Egg Retrieval Success: 5 Embryos and What’s Next on Our IVF Journey

Hi Friends!

I’m keeping this post sweet and simple – I had my egg retrieval last week, and I’m happy to share that it was a success! The night before, our doctor called to check in and mentioned that my numbers were “textbook.” We ended up retrieving 20 eggs, 19 matured, and 17 were fertilized. We were thrilled with these numbers, and I couldn’t help but start doing the math. Typically, 30-50% of fertilized eggs make it to the blastocyst stage.

For those unfamiliar, the blastocyst stage is a key phase in embryo development, occurring around 5-7 days after fertilization. At this point, the embryo forms a hollow structure with two key components: the inner cell mass (which becomes the baby) and the trophectoderm (which forms the placenta). Blastocyst-stage embryos are ideal for IVF transfers and genetic testing because they have a higher chance of implantation. In natural pregnancy, the blastocyst implants in the uterus around day 6-7, but in IVF, embryos can be transferred either fresh or frozen.

So, back to the numbers game: 30% of 17 = 5 embryos and 50% of 17 = 8 embryos. We were hoping for at least five, so I was feeling super hopeful! However, we’re also keeping in mind that our kids have a 1 in 4 chance of having the GJB2 gene, which is linked to hearing loss and deafness. If you want to dive deeper into this part of our journey, check out my blog post IVF: Our Next Step on the Road to Baby Piz. We’re also doing PGT-A testing to ensure that the embryos have the correct number of chromosomes, which is important for us since my previous miscarriages were likely due to chromosomal abnormalities.

Well, we just got the call from the lab, and guess what? We hit the 30% mark – we have 5 embryos! 🎉

• Day 5 embryos = 3
• Day 6 embryos = 2

I’m incredibly grateful for this outcome, but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t feel a mix of emotions. While I’m so thankful, there’s also a bit of sadness and anxiety that has crept in. I always try to stay positive, but I promised to be raw and vulnerable in this blog, and right now, I’m struggling. My emotions are all over the place, and my logical brain isn’t doing much to help. I’ve found myself spiraling into questions like:

• What if all our embryos have chromosomal abnormalities?
• What if we get a healthy (euploid) embryo, but it carries GJB2?
• Should we go straight into another egg retrieval?

To break the cycle of worry, I’m planning to reach out to my IVF coordinator for some guidance and get outside for a walk. Moving my body and connecting with nature always helps ground me. It’s also the perfect time to pray and listen for God’s guidance.

On a lighter note, I’m holding on to a little fortune we got after my egg retrieval – a fun reminder that sometimes the universe sends us a sign when we least expect it…shocker – I was craving pho that day!

We’ll be waiting about 4-6 weeks for the genetic test results, so it’ll be a little while before I can provide a big update. But don’t worry, our IVF journey will still be gracing your screens again soon…I’ll be back next week with some lighter content to brighten things up.

Thank you so much for sticking with us through all of this! Your love, support, and prayers mean everything to us. And just know, we’re rooting for each and every one of you on your own journeys too!

With love,
Britt