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Meta-analysis examines the causes of recurrent pregnancy loss
▲ 29 r/EmbryologyIVFSupport

Meta-analysis examines the causes of recurrent pregnancy loss

A new meta-analysis examined the causes of recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL), finding that unexplained RPL and acquired thrombophilia were the most common.

RPL is usually defined as having two or more pregnancy losses, but finding a clear explanation can be difficult.

A study by Carvalho et al. (2026) combined 105 studies involving nearly 48,000 women with RPL to examine the most commonly reported causes.

The reported causes included:

• Unexplained RPL (37%)

• Acquired thrombophilia (12%), like antiphospholipid syndrome (APS)

• Endocrine causes (8%), like thyroid disease, PCOS, diabetes

• Anatomical causes (6%), like uterine abnormalities, adhesions, adenomyosis

• Hereditary thrombophilia (6%), like Factor V and protein C/S deficiencies

• Infectious causes (6%), like chronic endometritis and bacterial vaginosis

• Parental chromosomal abnormalities (5%), like balanced translocations

An interesting result was that studies using genetic testing on miscarriage tissue reported lower rates of “unexplained” RPL. This suggests that recurrent embryo aneuploidy may account for some unexplained cases.

✅ Check out the details on Remembryo: https://www.remembryo.com/meta-analysis-examines-the-causes-of-recurrent-pregnancy-loss/

✉️ Like this post? Get a free weekly summary of the latest IVF research: https://mailchi.mp/remembryo/x27kx5o1sw

u/embryomanofficial — 1 day ago
▲ 6 r/EmbryologyIVFSupport

Worsening fertilization rate over multiple cycles

I’m struggling to come to terms with our latest ER results and was hoping to see if anyone had some additional insight.

History: I’m 37, going through IVF because of uterine factor infertility (severe Asherman’s, adenomyosis, thin uterine lining, and recurrent fluid in my lining). Most recent AMH was 1.9. My husband’s last SA was in 2024. He has borderline low morphology at 4% but a very high count so they weren’t concerned. DNA fragmentation was normal at 7%.

ER #1 (Oct 2024) - antagonist protocol; ICSI
AFC - unknown
Retrieved - 17
Mature - 12
Fertilized - 11
Day 3 - 10
Blast - 3
PGT - 1

That transfer failed.

*We then switched clinics to one with a better lab.

ER #2 (Mar 2026) - antagonist protocol (luteal start - this was unintentional but the estrogen priming caused me to ovulate on CD3 and we just rolled with it); ICSI + zymot
AFC - 34
Retrieved - 17
Mature - 15
Fertilized - 11
Day 3 - 11
Day 5 blasts - 3 (5aa, 5aa, 5bb)
Day 6 blasts - 2 (5ab, 5bb)
Day 7 blasts - 2 (5cc, 5cc)
Euploid - 2 (d5 5bb and d7 5cc)

*At this point my doctor essentially said that I just have poor egg quality and therefore the goal would be to better synchronize my cohort so we could focus on quantity thereby increasing my euploid rate.

ER #3 (May 2026) - long Lupron protocol; ICSI + zymot + calcium ionophore
AFC - 25
Retrieved - 12
Mature - 9+2
Fertilized - 5+2
Day 3 - 7

I don’t have final blast numbers yet as today is day 3, but I’m just feeling so disheartened by the fertilization rate. This is our lowest fertilization rate despite adding calcium ionophore. I’m obviously also super disappointed in the number retrieved and mature as these are also our lowest numbers to date. The long Lupron protocol was supposed to help my cohort and clearly didn’t have the intended effect.

Am I just doomed to always only retrieve half my AFC? Why didn’t calcium ionophore help in my case? Is there anything more I can do to improve my results? I’m taking all the supplements that are usually recommended (CoQ10, omega 3, vit D, melatonin, NAC, magnesium glycinate).

reddit.com
u/Slow-Project-5335 — 2 days ago
▲ 22 r/EmbryologyIVFSupport

Meta-analysis finds no improvement from intrauterine hCG before embryo transfer

Some IVF clinics offer intrauterine hCG before embryo transfer as an add-on treatment to improve implantation. This involves infusing hCG directly into the uterus shortly before transfer.

