So one of the biggest questions Jonathan and I have had to discuss and make a decision about involves how many embryos to transfer into my uterus after they are fertilized. Any good RE (reproductive endocrinologist or fertility specialist) won't transfer more than 2 at a time unless you are well past 35 and have many more contributing factors to your infertility. Even then, I'm not sure I would trust a clinic that was willing to transfer more than maybe 3 embryos at a time. THAT, my friends, is how you get an "Octomom" situation. In the womb, any egg has the potential to split into two babies. So if you're transferring 4-5 eggs, you have the potential to get as many as 10 babies out of that deal. While it's unlikely that all 5 of them would split into 2 babies, you can never be certain (hello Jon and Kate +8...). Any multiple pregnancy comes with risks. The vast majority of twin births don't make it to a full 40 weeks. And with 3 or more babies, you'd be lucky to make it to 30 weeks. Now we are talking more risk factors for the babies AND the mommy. Not to mention the costly price of a stay at the NICU...multiplied by 3 or more!
The doctors who will be handling our IVF will not transfer more than 2 eggs at a time no matter what. So 1 embryo or 2, Rachel? Well, after spending lots of time poring over this question, we have decided to go with 2. For several reasons. Not the least of which is the fact that this is our one and only shot for a long time. If it doesn't take, it will be 2-4 years before we are able to try again. We are in med school, after all, and starting September 15th most of our funds will be going toward traveling to Jonathan's clinical rotation locations and saving for the very costly process of applying to residencies. And don't forget there are quite a few costs involved with traveling to and from those interviews!
So we are putting all of our eggs (all 2 of them) into one basket and praying for a miracle here. I'm actually giving my little eggs a pep talk right now...
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