If you’ve gone through IVF, there’s a good chance you might have some extra embryos that were frozen for future use. This is known as a Frozen Embryo Transfer (FET), and it’s a great option if your initial attempt doesn’t work out or if you want to expand your family later on. But what does the FET process entail, and how likely are those frozen embryos to lead to a successful pregnancy?
For women under 35 with a positive prognosis, success rates for FET are quite promising—around 60% per embryo transfer, according to Dr. Sarah Johnson, a fertility specialist. This means the odds of success with frozen embryos can be just as good as with fresh embryos from an IVF cycle.
How Are Embryos Frozen?
So how do we actually freeze embryos? After a fresh embryo transfer, any remaining embryos that have developed to the blastocyst stage (usually by day 5) are frozen using a method called vitrification. This involves placing the embryos in a special solution and rapidly freezing them in liquid nitrogen. This quick freeze helps to avoid ice crystal formation, which can damage embryos. Thanks to vitrification, the survival rate during thawing is quite high, and patients can often transfer the same number of embryos regardless of whether they were frozen or fresh.
The FET Process
When you’re ready for your FET, the first step is a pre-transfer ultrasound to check for any issues like cysts. If all looks good, you’ll take medications to prepare your uterine lining for implantation, typically involving estrogen and progesterone injections. Thankfully, this process is usually much less demanding than a fresh IVF cycle, with fewer meds and less frequent visits. Most patients find it to be a much smoother ride.
Once you’ve prepped for a couple of weeks, it’s time for the exciting part—the thawing and transferring of the embryos! The thawing process takes about an hour, and doctors only thaw the number of embryos they plan to transfer. Remarkably, around 90% of embryos survive the thawing process, which is great news!
The Benefits of FET
One of the cool things about FET is that it’s like freezing time. For instance, if you freeze embryos at 33, when you return for a transfer years later, those embryos are still as healthy as they were when you first froze them, even if your own fertility may have declined over time. It’s a clever way to give yourself a head start!
If you’re interested in diving deeper into the world of frozen embryo transfers, check out more about this process and its benefits. For those curious about home insemination, this article on making simple pumpkin cupcakes might be a fun read, as it shows how to celebrate the little things while on your journey. Also, for more detailed information on pregnancy, visit this excellent resource.
In summary, FET offers a viable option for those looking to optimize their chances of pregnancy through previously frozen embryos. It’s less intense than fresh IVF cycles and can give patients a chance to have a family more on their own timeline.