Fertility Education

What you need to know about frozen embryo transfers, the process from start to finish and typical timeline involved after IVF.

The first IVF baby was born in 1978. It took another six years before medical experts were able to perfect the embryo freezing and unfreezing technique. The first birth from a frozen embryo took place in 1984. The embryo had been frozen for just two months.

If you are using in vitro fertilization to start a family, you may have already undergone a cycle of fresh embryo transfer which was unsuccessful. If you have viable frozen embryos available, you can use them next time you try to get pregnant. Alternatively, if you did have a child as a result of your fresh embryo transfer, and you would like to have a second child, you will be all set to use your previously frozen embryos for transfer. 

Some women who are undergoing fertility treatment have embryos left over after the first cycle. To avoid wasting these, you can have them frozen, to be used in later cycles if desired. Only the highest quality embryos will be chosen for freezing. Embryos can be frozen at several different stages of development such as when they are comprised of a single cell or when they have divided into two to eight cells.

The embryo selected for elective single-embryo transfer is chosen from a number of viable embryos. These may be from a previous in vitro fertilization (IVF) cycle if the embryos have been cryopreserved, or from a current fresh cycle that contains more than one embryo. After selection, the embryo is placed within your fallopian tube or uterus.

When deciding to undergo in vitro fertilization (IVF), one of the decisions will be whether to use frozen or fresh embryos for the elective single embryo transfer. There are a few factors to consider before making this choice.

The uterus has three layers: an inner, middle and outer layer. The inmost layer is known as the endometrium. A healthy endometrial lining is thick enough to enable a fertilized egg to implant successfully. It also nourishes the fetus, enabling it to grow. If the endometrial lining is thin, implantation will not take place. There are five main reasons for a thin endometrial lining.

There are multiple causes of polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) however there is a high incidence of thyroid dysfunction in women with the disease. The thyroid is a small butterfly-shaped gland located at the base of the neck. It produces hormones that control metabolism and effects puberty and menstruation.

After the doctor inseminates the eggs, the doctor places the healthy embryos back into the body so that they can attach to the uterus. Uterine attachment is a crucial step in the process because, without it, pregnancy won’t occur. While preparing the body for egg retrieval, patients need to focus on improving their uterine lining (endometrium).

The term unexplained or idiopathic infertility means that current technology does not have the tools for revealing the cause of infertility.  A fertility specialist works with idiopathic infertility regularly and will be able to provide options for treatment.