9 Ways to Improve Frozen Embryo Transfer Success Rate
More and more, egg freezing is becoming a natural part of the conversation for those thinking about their future families. Whether for IVF or just the option to wait for the right time, freezing your eggs enables more control over your future family planning.
During IVF cycles, there’s about a 50% chance you’ll produce more embryos than needed for transfer. Freezing these extra embryos doesn’t require any additional steps from you, which is one reason why egg freezing has become so popular.
Although the egg-freezing process is straightforward, frozen eggs differ from fresh ones. That’s why understanding the different types of embryo transfers is vital to feeling confident and prepared.
Understanding Frozen Embryo Transfer (FET)
Frozen embryo transfer (FET) involves thawing a previously frozen embryo and then transferring it into the patient’s uterus during the IVF cycle. Embryos used for FET are typically graded and frozen during a previous IVF cycle or shortly after fertilization in the lab. Embryo grading is essential to ensure that all fresh and frozen embryos are high-quality and viable for transfer.
Your embryologist can transfer frozen embryos during:
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A natural cycle:
When your body can ovulate on its own.
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A hormone-regulated cycle:
The fertility clinic provides you with estrogen and progesterone to stimulate the endometrium (uterine lining).
Regardless of which cycle you choose, the goal is for the endometrium (uterine lining) to thicken—a key sign that your body is ready for the frozen embryo transfer. If the uterine lining isn’t thickening, doctors may delay the transfer in natural cycles or adjust hormone treatments in hormone-regulated cycles.
Why do patients choose frozen embryo transfer?
During an embryo transfer process, only one or two embryos will be required—even though fertility doctors aim to produce as many embryos as possible. So, the “extra” fresh embryos can be frozen for use in the future if you:
- Require another round of IVF.
- Would like to postpone pregnancy until later in life.
- Would like to have another baby in the future.
Sometimes, fertility doctors will advise patients to freeze their embryos (rather than proceed with a fresh embryo transfer) due to medical reasons. For example, if the patient’s uterus lining (endometrium) hasn’t thickened enough naturally (we’ll discuss this in more detail below).
What are the differences between fresh and frozen embryos?
There’s no difference in the quality or longevity of the fresh or frozen embryos. The key differences are in the embryo transfer processes:
Frozen embryo transfer process
- You undertake the egg retrieval process.
- The IVF clinic facilitates the fertilization.
- The embryos are stored in an incubator for up to five days after fertilization. While in the incubator, the embryologists grade them on either day 3 or 5. The grading determines which embryos are most viable for the transfer.
- 3-5 days after fertilization, when the embryo grading has taken place, the clinic freezes and stores the embryos.
- You will return to the clinic when ready for the frozen embryo transfer—even decades later! The clinic will thaw the embryo(s) on the morning of the transfer. The process of implanting the embryo(s) into the uterine lining is the same whether you use a fresh or frozen embryo.
Fresh embryo transfer process
The steps are the same until we get to step 4…
3-5 days after fertilization, after the embryo grading has taken place, you will go back to the clinic for the fresh embryo transfer process. The additional embryos may be frozen, but the embryos implanted into your body in this round are not frozen. As we mentioned, implantation occurs similarly for either embryo type.
Factors that affect frozen embryo transfer success
No singular factor determines whether the frozen embryo transfer will be successful. Instead, many different aspects are at play—some are in your control, and some aren’t.
For example, your health and age can make a difference, and there is less likelihood of women over 40 getting pregnant than those in their twenties. Before you begin the IVF cycle, your doctor will guide you in some best practices to ensure you are healthy, including eating nutritious foods, getting plenty of sleep, and staying active.
While age may be a factor, your embryos’ certainly aren’t. There’s a common misconception that the length of time embryos are stored might affect the success rate of a transfer. However, this isn’t true—embryo quality and viability don’t deteriorate over time. That’s why many frozen embryo transfers occur months, years, or even decades after the initial egg retrieval.
After the transfer, positive signs to look out for include mild cramping, implantation bleeding, or changes in your breast sensitivity, which could indicate that the procedure was successful.
