Intended Parents

Coping with Having Few or No Embryos

You may feel a number of emotions when learning you have few or no embryos after in-vitro fertilization (IVF).

Whether you have no embryos left or just a few, assisted reproductive technology (ART) makes parenthood a possibility. Fill out our online contact form to learn more about how surrogacy can still give you an opportunity to become a parent.

Below, we’ll take a look at why you may have few or no embryos after IVF, how you can deal with the various emotions and what your options are moving forward.

I Have Few or No Embryos Left to Freeze after IVF [How to Cope]

Becoming a parent may have been something you’ve been dreaming about for years. Maybe it’s something you’ve just started to become excited about recently.

No matter how long it’s been, learning you have few or no embryos after IVF could make you feel a number of emotions.

It could be frustration, anger, hopelessness or something else, but no matter what you are feeling is valid. That’s why it’s important to get the help you deserve whether you have two embryos left or no embryos left to freeze. That could consist of:

Talking through your feelings with your support system
Distracting yourself with a hobby
Infertility counseling
Support groups and forums

No Embryos After IVF [Your Options]

Just because no embryos made it to day 5 does not mean parenthood is out of reach for you.

If your fertility specialist finds a different problem that would render IVF unsuccessful, you can create embryos by:

If poor egg or sperm quality is the issue, donor gametes can increase the chances of fertilization. Donor embryos give you another path to parenthood if you have not been successful creating embryos yourself.

Depending on the issue your fertility specialist found, such as embryo quality or the ability to carry a pregnancy, gestational surrogacy sees a surrogate carry the pregnancy using your or donor embryos.

It’s not uncommon for multiple IVF cycles needed to be successful.

It can be an emotional rollercoaster finding out you have no embryos left to freeze. And whether you have two embryos left or only one embryo left to transfer, it can be a nerve-wracking experience.

No Embryos Made it to Day 5

There may be a variety of reasons no embryos made it to day 5.

The quality of the eggs and sperm is the biggest reason why embryos don’t develop to day 5 as it’s comprised of a lot of division that gets the number of cells from two to hundreds.

No Embryos After IVF Was Unsuccessful

If you have no embryos after IVF then you may not be able to carry a pregnancy. This could be a result of:

Uterine issues
Maternal age
Hormonal imbalances
Autoimmune disorders

But surrogacy can still give you the ability to become a parent. A surrogate will carry your pregnancy and welcome your child into the world.

Even if you don’t know if surrogacy is right for your situation but you need support, contact us online. We can connect you with licensed professionals who can help you sort through these emotions.

How Many Embryos Are Needed for Surrogacy?

A single embryo is enough for a pregnancy; in fact, single embryo transfers can avoid health risks that can come with a multiple embryo transfer.

But most clinics will recommend having at least three embryos to transfer in the event that an embryo transfer is unsuccessful.

If you have embryos, contact us online. You are that much closer to parenthood because you can be matched with a surrogate in as little as 1 - 4 months.

Is One Embryo Enough for IVF and Surrogacy?

Yes, one frozen embryo left is enough for IVF. The American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) found that women under the age of 38 have the best chance of IVF success with one embryo.

In fact, frozen embryo transfers (FET) with the last embryo don’t diminish the chances of success at all. That’s because FETs have become the preferred method of transfer and it’s dependent on the quality of the embryo, not the quantity.

With single embryo transfers, the success rates are higher with the best embryos selected by:

Preimplantation genetic testing (PGT)
Vitrification
Time-lapse photography

With the health of everyone involved paramount to the procedure itself, the IVF success rate with one embryo transferred is best for the safety of the birth mother and baby.

What if I Have Two Frozen Embryos Left?

Recent studies have shown that implanting multiple embryos can reduce the chances of a pregnancy by 24%. It also increases the chances of a multiple pregnancy, increasing the odds of twins by 38%.

Although this increases the chances of twins, it doesn’t guarantee it and if only one of those embryos develops into a baby, that baby could be born prematurely or have a low birth weight.

Having two embryos left means that an embryo transfer is still possible, but be aware that this type of pregnancy comes with additional risks such as:

Low birth weight baby (weighing between 3-5.5 pounds)
Preterm birth (born before 37 weeks)
The risk of pre-eclampsia
Prolonged hospitalization
Intellectual disability
Cerebral palsy
Twin-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS)

The additional risk that comes with transferring the two embryos you have left could also make it harder to find a surrogate, making your path to becoming a parent a longer journey.

Why Do I Have Few or No Embryos After IVF?

You may have few or no embryos after IVF for a number of reasons. Not every embryo will be viable for use after egg retrieval.

There isn’t one specific reason as to why you could have few or no embryos after IVF.

That’s because attrition is a natural part of the process as the embryos develop in the lab at your fertility clinic. IVF attrition rates are impacted by:

Age: Fertility typically begins to decline around the age of 35.
Egg quality: The better quality the egg, the likelier chance of it developing to the blastocyst stage.
Embryo quality: Only the best, high-quality embryos are selected for transfer. Embryo quality is graded on inner cell mass or trophectoderm quality.
Specific IVF cycle: Formation rates of blastocysts change from one IVF cycle to the next.

Although your circumstances are unique to your situation, learning about the coping strategies of others and how their situations ended up playing out can help reassure you that your path to parenthood is still possible with one embryo left, two embryos left or no embryos left.

Contact us online to learn more about our counseling services for intended parents. If you need professional support, we’re here for you.