Often young patients undergoing their first IVF cycle say, “Well, we’d actually like to have two embryos transferred.” OR “We think it would be nice to have twins.” The number of embryos that will be transferred is an important topic to discuss with your fertility doctor!

Our #1 Priority

Our goal is to help women achieve a healthy pregnancy and live birth, and a huge aspect of lowering the morbidity associated with fertility treatment has been a shift towards single embryo transfers, particularly for young, good prognosis patients, to minimize the risk of multiple pregnancy. Twin pregnancies pose much higher risks (preterm delivery, preeclampsia, and more) to mom and babies than a singleton pregnancy.

How Do We Decide How Many Embryos to Transfer?

Several factors contribute to the medical recommendation for number of embryos to transfer: patient age, patient clinical history and prognosis (for example, has this patient already failed multiple transfers?), stage of embryo transfer (for example, cleavage/day 3 or blastocyst/day 5), and embryo quality. If an embryo underwent PGT-A and is euploid, a single embryo transfer is recommended.
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ASRM has helpful guidelines for providers and patients regarding the recommended number of embryos to transfer.

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Age May Play a Factor

As women age, the chance of chromosomally abnormal embryos increases, and so older women are more likely to have 2 or more embryos transferred to optimize their chances of getting pregnant while still minimizing the risk of multiple pregnancy.

If during your IVF cycle, you have questions about why recommend the number of embryos to transfer, just ask. We are here for you and to give you the best outcome for a healthy mother and baby. If you are ready to get started on your IVF journey right here in the Boston area, schedule your consultation with us today!