To test or not to test?

When we initially did IVF, our doctor did not recommend that we conduct PGS testing on our embryos because of our age. We were both young and healthy, so why even bother? I was hesitant to heed her advice because I wanted to do everything possible to set us up for success - and PGS testing was a part of that equation. But when Mike heard that it would be an extra $5,000 and that our doctor didn’t think it was necessary, it was a done deal - no PGS testing. more

But after we had Finley and began thinking about trying for baby #2, we wondered if we had made the right decision. We had 6 remaining embryos on ice, and while they were graded nicely after the egg retrieval, we know that embryo grading is essentially a beauty contest and not an indication of genetic viability. So should we have the remaining embryos tested? Here are a few things we had to consider:

• Cost: The transfer alone is going to cost roughly $5,000. Embryo testing would be an additional $5,000. Yikes!!

• Risk: If we transfer an embryo that is not genetically normal, I will likely miscarry. After having a miscarriage when we conceived naturally back in 2015, I know without a doubt that is NOT something I ever want to experience again if I can help it. It’s just too much, too painful. And if I miscarry, the $5,000 we paid for the transfer will essentially be a waste.

• Multiples: Many people often ask us why we don’t just transfer 2 embryos at once. And if I didn’t know what I know now, I might have asked this same question of someone in my shoes. Pay $5,000 to transfer 2 embryos to increase our chances of becoming pregnant. Sounds like a no-brainer, right? Sure, but at the end of the day, we have to consider my health and the health of the babies. If I were to become pregnant with twins, there’s a whole different set of risk factors that need to be considered, especially in light of my past cervical procedures and surgeries. The risk is just too high for us to even consider this option. Our clinic is also a proponent of "one is best."

• Is PGS testing at this stage even an option? When we began planning for another transfer, I (of course) went to the Google machine to gather more information about the implications of testing embryos after they’d been frozen. Would it even be possible to thaw already frozen embryos, biopsy them, refreeze them and then thaw again for the transfer? It seems like a lot of wear on those precious embryos. My research wasn’t positive, so we asked our doctor. To our surprise, she was confident that our normal embryos would make it through the seemingly rigorous thawing process and testing. Of the remaining 6, she was confident that we had at least 2 normal embryos in the bunch.

So what do we do? IVF is such a gamble, and I hate that finances even play a role in making this decision. Hearing our doctor give the green light to testing the embryos was positive though! After some discussion, soul-searching and number-crunching, we decide to proceed with PGS testing of our remaining 6 embryos. We lucked out with Miss Finley. The fact that our first, randomly picked embryo transfer actually worked was crazy fortunate! That doesn’t typically happen and we are VERY aware of that. So in the long run, we felt that testing the embryos would set us up for the best chance of success moving forward. That way, we could feel more confident about our next transfer; testing will help minimize the risk of miscarriage and increase the chance of becoming pregnant. We know there are no guarantees, but our chances of becoming pregnant are seemingly better if we test. Our clinic thawed our embryos, biopsied them and sent the biopsies off for testing. Two weeks later, I got the call!

Our results: Of our 6 remaining embryos, 2 were genetically normal. Two! At least 2? Only 2? I wasn’t really sure how to react to the news. One thing was very clear though: I’m SO glad we decided to conduct PGS testing. It also reiterated how LUCKY we are to have Finley! I went home that evening, snuggled her hard and sobbed tears of joy and gratitude for our sweet baby. In addition to learning the embryos were genetically normal, we were given the option of knowing their sex. The topic of knowing the sex of embryos is a bit controversial, but my belief is this: I’m part of this special “IVF Club” and a perk of being a member is having the option of knowing the sex of your embryos (which can only be determined through some sort of genetic testing/screening). We worked very hard to create those embryos, and we decided that we wanted to know their sex. So... of our 2 remaining genetically normal embryos, we have 1 girl and 1 boy! Eeek! Crazy, right?!

I always thought I wanted 2 kids, but now that we know the sex of our 2 remaining embryos... 3 is definitely on the table! It just seems weird to me now that I KNOW there's a boy and girl left. I don't want to just leave one of them alone. (And yes, we've talked at great lengths about embryo adoption... maybe I'll share my ponderings on that some day.)

So... what's next? Welp, we're currently working out a FET protocol to try for baby #2. Exciting (and nerve-racking) times are ahead!

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Quoted: “Without leaps of imagination or dreaming, we lose the excitement of possibilities. Dreaming, after all is a form of planning.” - Gloria Steinem

Listen In: "New Light" by John Mayer