Ask Our Doctors – Archive
Our Medical Directors are outstanding physicians that you will find to be very personable and compassionate, who take care to ensure that you have the most cutting-edge fertility treatments at your disposal. This is your outlet to ask your questions to the doctors.
Hey Dr. Sher,
First, I want to thank-you again for all your time and expertise. You’ve been a big help in our fertility journey thus far and continue to be a great resource.
I read your article on interpreting blood hcg levels/betas and have a question.
10 days after my 5 day embryo transfer, my HCG level was 609.
48 hours later it was 1190.
Doubling time is a tad over 48 hours, but started out pretty high. So that’s no reason for concern, correct? I’ve read that it can be as high as 72 hours and still be normal, but other resources indicate 48 hrs only.
Secondly, we only transferred one embryo. Yet comparing my HCG levels to other SET at the same stage of development, my numbers seem REALLY high. Have you seen such a high (609) number at 10dp5dt before? I know ultrasounds will confirm, but want to prepare myself (actually more my husband!) mentally for the possibility of identical twins if that is likely based on our initial testing.
One last question I’d like to confirm. I’ve lifted weights (pretty heavy) for the last 10 or so years. I obviously cut back (nothing the last 2.5 weeks other than walking) in prep for our transfer, but would like to continue my strength training throughout pregnancy. Is it safe to do this early in the pregnancy– or better to wait till hearbeat? My understanding was that any complications would be due to a chromosomal abnormality (so safe to resume strength training), but I’d really like your reassurance.
Thank-you in advance!
My guess is that all is progressing normally so far. Moderate exercising is a good thing . However, I would however not lift weights.
Geoff Sher
hello Dr Sher and thanks for answering our questions!
I will ask one very stupid question since i can’t find any answer searching on the internet.
Does ovarian reserve reduce even while a woman is pregnant? Of course i know there is no ovulation but are follicles still being recruited from the ovarian reserve and going to waste?
I know it is a strange question. Just wondering whether it is better for me to transfer one embryo i have or try to save more. The way i thought of it -is that if i transfer and have something go wrong lets say a miscarriage later on-then that would be more months wasted and my ovarian reserve is severely diminished. I mean i feel it is going down by the minute.(very high fsh and very low amh)
Hope my question makes sense and i am sorry for my ignorance.
Thanks a lot.
Yes Tina, the ovarian reserve probably continues to diminish during pregnancy and breast feeding.
The decision on how many embryos to transfer is driven by a goal that both share in common, namely that of optimizing the chance of IVF treatment resulting in pregnancy. Clearly, the more embryos transferred, the greater the likelihood of success. However, there is overwhelming evidence to show that the more embryos transferred to the mother’s uterus, the greater the risk of a multiple pregnancy resulting and the higher the multiple, the higher the risk to both mother and babies. Pregnancy complications such as miscarriage, pre-eclampsia, late pregnancy bleeding, an increased incidence of cesarean section, post-delivery hemorrhage etc., are all much more prevalent, placing the mother at risk. Preterm delivery is also much more likely to occur and the earlier the baby is born, the less equipped it is to cope with extrauterine existence, placing it at great risk of complications such as respiratory distress, impaired neurologic and visual development and necrotizing enterocolitis …..to name but a few . While such complications do occur with a twin pregnancy, their incidence and severity increases exponentially with high order multiples (triplets or greater). In fact, in such cases the likelihood that at least one of the babies not surviving the ravages of premature delivery or being left severely developmentally impaired is about 50:50.
Since the higher the number of embryos transferred the greater the chance of a multiple pregnancy, it is incumbent on the treating physician to minimize the number he/she delivers into the uterine cavity with IVF. When deciding on the number of embryos to transfer, the patient’s chance for success (her prognosis) needs to be considered. The younger the woman, the better the microscopic quality of the embryos (their grade), the stage of development of the embryos (cleaved or blastocyst) , the chromosomal integrity of available embryos as assessed by preimplantation genetic sampling (PGS); and the number of supernumerary embryos left over for cryopreservation (freezing) and storage, are factors that should all be taken into consideration. In general, it is recommended that fewer embryos that have reached the blastocyst stage (day 5-6 after fertilization) be transferred than if the transfer were to be done earlier at the cleavage stage (day 2-3 after fertilization). This is because, the further an embryo has advanced in development the greater the likelihood that it will propagate a viable pregnancy.