In this individual participant data meta-analysis, Zou et al. (2026) combined data from 7 randomized trials involving 2,244 IVF patients. They found no improvement in live birth, clinical pregnancy, miscarriage, or ectopic pregnancy rates.

Because this was an individual participant data meta-analysis, the researchers reviewed the original patient data and screened studies for research quality and trustworthiness before including them. Only 7 of 28 studies were included, and these studies generally found no benefit from intrauterine hCG before embryo transfer.

The authors concluded that intrauterine hCG before embryo transfer should not currently be offered as a routine IVF add-on.

✅ This post is a quick look at one study, rather than a full breakdown on Remembryo. Link to the study is here: https://academic.oup.com/humupd/advance-article/doi/10.1093/humupd/dmag009/8656006

✉️ Like this post? Get a free weekly summary of the latest IVF research: https://mailchi.mp/remembryo/x27kx5o1sw

u/embryomanofficial — 2 days ago
▲ 2 r/EmbryologyIVFSupport

Weekly Embryo Photo Discussion Thread: May 18 to May 25

This is the weekly thread for posting and asking questions about embryo photos. Replies are provided by Embryoman (Sean) -- a former embryologist and creator of the IVF science news site Remembryo.com

💬 Before you post a photo

  • You must include the grade (ask your clinic if you don’t know it).
  • Only one embryo photo per post.
  • No requests for grading or re-grading by members.
  • Posts asking if an embryo looks damaged or viable aren't allowed.

I can comment only on general features visible in the image (expansion, compaction, hatching, ICM location), but not on whether the embryo looks good -- that’s already reflected in its grade. Check the stickied comment below for basic information on grading and success rates. For the most accurate information, your embryologist or clinic is the best source, since they evaluated the embryo under a microscope and know their clinic’s success rates.

📸 Want to help others learn?

You can consent in the comments if you’d like your photo added to the Remembryo Embryo Gallery, a collection of submitted embryo images and grades.

u/embryomanofficial — 3 days ago
▲ 3 r/EmbryologyIVFSupport

Fresh transfer and low beta

I had my first fresh ivf transfer and started to get faint lines from 8dpt onwards. My temp drop was 7dpt so I assume late implantation. I had my beta done 12dpt and it was 14 and repeated on 14dpt and it was 31. I know low beta and late implantation is more associated with CP or MC. Does anyone have any success stories? My clinic won’t retest beta so I’m just waiting at this point for a scan / to keep testing to see if the lines progress😩

reddit.com
u/ivf2026_k — 4 days ago
▲ 9 r/EmbryologyIVFSupport

First Retrieval

I'm 37 and for my first ever IVF cycle I had 13 eggs retrieved, 7 mature, 3 fertilized. Now we wait to see if we get any blasts. I am feeling extremely bloated, my boobs ache, and just exhausted. But I'm hopeful too 🤞. Women are amazing and I'm so proud of my body, myself, and all of you on this similar journey. We got this ladies!

reddit.com
u/nebbynance — 3 days ago
▲ 7 r/EmbryologyIVFSupport

Feeling Hopeless

Just got my results of my egg retrieval. I only had 2 eggs retrieved, only 1 fertilized, but it did not make it to a blastocyst. I’m heartbroken as I know time is against me (I’m 43yrs old), but I’m still holding on to the smallest bit of hope for a miracle to happen. I had 2 retrievals/fresh transfers last year, then this was my 3rd retrieval and I was going to freeze the embryos, as I have endometriosis so I would need some time before transfer to settle my hormones. I’m just starting to feel hopeless. I’ve had 5 miscarriages but all conceived naturally, so I’m hoping there’s still some good ones left (I didn’t know I had endo, so the mc’s were probably due to that). Anyone else have/having the same experience?

reddit.com
u/Curiosity_got_me-123 — 4 days ago
▲ 10 r/EmbryologyIVFSupport

Should I go with an egg donor, do I have hopes with mine?