How does embryo quality affect frozen embryo transfer success?
Embryo quality can also indicate that the IVF round will lead to pregnancy. After the successful egg fertilization, the embryos will start to develop. On days 3 and 5 of this development process (the cleavage stage and blastocyst stage, respectively), the clinic grades the embryos based on their growth and cell formation. This grading enables the clinic to determine which embryos are the most viable for the transfer.
Although an embryologist traditionally grades embryos using a microscope, new and innovative technology provides reliable insight into which embryos will result in frozen transfer success.
For example, embryo scoring solutions like AIVF’s Genetics use advanced technologies (including a proprietary AI model) to identify the most viable frozen embryos for transfer. By analyzing intricate patterns in time-lapse images of embryo development, the AI recognizes subtle factors that may be challenging for fertility doctors and embryologists to detect with the naked eye.
Cutting-edge solutions like AIVF can help ease the anxiety of waiting for positive or negative signs after embryo transfer by ensuring high precision in selecting the healthiest embryos, ultimately maximizing your chances of a successful pregnancy.
9 ways to improve frozen embryo transfer success rate
What your clinic can do
Clinics will do their utmost to ensure you are well cared for during the frozen embryo transfer process. Here are some services you can look out for when choosing the right IVF clinic.
1. Evaluations of endometrial lining health:
The endometrium (uterine lining) must thicken to be ready for embryo implantation. Clinics that provide a comprehensive assessment of the lining’s health can offer relevant treatments (including hormone medication) if it isn’t thick enough for the procedure to take place.
2. Personalized hormone treatments:
Every patient’s hormone needs are unique, so clinics must tailor hormone dosages, types, delivery methods, and timings to each patient.
3. Advanced embryo evaluation methods:
Clinics using AI-assisted grading techniques report up to a 30% increase in live birth rates per IVF cycle compared to those using only conventional grading. Look for a clinic offering embryo scoring solutions that leverage AI, such as AIVF.
What you can do
1. Maintain a healthy diet:
Physicians recommend eating a balanced diet with plenty of fruit and vegetables and limiting your intake of highly processed foods. Whole foods are full of healthy vitamins, nutrients, and antioxidants.
2. Stay physically active—but not too much:
Maintaining a healthy weight contributes to your uterine health, so exercise can remain part of your daily routine. Generally, doctors advise avoiding strenuous exercise such as heavy lifting—a casual walk is a great choice.
3. Try stress management techniques:
It’s okay to feel stressed out by the frozen embryo transfer process, but it’s essential to learn how to manage this anxiety if it happens. Try relaxation techniques like breathing exercises and meditation to help you find your zen.
4. Get enough sleep:
Aim for 7-8 hours of sleep each night so your body can rest and relax. Are you struggling to get your forty winks? Practice good sleep hygiene, such as turning off all devices before bed and waking up at similar times each day.
5. Build a strong support system:
Have you ever heard the phrase “a problem shared is a problem halved?” Talking to friends and family about how you’re feeling during the IVF journey helps you prioritize your mental well-being as much as your physical health.
6. Consider acupuncture and holistic treatments:
You may want to consider alternative therapies like acupuncture and meditation. These holistic treatments can improve your overall feelings of calm and well-being, which helps you manage stress and anxiety.
New visibility and control over your frozen embryo transfer
Understandably, you may feel that the frozen embryo transfer process is out of your control. After all, there can be a lot of medical jargon and subjectivity, particularly regarding embryo scoring. New technology like AIVF gives you greater visibility and understanding of what’s happening, helping you put your mind at rest and approach the frozen embryo transfer process with confidence.
AIVF’s Genetics platform thoroughly assesses crucial information about embryos, including their development, structure (morphology), and genetic integrity. By leveraging a sophisticated AI model, the platform’s scoring system identifies the embryos with the highest likelihood of leading to a successful pregnancy. This gives you confidence that your clinic is doing everything possible to support your IVF journey. Find an AIVF clinic near you.