Consider the fact that when comparing singleton with twin and triplet pregnancies:
Twins have 3-times, and triplets, a 6-times greater perinatal mortality rate.
Twins have 6-times, and triplets, an 11-times greater likelihood of developing cerebral palsy.
Twins are 50% and triplets 80% more likely to be born prematurely.
Mothers of twins are 3-times, and mothers of triplets, 7-times more likely to experience serious pregnancy-induced complications.
The anguish of losing one or more of your children at birth or watching them endure a life-long disability is a situation no parent would wish to face, yet it is a frequent consequence of multiple births. Why then do so many IVF practitioners still insist on transferring multiple embryos at a time? The following are the main reasons for this:
Most infertile patients simply do not perceive any great risk associated with multiple gestations, especially when it comes to twins. In fact most, consider multiple pregnancy to be a “bonus”…a favorable outcome. Faced with the high emotional and financial cost associated with IVF treatment, most couples prefer to complete their families in one attempt so as to “maximize the use of their resources.” In fact, when asked, almost 90% of couples undergoing IVF in the United States are desirous of having twins. Some are even interested or covet having high order multiples (triplets or beyond). Education is urgently needed to make IVF candidates fully aware of the risks associated with multiple gestations.
The inability to differentiate between embryos that will propagate a healthy pregnancy (i.e. “competent” embryos) and those that will not (“incompetent” embryos): Most IVF patients erroneously believe that a “pretty”, embryo (one given a high grade because it fulfils the microscopic criteria of “good quality”) should invariably make a baby. This is simply not the case. Consider the fact that such a microscopically “good quality” embryo from a 30-year-old has about an 8-times greater chance of resulting in a normal birth than would an identical looking embryo of a 45 year old! This confronts IVF practitioners with a “damned if you do, damned if you don’t” situation; driven by patient pressure to achieve a pregnancy and by competing market forces, they still too often choose to transfer multiple embryos, often with disastrous results. It is generally true that declining egg/embryo “competency”with advancing age justifies transferring more embryos in older women – especially in those over 40 years of age – but this still needs to be carefully measured against the risk of multiple gestations.Not only is multiple gestation the most common complication of infertility treatment, it has also become the most costly in terms of its social impact. If all of the factors associated with multiple gestations are considered, including the costs of antenatal maternal hospitalization, neonatal intensive care for premature infants, as well as the costs of chronic medical care, rehabilitation and special education, the projected annual cost of IVF-associated multiple gestations in the United States is approximately $1.5 billion as compared to about $550 million for all the other IVF cycles performed.
On the positive side is the fact that the last decade has seen a slight but significant decline in the IVF twin pregnancy rate from about 25% to about 22%, as well as a decline in the incidence of triplets from 5% to about 3%. Still, IVF multiple birth rates are about ten times higher than those associated with natural conception. Clearly, multiple pregnancy (especially high-order multiples) represents a complex problem that can no longer be justified as an acceptable outcome following IVF treatment.
Most in the IVF field are in agreement that it is probably best not to transfer more than 2 embryos at a time in younger women. The reason is that embryos derived from the eggs of a young woman (under 35 years) are much more likely to lead to a pregnancy than are those derived from older women. That is why most IVF programs in the United States therefore recommend transferring up to 2 embryos at a time in such cases. For women over 40, many still transfer 3 or even 4 embryos. For those between 35 and 40 years of age, 2-3.
What About Single Embryo Transfers: Advances in IVF technology have brought the noble goal of transferring a single embryo at a time without reducing the chance of a successful IVF, well within reach. Numerous studies have demonstrated that the cumulative birth rate after single embryo transfer (SET), followed by subsequent transfers of individually thawed left-over embryos, is as effective in achieving pregnancy as implanting multiple embryos at one time. And by this approach the risk of multiple births can be virtually eliminated. Moreover, using the SET approach, more than 80% of women under 40 years of age will deliver babies within first four single embryo transfers. At the same time, SET’s would likely cut the cost of health care per IVF baby by about $50,000 per live-birth.
