Advice re: number of eggs to purchase

[thedutchgirl]

Because we never tried to collect my eggs, I really don’t know what’s best here and am looking for a bit of advice.

We have picked a donor through our clinic—frozen eggs. 8 eggs in a sleeve is a particular price, and we are set to go on those. There are 2 more available for purchase, and we aren’t sure whether to buy them.

Relevant factors:
**I’m 43 and never pregnant so no idea if we run risks that I’ll have implantation trouble. Doctor says things look good.

**Donor was 20 at time of collection.

**If we get no viable embryos, we get 4 more eggs at no cost.

**When we originally started trying, my H wanted 2 kids due to being an only child, and his single mom needing significant medical care when he was young. Now we just hope for 1, but 2 wouldn’t be off the table if I got pregnant on a first transfer.

**Cost isn’t a factor for us. I googled and prices were all over the place. In case anyone is interested, it’s $17,000 for 8 eggs. The extras are $2,125 each. This is CCRM.

[seeyalater52]

Is this a proven donor? Do you have access to cycle stats from her previous donations? How is your husband’s sperm?

When you say “viable embryos” does that include PGS testing? Or just the number that blast from this cycle?

If cost is not an issue I’d lean toward grabbing the two extra. Even in a completely healthy proven donor cycle the numbers drop between eggs —> fertilization —> blast and then you still have to transfer, which doesn’t always work, and if it does work you need to get to live birth (and even a young donor created embryo has a risk of chromosomal issues.)

[thedutchgirl]

seeyalater52, thank you! Your questions are very helpful. This is NOT a proven donor. My H's sperm is great. Zero issues and high quality in SAs with two different clinics. But again, never used--he has no previous children.

As I understand it, "viable embryos" means nothing to implant after PGS testing, which we will be doing. My H and the donor have also had genetic carrier testing, and they are not carriers for any of the same things.

I am leaning the same, toward buying the extras. My H is more hesitant, but in many ways, I'm not sure he fully appreciates how difficult it might be.

[seeyalater52]

May 5, 2021 21:10:14 GMT -5 thedutchgirl said:

seeyalater52, thank you! Your questions are very helpful. This is NOT a proven donor. My H's sperm is great. Zero issues and high quality in SAs with two different clinics. But again, never used--he has no previous children.

As I understand it, "viable embryos" means nothing to implant after PGS testing, which we will be doing. My H and the donor have also had genetic carrier testing, and they are not carriers for any of the same things.

I am leaning the same, toward buying the extras. My H is more hesitant, but in many ways, I'm not sure he fully appreciates how difficult it might be.

I’d buy the extra eggs. Ideal circumstances for both egg and sperm, average yield from 8 eggs is maybe 2 PGS normal embryos. With small samples it’s always hard to know, but assuming you lose no eggs in the initial thaw, you’re looking at maybe 80% fertilization with ICSI, 50-60% fertilized eggs make it to blast, and then only 60% normal once tested, 50% odds of live birth with each transfer. You could get lucky and have way better results than that, but it’s an incredibly hard thing to know in advance, especially with a lot of frozen eggs (slightly lower success rates than fresh.) They don’t call it the “hunger games” for no reason.

Best of luck to you on this next step!

[thedutchgirl]

seeyalater52, thank you! I really appreciate your thoughts! Supposedly a few of the stats for our clinic's dedicated bank are better than average (not much difference for fresh versus frozen, for instance), but we want to be realistic about it. I agree that the extras seem like a good idea. I'm just not sure we want to spring for a second sleeve. That's just SO much more.

[seeyalater52]

May 5, 2021 21:21:52 GMT -5 thedutchgirl said:

seeyalater52, thank you! I really appreciate your thoughts! Supposedly a few of the stats for our clinic's dedicated bank are better than average (not much difference for fresh versus frozen, for instance), but we want to be realistic about it. I agree that the extras seem like a good idea. I'm just not sure we want to spring for a second sleeve. That's just SO much more.

I think going with the 2 extra is a great middle ground here. 10 eggs also puts you much more on track with the average eggs from a single IVF cycle using eggs from someone who doesn’t have known egg issues. It’s a respectable number that should get you what you need to work with.

