Fresh vs Frozen & 3 day vs 5 day testing!

Hi Ladies,

I am new to the HT boards. I had been on the gender swaying boards for months, and am now 20 weeks pregnant with our 3rd boy (swaying didn't work for me!!). Anyways, my husband and I have agreed that we are willing to have one more baby, and will definitely go HT. I want to be 100% positive that we will get pregnant with a girl next time...

Anyways I have been researching clinics (there are so many in the US!), and their techniques. Most seem to test the embryos for the 3 major chromosomal abnormalities, as well as gender, and then do a fresh transfer on that cycle at 5 days. However, I found a clinic in Arizona whose Doctor offers full genetic testing of all 23 chromosomes on the blastocycsts at 5 days, but he also then does NOT do a fresh transfer that cycle. The results of the full genetic testing take a week to return, and then he does a FET 53 days later, once the cycle has been properly prepared. He was certain that there was benefit to doing a FET on a non-stimulated cycle, for better success (also because you test all the chromosomes, not just the ones that are most common to be abnormal). He boasts an 85-88% success rate, and 35-50% twins on 2 embryo transfers (yikes...). Have any of you heard of this? I'm just trying to decide whether we should go that route, or go to a clinic in the US closer to us (we live in Canada, so we have to cross the border) that offers the basic testing at 3 days, and fresh transfer at 5 days.

What do you think??

Thanks!

Hey welcome to HT. There is a private HT board and there is tons of activity in there if you want to join up, basically every single question you have ever had has been answered or will be answered.

Depending on your clinic is how they do it. Most GS clinics are now going with full chromosome testing rather than the 3 probe and getting a lot of success. HRC will do GSN which now has another name and that tests all chromosomes on day 3, ready for a day 5 transfer. My clinic does a day 5 or 6 biopsy then freezes them for a transfer once results are in. It really is about what you prefer and the clinic that you decide to go with.

Hi! I second everything glory said. I would just be careful with a doc that quotes you so high. If that were his actual success rate, we (and also all infertile people) would be there tomorrow.

Def come join us on the private forums...super nice ladies.

Hope you are feeling well!

Which is the private board? I'm so confused with all these boards... :)

Thanks Glory!

I am SO confused with it all. I'm just trying to make sense of it and decide what is best use of our resources. Is a day 5 biopsy better than day 3? More accurate? Is it beneficial to do frozen transfer instead of fresh transfer on a stimulated cycle? So confused...!

You have to become a member to use the private boards, I think it is like $12 a year, but with the total cost of HT, it is a VERY good investment.

It really depends on the clinics, you don't just ask them for what you want, they have their way of doing things and that is what works for them. We see a lot of success using both types.

There is a lot of literature to suggest that a FET can be better, especially if you overstimulate with the medication. A fresh transfer is nice cause then there is no waiting involved.

Either way is a good way, again depends on what the clinic is like. Some are fantastic at FET's and have great success and are better with fresh. A day 5 biopsy can be more accurate, but a clinic like HRC will re biopsy if they feel that the embryo came back abnormal with day 3 but 'looks' normal.

With having a baby, you will have to wait till you stop breastfeeding (if you do) before you cycle. The only thing I suggest is earlier is better than later. In that case you could do a cycle with a freeze and put the embryo in at a later date when you have a good gap between the kids.