Im 34 (very close to 35) my AMH levels are very very low (0,08) I agreed with my doctor on trying at least one round with my own eggs, my response to the tratment was very slow, i started with 5 follicles, and by day 10 of medication only one got to 17 mm and there were two smaller ones.

I got three eggs on aspiration day, two fertilized (donor sperm as bc im single), one made it to blast. Did not to do pgt. It gont transfered on day 5 (im not sure how my clinic in argentina rated the embryos but they did say it was a beautiful one and grade 1-2) as you may have guessed the embryo didnt implant.

I have three shots at IVF completely covered (medication and even donors) by my insurance, and I don't want to waste the next ones trying with my eggs if they are "bad".

What do you think? I do not have a problem with getting a donor, but they are fighting me back a bit with trying again myself.

reddit.com
u/Legitimate-Guest779 — 7 days ago
▲ 1 r/EmbryologyIVFSupport

Low fertilization with ICIS

We did our first IVF retrieval last month and I would appreciate opinions on what we can do or changes we can consider to our protocol for our second retrieval in a few months. We have yet to have our follow up with our doctor, and of course plan to discuss this with them when we get the chance. Apologies if my formatting isn’t great.

My partner and I are both generally healthy - normal BMI, active, no longstanding health issues other than eczema for myself (female). TTC for 1.5 years, I’ve never been pregnant or had a positive test.

- Female 32. AMH = 3.32 ng/ml, sonohysterogram normal. Prenatal, Coq10 (400mg)

- Male 33. Sperm analysis was normal, have not done a DNA fragmentation test

IVF retrieval: AFC 19, 13 eggs retrieved, 7 mature, 3/7 fertilized with ICSI, 3 made it to blast (grades 5BA, 5BA, 4BB), after PGTA testing we have 1 euploid, 2 aneuploids.

Protocol

- Rekovelle: Stim days 1-7 at 8mcg, and Stim days 8-9 at 5.33 mcg

- Menopur 75 IU: Stim days 1-3. Discontinued after this because my estrogen was 2600 on SD3.

- Orgalutran 250 mcg: Stim days 4-9

Trigger

- Decapeptyl: Stim days 9 & 10

We were shocked to have such a low fertilization rate with ICSI, and surprised that all 3 embryos made it to blast and PGTA testing! Does anything stand out in terms of what we can look into for our protocol for a 2nd retrieval or changes we should make prior to this? Any theories on why our ICSI fertilization rate was so low?

reddit.com
u/churros306 — 5 days ago
▲ 6 r/EmbryologyIVFSupport

Clinic says it’s more likely to be an embryo issue than a uterine issue even with an euploid

Just wondering if that’s a fair statement (I like my clinic). I just miscarried my first FET with a day 6 5AA euploid. I have no symptoms of endo etc. After asking my doctor twice over the course of a few months she still believes it may have just been the embryo that caused the low non doubling betas and let’s just try again.

Is that a fair statement even with an euploid?

reddit.com
u/Ok-Set-5730 — 8 days ago
▲ 36 r/EmbryologyIVFSupport

Meta-analysis examines how accurately PGT-A embryo biopsies match the embryo

A new meta-analysis examined how well PGT-A biopsies represented the rest of the embryo, and found higher mismatch rates in embryos labeled as aneuploid, especially segmental aneuploid embryos.

PGT-A only tests a small group of cells taken from the trophectoderm, and not the entire embryo itself.

A study by Jiang et al. (2026) combined the results of 22 studies that rebiopsied embryos to see how often the original biopsy matched the inner cell mass (the part that becomes the fetus) or the rest of the blastocyst.