[thedutchgirl]

May 5, 2021 21:24:54 GMT -5 seeyalater52 said:

May 5, 2021 21:21:52 GMT -5 thedutchgirl said:

seeyalater52 , thank you! I really appreciate your thoughts! Supposedly a few of the stats for our clinic's dedicated bank are better than average (not much difference for fresh versus frozen, for instance), but we want to be realistic about it. I agree that the extras seem like a good idea. I'm just not sure we want to spring for a second sleeve. That's just SO much more.

I think going with the 2 extra is a great middle ground here. 10 eggs also puts you much more on track with the average eggs from a single IVF cycle using eggs from someone who doesn’t have known egg issues. It’s a respectable number that should get you what you need to work with.

Thank you again! I really appreciate your thoughts, given your experiences.

[seeyalater52]

May 5, 2021 21:28:33 GMT -5 thedutchgirl said:

May 5, 2021 21:24:54 GMT -5 seeyalater52 said:

I think going with the 2 extra is a great middle ground here. 10 eggs also puts you much more on track with the average eggs from a single IVF cycle using eggs from someone who doesn’t have known egg issues. It’s a respectable number that should get you what you need to work with.

Thank you again! I really appreciate your thoughts, given your experiences.

It’s also possible I’m being a downer when it comes to having embryos... but I’m like a living billboard for the weirdness that comes when it turns out there is some mystery issue besides getting the embryos. Of course I’d assume that it won’t take you 8 blasts to have a baby like it did for me, but having a couple to try different protocols etc if you need to can be helpful. It’s all such a gamble. But here’s hoping you have great luck!!

[thedutchgirl]

seeyalater52, thank you so much! I appreciate the realism, and the good wishes.

[thoseareradishes]

We used an egg donor. Our donor did an egg retrieval cycle and they got 29 eggs, and 20 were fertilized using ICSI. 11 made it to PGS testing and all 11 were normal. Our first transfer was a chemical and the second transfer stuck. Our donor was a proven donor in her early-mid 20's.

Since money isn't an issue, I would go ahead and buy the additional 2 eggs.

[thedutchgirl]

May 6, 2021 11:18:38 GMT -5 thoseareradishes said:

We used an egg donor. Our donor did an egg retrieval cycle and they got 29 eggs, and 20 were fertilized using ICSI. 11 made it to PGS testing and all 11 were normal. Our first transfer was a chemical and the second transfer stuck. Our donor was a proven donor in her early-mid 20's.

Since money isn't an issue, I would go ahead and buy the additional 2 eggs.

Thank you! Hearing your experience is very helpful.

[thedutchgirl]

We talked again and decided to buy the 2 additional eggs, so hopefully with 10 total we'll have PGS normal embryos to work with.

[Jalapeñomel]

I’ll back seeyalater52 ‘s knowledge, and I’m glad you went for the extra two.

Good luck! This is very exciting!

[jerseyjaybird]

I agree that 2 additional was a wise choice. Wishing you the very best!

[thedutchgirl]

Thanks, everyone! We're excited too!

[pickel]

I’m chiming in late but I’m glad you got the extra 2. I recall my doctor talking about attrition rates of eggs to embryos to successful pregnancies and I want to say like 40% of eggs get to a successful pregnancy? We did a fresh cycle with a 23 year old donor who was proven successful and I want to say she had like 20 something eggs and by the time it was all said and done we had 8 embryos on day 5 so it ended up being about correct. Fingers crossed for you guys! It’s so exciting and scary at the same time!

[shoeless]

I am really late and wishing you all the best. I agree with pp, that buying the extra eggs was the safest choice to get to your end goals.

**Mentions**

For our first DD we only bought 7 eggs and had three 5-day embryos (proven donor). One didn't implant, one was DD, and one miscarried (when trying for the second DD).

For DD 2 we bought 9 eggs and ended up with 5 - day 5 embryos. It took three transfers from this donor for a second DD. (One miscarriage, one didn't implant, and the final one resulted in DD2 )

[thedutchgirl]

shoeless, thank you for sharing your results! That's very helpful.