A recent study found that, compared with singleton deliveries, the costs for twins, triplets and higher-order deliveries are approximately four, 11 and 18 times greater, respectively – mostly due to maternal and neonatal complications.
When we use the term “competent” embryo, we mean one which, upon being transferred to a “receptive” or “hospitable” uterus, will in most cases propagate a viable gestation. By far the single most important determinant of embryo “competency” is its karyotype (the number of chromosomes present). Aneuploid embryos (those with too many or too few chromosomes) are uniformly “incompetent” while “euploid” embryos (those with the correct number) are by and large “competent.” An incompetent embryo will not result in a normal pregnancy. In most cases it will either fail to implant or will miscarry early on. It follows that the ability to efficiently identify competent embryos for selective individual transfer would likely represent a “game changer” in the IVF arena.
In the past, the ability to select competent embryos for transfer has been thwarted by:
a. Lack of reliability of microscopic morphologic (appearance) embryo grading.
b. The inability of traditional pre-implantation genetic diagnosis/sampling (PGD/s) and chromosomal evaluation (karyotyping) by conventional Fluorescence In-Situ Hybridization (FISH) to be able to access all of the embryo’s chromosomes.
Let’s take a look at the merit and reliability of several current methods used to select the best embryo(s) for transfer:
•Microscopic Embryo Grading: Currently, most IVF centers culture embryos in groups and then perform a single microscopic evaluation (at 2, 3 or 5-6 days) prior to embryo transfer of one or more to the uterus. This approach is limited in scope and in its ability to reliably discriminate between “competent” and “incompetent” embryos, since chromosomally abnormal embryos are often identical in appearance to those that are normal. Embryos should be at 2 to 4 cells at 48 hours after egg retrieval and about 6-9 cells by 72 hours. The cells in an embryo are also referred to as “blastomeres.” Ideally the blastomeres should be of even size, and there should be less than 20% fragmentation, or blebbing. This is where portions of the embryo’s cells have broken off and are found lying free as debris inside its substance .Most IVF clinics “grade” each embryo using one of many scoring systems. Unfortunately, there is no agreement at all as to which system to use. But regardless of the microscopic grading system used, one thing is certain…they all lack reliability because they cannot evaluate the chromosomal integrity of the embryo.
•Blastocyst Embryo Transfer: A blastocyst is an embryo which has developed to the point of having 2 different cell components and a fluid cavity. Human embryos, in culture in an IVF lab, or developing naturally in the female body, usually reach the blastocyst stage by day 5 or 6 after fertilization. Many “incompetent” embryos are culled out as the embryo progresses to the blastocyst stage. Thus, those embryos that make it to blastocyst are far more likely than their day 2-3 counterparts to be competent. Embryos that do not reach blastocyst are in about 90% of cases chromosomally abnormal (aneuploid) and would not have been worthy of transfer earlier on anyway. Routinely taking embryos to blastocyst is thus a good idea since, if they do not make it, they are incompetent anyway.By waiting five or six days post fertilization to select and transfer only blastocysts to the uterus, we can improve the likelihood that those being transferred are the “competent” ones.
•Preimplantation Genetic Sampling (PGS) using Next Generation Gene Sampling (NGS) : This very promising method for embryo selection represents a real breakthrough in the IVF arena. NGS allows for identification of all 23 pairs of the chromosomes, providing a reliable method for differentiating between “competent” and “incompetent” embryos. Even without CGH embryo selection, “one embryo/one healthy baby” is now even more attainable. However, the introduction of CGH has made embryo selection much more scientific, virtually removing the incentive to transfer multiple embryos at a time. One of the perceived disadvantages of CGH embryo selection is the cost of such testing. However, while the performance of egg/embryo PGS does increase the cost per cycle of IVF, it actually lowers the “cost per IVF baby”. Since NGS testing requires several days to complete, the use of this technology usually requires that advanced embryos (blastocysts) be frozen and stored (cryostored) in a subsequent cycle. The separation of an IVF cycle into two separate phases to achieve this objective is referred to as Staggered-IVF (St-IVF). Cryostoring blastocysts allows sufficient time for the CGH testing to be completed.
