Postponing IVF Embryo Donation Procedure to February

I wrote another post about a week ago.  Unfortunately, I accidentally deleted everything I wrote over the course of a week and had to start over.  I was so frustrated that it's taken me a little while to muster up the nerve to type it all over again.  So, I apologize for the delay in posting.

A few weeks ago I posted about how we were contemplating postponing the embryo  transfer to February. After a lot of  thought, we decided to postpone the procedure.  I have not received a response to my email from our Reprofit consultant. I completely forgot that the clinic closes over the holidays.  I'm sending another email today to see if I get a response.  If I don't get a response, I will try calling the clinic sometime next week or the week after.

The consultant mentioned in a previous email that they would hold the embryo's until the first of February. I am hoping that when I make contact with the clinic, that a couple of weeks will not matter.  We would hate to lose these embryo's due to our inability to make everything happen in January.

As for getting ready for the procedure, I have already started eating healthier.  Although, it has been difficult over the holiday season.  I will let you know how I do tonight for Christmas Eve dinner and over the weekend with all of the holiday events we have scheduled.  As I've mentioned in previous posts I have a terrible sweet tooth, and the holidays are a difficult time for me to try and avoid them since they are EVERYWHERE;)

I have also managed to get back into my regular exercise routine.  I've only been able to manage three miles four nights a week.  However, anything at this point is better than nothing.  It's good to exercise and get the blood flowing.  My OB told me while pregnant with my daughter that exercise improves circulation.  The more blood circulating throughout the body, the greater my chances are for embryo implantation!  And we want that:):)

As far as travel arrangements are concerned, I have managed to save up enough miles for two round trip tickets to Europe.  Our plan is for me to travel by myself this time around. If this transfer is unsuccessful, we will have the ability to try again without "breaking the bank".  I'm hoping I'll be able to use my miles to fly directly into Prague, and then use a Student Agency bus to travel into Brno.  If I'm not able to fly into Prague, I will also try flying directly into Vienna then taking a Student Agency bus from there.  Not sure what I can get for miles, so we will see.

Flying into Dublin is the most inexpensive option.  However, to fly into Brno requires that I fly into Dublin, then into England and then into Brno.  Three flights is a lot considering I will be trying to squeeze all of this travel into four or five days. I actually would not mind the 3 hour bus ride from Prague into Brno, or the 1 hour bus ride from Vienna into Brno....over multiple flights.  I would be able to use the time to catch up on sleep and just relax before the procedure. 

I'm planning on making my travel arrangements within the next week, so I will break out my itinerary for you and will let you know what I end up doing. 

Not Sure if I'm Ready for January

The last month has been absolutely crazy! We recently moved into a new house.  We started the move over the Thanksgiving holiday and are still moving stuff out of our old house.  It's taking significantly longer than I thought it would.  Unfortunately, living in chaos has prevented me from doing so many things I wanted to do before the embryo transfer in January. I'm not eating as healthy as I would like because my kitchen is a complete disaster.  I haven't had a the ability to exercise because my treadmill and elliptical are blocked by too many boxes.  I think it is going to take at least another week to get our house together before I can get back into my routine. Having a baby in the house hasn't helped speed things up either;)

I'm beginning to think we may need to postpone our donor embryo transfer another month.  Maybe reschedule for later February.  I'm not sure how this will go over with Reprofit.  My counselor indicated in her last email that the embryos were reserved until the first week of February.  I'm not sure if I will lose them if I postpone.  I'm sure there will be other donor embryo's that meet our criteria.  Although, I feel connected to them already and I'm not sure I want to lose them.  However, I feel so overwhelmed that I'm not sure I'm mentally ready for everything to happen next month.  And, I still have to get through the Christmas and New Year's craziness...ugh.  I haven't even started my Christmas shopping. 

I truly feel that my overall state of mind will have a lot to do with a successful embryo transfer.  Before my last transfer I promised myself that I would relax and have fun.  I deliberately planned take in some sightseeing and make the trip a well deserved vacation.  We had a great time and I was in very good spirits when the procedure took place.  My husband was in a good place as well.  I believe that all of this helped lead us to a successful transfer.  I'd hate to take a chance and risk an unsuccessful procedure. 

I will sleep on it, but I've also sent an email to the consultant to gauge her thoughts on the matter.  Once I hear back from her I will let you know what I have decided to do. 

Transfer One Donor Embryo or Two?

As we approach January, my husband and I have begun to question whether we should transfer one donor embryo or two.  Although we definitely increase our chances of implantation by transferring two embryos, we also run a greater risk of developing complications during a possible twin pregnancy.  Although he thinks it is ultimately my decision, my husband feels it might be best to just go with the single embryo transfer. If it does not work, we could take a second trip to Reprofit to try again.  But cost is certainly a factor for us...just as it is for most who are considering IVF.


I like the idea of having twins. The idea of instant family sounds enticing.  However, my husband has a very good point...a healthy pregnancy and baby should be the ultimate goal.  Although, we transferred two embryos during our last frozen embryo transfer (FET) and only one survived.  By transferring only one we decrease our chances of a successful FET,  and increase our costs.  It's a difficult decision to make.

The experts agree with my husband that transferring one embryo is safest.  The Practice Committee of the American Society of Reproduction, however, published an article indicating that the older the patient the less risk of multiples. They actually recommend transferring more than one embryo in older patients.  Since I'm now in my 40's, based on this research I increase my chances of success by transferring two. The Practice Committee also recommends transferring embryos at the Blastocyst (day 5) stage in older patients. The one caveat to this is that we will be using donor embryos from young donors.  Thereby, increasing our chances based on the viability of the embryos.

My gut tells me to transfer two. I think I'm going to go with my gut.  Should I change my mind, I'll be sure to let you know! 

If anyone reading has been faced with the same decision, and have advice or a story to share, please feel free to send me an email at WeTravelledforIVF@gmail.com.  I would love to hear from others points of view.