A frozen embryo transfer can increase your chances of getting pregnant. Whether you are trying to have your first baby or add more children to your family, using a frozen embryo may help.
For a pregnancy to develop, a fertilized egg must implant into the lining of the uterus.
We use frozen embryo transfer in different situations.
Delayed embryo transfer
With this process you freeze embryos after an IVF cycle rather than implanting them right away. Delayed embryo transfer may increase your chances of pregnancy. For some women, IVF treatments alter the levels of progesterone the body makes. This hormone controls the thickness of the uterine lining. If the lining does not develop properly, it cannot support a fertilized egg. When you give your body time to recover from the stress of an IVF treatment, hormone levels normalize. You can then implant embryos with a greater chance for success.
Subsequent fertility treatment
When you want to get pregnant again, you can use frozen embryos from a past IVF treatment. This means you do not need to go through follicle stimulation, egg retrieval and additional laboratory procedures and costs.
Fresh embryo transfer
Your eggs are retrieved and fertilized during an IVF cycle. The embryos develop for five days. The doctor then transfers healthy embryos back into your uterus.
Frozen embryo transfer
You complete an IVF cycle. Embryos develop for five to seven days. If needed, genetic tests are performed on the embryos. These tests screen for chromosomal and/or genetic conditions. The embryos are cryopreserved (frozen) while awaiting the genetic testing .
The steps include:
A pre-medication ultrasound to check your uterus for any cysts or other conditions that would affect implantation
You will need to grow the uterine lining before the embryo can be transferred. Your doctor will pick the best protocol for you. This could involve taking estrogen, using FSH injections or a natural cycle
A repeat ultrasound (sometimes more than one) to check the uterine lining
When your uterine lining is ready, you go to the fertility clinic for the embryo transfer. You do not need anesthesia during the transfer. You go home the same day.
On implant day
Here’s what happens on implant day:
Embryos are thawed (this takes about 1 hour)
Embryos are checked for health
Your embryologist places the embryos into a catheter and hands to the doctor
Ultrasound is used to guide the catheter through cervix and into the uterus
The embryos are placed in the uterus
The catheter is removed
You will keep taking estrogen and progesterone if prescribed by your doctor. Your fertility team will provide instructions on follow up care and when the timing is right to confirm if the embryo has implanted resulting in a pregnancy.
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Generations Fertility Care
2365 Deming Way /Middleton, WI 
(608) 824-6160