•Embryo Vitrification (Ultra-rapid Freezing): Until about a decade ago, cryopreservation of human embryos had been somewhat problematic because it caused ice crystals to form inside the embryo, damaging or destroying it. The recent introduction of ultra-rapid freezing or vitrification (read the article on vitrification here) has changed all that. With vitrification, embryos are so rapidly frozen that no ice forms, yielding a post-thaw embryo survival rate of about 90%. Impressively, birth rates following the transfer of thawed, pre-vitrified embryos hardly differ from those using fresh embryos.
Geoff Sher
Hi Dr. Sher,
I am 31 and my husband is 32, we have a diagnosis of PCOS/unexplained. We have been trying to 3 years with no success (I have never once fallen pregnant). We did 8 IUIs with femara with no success, despite showing a good follicle and lining each time. For this reason, we decided to do ICSI in case there was a fertilization issue, and planned on a PGS freeze-all cycle as a security blanket as well.
We are finishing up our first IVF cycle, and it seems to me that perhaps we stimmed too quickly resulting in reduced egg quality.
I was on birth control pills for about 4 weeks, I then had a week of birth control pills and lupron 20 units overlap for another week. I remained on lupron 20 units for a second week. At baseline they determined I was suppressed perfectly so that night the lupron was reduced to 10 units and I started 150 units of follistim the next day. After 3 days of stims I had 16 follicles, and my estrogen was rising nicely. By 5 days I had 24 follicles, at 7 days I have 27 follicles and at 8 days I had 37 follicles. The lead ones were growing nicely in size, and my estrogen was rising appropriately, so I triggered after only 8 days of 150 units follistim. I was on 10 units of lupron the entire time until the night of the trigger shot.
They got 23 eggs at retrieval. 14 were found to be mature and had ICSI performed on them, only 9 fertilized. At day 3, one arrested and two others were highly fragmented. I will get my next update tomorrow and the day after (day 5 and 6). It just seems to me that I had a high percentage of immature eggs, along with a low fertilization rate considering we used ICSI and that my husband has always had wonderful semen analyses.
Could this have been caused by stimming so quickly and perhaps that affected egg development? I realize we were on a low dose of follistim, and my doctor was reluctant to go lower. If we have to do a second IVF cycle, would it be worth asking the doctor to take a lower dose of follistim, but stim for a longer period of time? Or is there a minimum amount of follistim that one should really be on for IVF even if they are high responders?
Thanks for any help! Your blog has a ton of great information and is really helpful to understanding this process.
I think you should wait this out first, determine the result and if unfortunately it was not successful then absolutely we should talk. In the interim, please review the articles listed below.
Please visit my new Blog on this very site, http://www.DrGeoffreySherIVF.com, find the “search bar” and type in the titles of any/all of the articles listed below, one by one. “Click” and you will immediately be taken to those you select. Please also take the time to post any questions or comments with the full expectation that I will (as always) respond promptly.
•Controlled Ovarian Stimulation (COS) for IVF: Selecting the ideal protocol
•IVF: Factors Affecting Egg/Embryo “competency” during Controlled Ovarian Stimulation(COS)
•Anti Mullerian Hormone (AMH) Measurement to Assess Ovarian Reserve and Design the Optimal Protocol for Controlled Ovarian Stimulation (COS) in IVF.
•The BCP: Does Launching a Cycle of Controlled Ovarian Stimulation (COS). Coming off the BCP Compromise Response?
•Traveling for IVF from Out of State/Country–
•A personalized, stepwise approach to IVF
•How Many Embryos Should be Transferred: A Critical Decision
•Preventing Severe Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome (OHSS) with “Prolonged Coasting”
•Understanding Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) and the Need to Customize Ovarian Stimulation Protocols.
•Intrauterine Insemination (IUI): Who Needs it & who Does Not: Pro’s & Con’s!
•Micro-IVF: Often Preferable to Ovarian Stimulation with or
I invite you to call 702-699-7437 or 800-780-7437 or go online on this site and set up a one hour Skype consultation with me to discuss your case in detail.
