Pregnant with low-grade embryo (IVF)

[CycleGirl20]

I'm 11 weeks pregnant with a 4BC embryo. The clinic were reluctant to freeze it when I had my daughter transferred. I insisted it go in the freezer if it survived the freezing process. I think being told it was a rubbish embryo and it should go in the bin has made me pretty paranoid about it. I expected to miscarry when I got the positive test. I guess at 11 weeks I'm through the highest risk time, although you never know. I've had several scans and have seen a strong heartbeat in the 150-160s and the fetus is measuring 2 days ahead. I've been really nauseous this time around too and keep thinking about having to do it all again if this one fails.

Anyone else had a similar experience with a poor grade embryo?

Hi @CycleGirl20 - sorry to hear you're so anxious. This is entirely anecdotal but wanted to share just to provide even a little reassurance. I myself was born from a low grade embryo almost 30 years ago when my parents had IVF treatment. They were told at the time not to get their hopes up and that it probably wasn't viable, but they decided to go ahead anyway, and my mother had a healthy pregnancy and birth. The strong heartbeat is a good sign, wishing you all the best of luck.

No personal experience but remember that unless they've had IVF no one knows what grade their embryo is! Probably millions of healthy babies are born from what would be classed as low grade embryos. (And I do also know of healthy babies born from low grade IVF embryos, all went fine!) Good luck!

My twins were born healthily after being lower graded. Similar to your grading for both!

Yes currently a few weeks out from my due date with a 6BC. I felt the same as you in the beginning but the baby has gone from strength to strength. Hope your pregnancy goes well!

Thanks all. @GreenPalmTree I hope you have a smooth birth!

I keep thinking I'll feel better once I'm 8 weeks, the 10 weeks, then 12 weeks. Hoping things go well from here.

Oh my congratulations! I'm surprised your clinic were so negative about a 4BC when pregnancies have been achieved with lower grades embryos and not everyone gets A-Bs in any cycle. Well done for insisting it was kept. Great news on your pregnancy! 🎉 Fingers crossed the nausea will resolve itself, as horrible as it feels everyone told me that nausea was a sign of a healthy pregnancy.

Yes! My “poor” grade embryo is a toddler now, though.. a little force of destruction ❤️

Wishing you all the best; it’s tough

Thanks @LemonLight

@Urgh2302 congratulations on your little one. That's reassuring. I did also read somewhere that low grade embryos are slightly more likely to be girls and that as a result, IVF favours boys 🤷🏼‍♀️. Maybe we're having another girl

Mine is a boy!

I did find the pregnancy very very tough, so really do mind your mental health. The “top grade” embryo they transferred before him ended in a miscarriage, so I 100% felt that there was no hope for that pregnancy or point in continuing all the meds. Pregnancy is tough enough as is.

@Urgh2302 I'm sorry to hear that. Pregnancy is pretty tough and I think IVF makes you more worried. I'm not sure when you start to actually enjoy it! I was really worried about my daughter through pregnancy and until she was about 6 months old. I don't think I ever enjoyed that pregnancy and was really surprised when I actually had a baby at the end of it!

I'm currently 14 weeks. We actually placed two embryos back inside, a 5bc and a 3cc so I'm not sure which implanted. Our third embryo reached blast which they wouldn't freeze due to low grade which really angered me as clearly low grades do lead pregnancy

When we did embryo transfer the clinician actually came to talk to us about donor eggs - he clearly thought the low quality embryo just transferred had no chance.

I had a tricky pregnancy with bleeds and IUGR but I think that was more down to me than the embryo. Anyway, that poor quality embryo is now a delightful nine year old.