Plant one embryo for IVF: is it really more effective?

If you and your partner finally choose the IVF pathway to cultivate offspring, you will want the greatest chance of success possible. This is very reasonable, especially because the IVF process is not easy. So, you may worry about implanting a fertilized egg (known as an embryo) into the uterus. The reason is, you are faced with a choice: plant only one embryo or two embryos at once? Check out the following reviews to help you determine the best move.

How is the process of IVF?

Before making a decision, you need to understand how IVF is done. In simple terms, IVF is done by combining the mother's egg cell and father's sperm cell with special equipment in the laboratory. This process, known as fertilization, produces an embryo. After the fertilization is successful, doctors and experts in the laboratory will inject the embryo back into the mother's womb so that it can develop into a fetus and then a baby.

The number of embryos that are transferred into the mother's womb can vary, depending on the doctor's recommendations and the wishes of the couple themselves. You can implant one to five embryos into the uterus at a time.

Planting one embryo increases the chances of successful IVF

It has been widely believed that the more embryos that are implanted, the greater the chance of pregnancy. However, a recent study in England showed that it is safer to plant just one embryo than planting two or more embryos at once. According to the study, which ran from 2009 to 2013, the chances of successfully planting two embryos were 27% less than one embryo.

The results of this study prove that the quality of the embryos is more important than the quantity. The head researcher as well as the head of the Nurture Fertility IVF clinic, dr. Nicholas Raine-Fenning explains that a woman's uterus tends to focus on weak embryos. This means that if you implant two embryos at once and one of them is weaker, the uterus will be busy with the weak embryo. As a result, the development of stronger embryos is neglected. In fact, a weak embryo has minimal chances of survival. In the end, these two embryos are wasted because the body is unable to hold them both at the same time. Meanwhile, if you implant a single embryo, the uterus and body can support its growth more intensively.

This is why from now on the government in the UK is appealing to medical personnel and IVF parents for one-on-one embryo transfers, not much immediately.

The advantages of planting one embryo

Mothers who are trying to get pregnant over 35 years of age or who are worried about having a problem pregnancy should consider the option of a single embryo. The reason is, planting many embryos may result in the pregnancy of twins. Getting pregnant with twins is of course a greater risk than being pregnant with just one baby. Those of you who have participated in IVF before but failed should also prioritize single embryo planting. This choice can help your body to focus on the greatest opportunity it has to offer.

Should I implant a single embryo?

The success rate of IVF is not only determined by the number of embryos transferred. There are still other factors, namely the quality of sperm and egg cells, the health condition of the prospective mother, and failure during the embryo transfer process. So, the results of this study in England do not necessarily apply to every woman who tries the IVF program.

In the end, the choice is yours. Apart from consulting your doctor, midwife, family, and partner, try to listen to your intuition or your heart.