I also suggest that you access the 4th edition of my book ,”In Vitro Fertilization, the ART of Making Babies”. It is available as a down-load through http://www.Amazon.com or from most bookstores and public libraries.
Geoff Sher
Dear Dr. Sher, i recently did ET and today was my third hsg test. After the hsg was progressing from 36.5 to 246 last Tuesday, it dropped today to 140. Does this indicate that my pregnancy is not progressing? shall i give up or is there a chance i might be still pregnant and it will go up again?
Sadly this does not look good. Repeat the beta hCG in 2 days to see if it continues to drop.
G-d bless!
Geoff Sher
Going to undergo IVF on April. Age 31. My Doc says my AMH is 0.72 and AFC is 4 on each ovary. I am afraid this is low and am low on confidence about my success rate. I am worried about my IVF getting cancelled because of low AFC . Is this AMH value manageable for an IVF cycle ?
It is reduced and you likely have DOR. However, given your young age, depending on the protocol used for ovarian stimulation, you should still respond quite adequately.
You need a modified, robust, long pituitary down-regulation protocol. I would use an agonist/antagonist conversion protocol with human growth hormone (HGH) augmentation and would recommend Staggered IVF with embryo banking of PGS (next generation gene sequencing)-normal blastocysts, to make hay while the sun still shines.
Please visit my new Blog at o to http://goo.gl/4hvjoP , find the “search bar” and type in the titles of any/all of the articles listed below, one by one. “Click” and you will immediately be taken to those you select. Please also take the time to post any questions or comments with the full expectation that I will (as always) respond promptly.
•Controlled Ovarian Stimulation (COS) for IVF: Selecting the ideal protocol
•Ovarian Stimulation for IVF using GnRH Antagonists: Comparing the Agonist/Antagonist Conversion Protocol.(A/ACP) With the“Conventional” Antagonist Aproach
•IVF: Factors Affecting Egg/Embryo “competency” during Controlled Ovarian Stimulation(COS)
•Anti Mullerian Hormone (AMH) Measurement to Assess Ovarian Reserve and Design the Optimal Protocol for Controlled Ovarian Stimulation (COS) in IVF.
•The “Biological Clock” and how it should Influence the Selection and Design of Ovarian Stimulation Protocols for IVF.
•Diagnosing and Treating Infertility due to Diminished Ovarian Reserve (DOR)
•Human Growth Hormone Administration in IVF: Does it Enhances Egg/Embryo Quality and Outcome?
•The BCP: Does Launching a Cycle of Controlled Ovarian Stimulation (COS). Coming off the BCP Compromise Response?
•Frozen Embryo Transfer (FET): A Rational Approach to Hormonal Preparation and How new Methodology is Impacting IVF.
•Staggered IVF: An Excellent Option When. Advancing Age and Diminished Ovarian Reserve (DOR) Reduces IVF Success Rate
•Embryo Banking/Stockpiling: Slows the “Biological Clock” and offers a Selective Alternative to IVF-Egg Donation.
•Preimplantation Genetic Sampling (PGS) Using: Next Generation Gene Sequencing (NGS): Method of Choice.
•IVF Failure and Implantation Dysfunction: The Role of Endometrial Thickness, Uterine Pathology and Immunologic Factors
•Why did my IVF Fail
•Traveling for IVF from Out of State/Country–
•A personalized, stepwise approach to IVF
•How Many Embryos Should be Transferred: A Critical Decision in IVF.
•The Role of Nutritional Supplements in Preparing for IVF
I invite you to call 702-699-7437 or 800-780-7437 or go online on this site and set up a one hour Skype consultation with me to discuss your case in detail.
I also suggest that you access the 4th edition of my book ,”In Vitro Fertilization, the ART of Making Babies”. It is available as a down-load through http://www.Amazon.com or from most bookstores and public libraries.
Geoff Sher
I invite you to call 702-699-7437 or 800-780-7437 or go online on this site and set up a one hour Skype consultation with me to discuss your case in detail.
I also suggest that you access the 4th edition of my book ,”In Vitro Fertilization, the ART of Making Babies”. It is available as a down-load through http://www.Amazon.com or from most bookstores and public libraries.