They found mismatch rates of:

  • 2.6% for euploid embryos
  • 5.1% for whole chromosome aneuploids
  • 17.4% for segmental aneuploid embryos

This means that nearly 1 in 5 embryos labeled as segmental aneuploid had a biopsy result that didn’t match the rest of the embryo.

This is important because there have now been multiple reports of healthy live births after transfer of embryos labeled as segmental aneuploid. The authors suggest these smaller and more complex chromosomal changes may be harder for current PGT-A methods to classify accurately.

Another possible explanation is sampling error. Since only about 5–10 cells from a blastocyst made up of hundreds of cells are biopsied, the sample may not always fully represent the rest of the embryo.

The authors suggest that segmental aneuploid results should be interpreted more cautiously, and that some embryos may deserve a second biopsy instead of being automatically excluded after a single result.

✅ Check out the details on Remembryo: https://www.remembryo.com/meta-analysis-examines-how-accurately-pgt-a-embryo-biopsies-match-the-embryo/

✉️ Like this post? Get a free weekly summary of the latest IVF research: https://mailchi.mp/remembryo/x27kx5o1sw

u/embryomanofficial — 7 days ago
▲ 5 r/EmbryologyIVFSupport

13 Follicles -> 3 Eggs -> 0 Embryos (Total arrest at Day 3). Looking for advice/protocol changes.

Hi everyone,
I’m looking for some insights or similar experiences. We (M30/F31) just finished our first IVF cycle after 4 years of unexplained infertility, and the results were devastating.
The Background:
• AMH: 4.58
• Scan: 13 follicles seen during stims.
• Retrieval: Only 3 eggs retrieved (rest were empty).
• Fertilization: 3 eggs retrieved -> 2 fertilized via ICSI.
• Grading at Day 3: One Grade B and one Grade C (with significant fragmentation).
• Outcome: Both embryos arrested at Day 3. Zero growth by Day 5/6.
Specific Issues Noticed:

  1. Trigger Response: In previous IUI/Timed cycles, follicles would often rupture late (after 36-40 hours). This time we did a standard 36-hour retrieval, and I suspect the "Empty Follicles" might have been due to eggs being immature or not detaching in time.
  2. Day 3 Arrest: Since both stopped right at the Day 3 mark, we are wondering if this points towards a specific DNA issue or Sperm DNA Fragmentation (DFI), as I understand the embryonic genome kicks in then.
    My Questions:
  3. Has anyone dealt with a high follicle count but very low egg yield? Did a Dual Trigger (hCG + Lupron) help in the next cycle?
  4. Does Day 3 arrest always mean poor egg quality, or should we look into Sperm DNA Fragmentation (DFI) testing?
  5. What supplements or protocol changes (like adding Growth Hormone/Omnitrope or CoQ10) worked for you in improving blastocyst conversion?
    We are heartbroken but planning for a 2nd round. Any advice on what to ask our RE during the regroup meeting would be highly appreciated
reddit.com
u/gagan6696 — 7 days ago
▲ 14 r/EmbryologyIVFSupport

First scan after FET

I’m 6wk5 today, I did my FET of day 3 embryo on April 13. My betas were doubling fine. Day 14 was 154, day 16 was 309 and day 21 was 2,920. However, at the ultrasound today, the sonographer said she can see a gestational sac measuring 2.66..cm but she said she didn’t see a yoke sac. I was wondering if anyone has had such experience and still had a healthy baby.
Please, share your experience to help a sister.

reddit.com
u/CareWise9421 — 8 days ago
▲ 61 r/EmbryologyIVFSupport

Natural FETs outperform medicated FETs in donor egg cycles

Researchers in a 2026 study found that natural FETs using donor eggs were linked to higher live birth rates, lower miscarriage rates, and lower rates of some pregnancy complications compared to medicated FETs.

For a frozen embryo transfer, the uterine lining can be prepared using the body’s own hormones (natural FET) or with estrogen and progesterone medications (medicated FET).

