hope for say 3-4 to make it to blast or thereabouts. I understand you may feel better in a position where you have 1-2 blasts, but still have 7 eggs frozen - becasue you still technically have a chance that all 7 will become blasts. I would rather live with the certainty and know the outcomes sooner. Then you can plan your transfers, and potentially start to look at other options if needed.

For marriage, if you divorce all assets will be taken into account and divided, by a court if required. Pensions will be considered - very helpful if your earning power decreases whilst you rear young children. Tax free allowance can be shared - useful during final months of maternity leave, or extended period as SAHM if chosen. It's a stronger position to be in when about to have a baby.

Reiterating that it's worth not gambling younger eggs until sperm quality/ gamete compatability is established. Don't put all eggs in one basket. Try them in reverse order - 40, then 37, then 36.

In the same way that first IVF rounds can be diagnostic/ result in beneficial tweaks. You don't want to get 100% fertilisation failure or encounter another issue that could be addressed second time round. All kinds of issues can show up.

Get your partner to stop alcohol and take antioxidant supplements, if not already.

The tests most clinics do on sperm are extremely basic, aren't they? If they've just done a quick 'oh looks ok under a microscope' I'd feel a bit nervous.