A study by Rafael et al. (2026) looked at more than 67,000 donor egg transfers. Donor eggs were used to help control for egg quality differences, which can strongly affect IVF success rates and make these comparisons harder to interpret.

The researchers found better outcomes with natural FETs, and age didn’t appear to change the results.

One possible reason is the corpus luteum, which is present in natural FETs but absent in medicated FETs. It produces factors that help support implantation and placental development during early pregnancy.

The researchers also found that natural FETs still performed better even when medicated cycles used progesterone monitoring and “rescue” progesterone to correct low levels.

Overall, this study adds to growing evidence that natural FETs may provide a more beneficial environment for implantation and pregnancy, while also reducing complications.

✅ Check out the details on Remembryo: https://www.remembryo.com/natural-fets-outperform-medicated-fets-in-donor-egg-cycles/

✉️ Like this post? Get a free weekly summary of the latest IVF research: https://mailchi.mp/remembryo/x27kx5o1sw

u/embryomanofficial — 8 days ago
▲ 28 r/EmbryologyIVFSupport+1 crossposts

Retested Embryo with PGT-A and Got a Totally Different Result

Can anyone help me understand how the first set of PGTA testing yielded a fully aneuploid +15 embryo and on second biopsy got a fully aneuploid triploid result? We used Luminary.

I already had my doubts about the accuracy of PGTA and this just fuels the fire. I now have 8 aneuploid embryos I’ve been told to discard and am questioning every result we’ve gotten thus far. Any advice?

reddit.com
u/alibam44 — 10 days ago
▲ 8 r/EmbryologyIVFSupport

6Aa embryo transfer

I transferred my genetically tested embryo on Saturday, and honestly, the two-week wait is so hard. Every day feels so long, especially when a day passes with no symptoms and I start overthinking everything.
How did you make the wait feel easier? What helped you stay calm and let the days pass?

reddit.com
u/EyeIll7561 — 9 days ago
▲ 3 r/EmbryologyIVFSupport

4CA/4CC Chaotic Rebiopsy?

As part of our ivf 3 cycle package we can send up to 16 embryos off to PGTA. I have two chaotic embryos, a 4CA and a 4CC. Being “chaotic” my clinic won’t transfer them, but said I can thaw and rebiospy them as part of our PGTA limit.

Im really unsure if that’s a good idea. As it stands I feel like we can’t use them anyway at my clinic so might as well? But I know thawing them can hurt the quality if they were somehow miraculously euploid.

reddit.com
u/Creepy_Marzipan4731 — 7 days ago
▲ 4 r/EmbryologyIVFSupport

PGTA result was No Result

Hello! We just received our PGT-A results from my recent ER and two came back as No Results
One was Day 5 grade A and the other was Day 6 grade C.

Even the clinic seemed surprised by having two in-conclusives in one batch. I think our next options are:

Retest - But will the embryo survive the second thaw/biopsy/refreeze

Transfer - transfer it as untested

Consultation - Would speaking with a genetic counselor help us make an informed decision? Do they have access to more data about the embryos which would help to make a decision.

Looking for any advice or experiences on what and how to decide next steps!

reddit.com
u/Anoooooooooooooooo — 8 days ago
▲ 12 r/EmbryologyIVFSupport

Did anyone do PGT testing mainly because they were terrified of another miscarriage?

After my miscarriage I dont even think my biggest fear is failed implantation anymore 😔 It’s getting pregnant again and then losing the baby after getting emotionally attached all over again.

My clinic is suggesting PGT testing now and logically I understand why, especially because alot of miscarriages can happen due to chromosomal abnormalities. But financially and emotionally IVF already feels overwhelming enough so now I’m stuck wondering whether adding genetic testing actually gave anyone more peace of mind during transfers.

Would really love hearing honest experiences from ppl who chose PGT mainly after pregnancy loss.

reddit.com
u/Virtual-Sort-8185 — 9 days ago