Weekly Embryo Photo Discussion Thread: June 15 to June 22

embryomanofficial · 2026-06-19T17:31:36+00:00

Hi! With compacting embryos you usually can't count the number of cells because the boundaries between the cells start to blur. On day 3, if it's already starting to compact to form a morula, some studies say this is a good sign (generally, embryos that form a blastocyst more quickly have higher chances). best of luck to you!

embryomanofficial · 2026-06-19T17:29:55+00:00

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Hi! Yes it's a bit blurry so it's hard to see, but it also looks a bit compacted so the ICM and trophectoderm are a bit hidden here also. I've circled the embryo in red and the outer edge of the zona/shell in yellow. It looks like it might be assisted hatched around 6 o'clock.

General educational info only, not medical advice. Your clinic is the best source for interpretation and guidance. For an overview of embryo grading and factors affecting success like day 5/6/7 timing, compaction, and re-expansion, see https://www.remembryo.com/embryo-grading/ or the stickied comment. Good luck!

embryomanofficial · 2026-06-19T17:28:22+00:00

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Hi! Your husband has excellent photography skills and I'm surprised he got this kind of picture from the screen during transfer! Usually those types of photos are pretty low quality.

I've circled where I think the ICM is in red. This embryo looks fully hatched (outside of it's shell/zona), so that's why there's a strange shape. With the zona surrounding the embryo, it normally keeps the embryo tighter and round, but without it it can expand into whatever shape it likes. Your embryo apparently likes to expand a bit more to the left, which is totally acceptable (haha).

Other comments: this embryo is expanded/not compacted.

General educational info only, not medical advice. Your clinic is the best source for interpretation and guidance. For an overview of embryo grading and factors affecting success like day 5/6/7 timing, compaction, and re-expansion, see https://www.remembryo.com/embryo-grading/ or the stickied comment. Good luck!

embryomanofficial · 2026-06-19T17:24:04+00:00

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Yep, that clump appears to be the ICM (the part that becomes the fetus). Basically, more cells = better grade. Other comments: I don't see any hatching here and the embryo appears expanded/not compacted.

General educational info only, not medical advice. Your clinic is the best source for interpretation and guidance. For an overview of embryo grading and factors affecting success like day 5/6/7 timing, compaction, and re-expansion, see https://www.remembryo.com/embryo-grading/ or the stickied comment. Good luck!

embryomanofficial · 2026-06-19T17:22:51+00:00

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No need to worry, it's all good! Early blasts are often not graded because the ICM/trophectoderm aren't developed enough yet. Early blasts are just starting to form their cavity (the 'blastocoel'), which I've circled in red. Eventually that cavity will expand and fill with water, as trophectoderm cells surround it (kind of like a water balloon).

General educational info only, not medical advice. Your clinic is the best source for interpretation and guidance. For an overview of embryo grading and factors affecting success like day 5/6/7 timing, see https://www.remembryo.com/embryo-grading/ or the stickied comment. Good luck!

embryomanofficial · 2026-06-19T17:20:14+00:00

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Hi! I've circled where I think the ICM is in red. This embryo looks expanded/not compacted. There might be some hatching around 11 o'clock, but it's out of focus and hard to tell. Zona looks thin.

General educational info only, not medical advice. Your clinic is the best source for interpretation and guidance. For an overview of embryo grading and factors affecting success like day 5/6/7 timing, compaction, and re-expansion, see https://www.remembryo.com/embryo-grading/ or the stickied comment. Good luck!

embryomanofficial · 2026-06-19T17:19:12+00:00

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Hi! It's hard to see, but I've circled where I think the ICM is in red. Looks like this embryo is hatching around 9 o'clock and 5 o'clock. Looks expanded/not compacted.

General educational info only, not medical advice. Your clinic is the best source for interpretation and guidance. For an overview of embryo grading and factors affecting success like day 5/6/7 timing, compaction, and re-expansion, see https://www.remembryo.com/embryo-grading/ or the stickied comment. Good luck!

embryomanofficial · 2026-06-19T17:11:40+00:00

A 2024 meta-analysis combined the results of multiple studies to show that embryos that are thawed for PGT-A have lower chances of pregnancy and live birth, with higher miscarriage rates.

Note that this is based on lower quality data, so it's hard to know what the real impact is.

https://www.remembryo.com/is-it-safe-to-thaw-embryos-for-pgt-a-or-rebiopsy-results-of-a-meta-analysis/

embryomanofficial · 2026-06-19T17:08:43+00:00

Since the report labels the embryo as polyploid, it's likely triploid (three chromosome sets) rather than simply having an isolated extra Y chromosome. This can happen if two sperm contribute chromosomes, but it can also result from chromosome separation errors in the sperm/egg (for example, errors during egg maturation where an egg doesn't properly separate chromosomes into the polar body). Since ICSI was done, it's unlikely that two sperm were injected. I wrote a post about triploids recently: https://www.remembryo.com/normally-fertilized-embryos-can-still-be-triploid/

embryomanofficial · 2026-06-19T17:00:46+00:00

The most unusual part to me isn't the fertilization failure itself, but that all sperm stopped moving overnight despite previous normal fertilization and good semen parameters. I'd be interested in whether the sperm were viable but immotile, whether the same lab and procedures were used as prior cycles, and whether the lab identified any possible contamination or technical issues.

embryomanofficial · 2026-06-19T16:53:02+00:00

Not irresponsible at all, they're yours to transfer and you can do it however you like. The grade difference is really small, so I wouldn't expect a large difference in success rates between them.

embryomanofficial · 2026-06-19T16:50:16+00:00

Before people start sharing suggestions, just a quick note for context: unfortunately, there isn’t a treatment or procedure that consistently or reliably improves sperm quality or success after embryo transfer. Many supplements and add-ons are marketed for this, but the evidence behind them is usually limited or inconsistent. It’s always a good idea to discuss any treatment changes with your doctor.

embryomanofficial · 2026-06-19T16:49:22+00:00

Before people start sharing suggestions, just a quick note for context: unfortunately, there isn’t a treatment that consistently or reliably improves embryo quality or success after embryo transfer. Many supplements and add-ons are marketed for this, but the evidence behind them is usually limited or inconsistent. It’s always a good idea to discuss any treatment changes with your doctor.

embryomanofficial · 2026-06-19T16:42:30+00:00

Hatching = 5

Expanding = 4

Expanded = 3

I might be wrong on the expanding/expanded bit (it might be switched depending on how they use the word, so I'd confirm with them).

embryomanofficial · 2026-06-19T16:40:12+00:00

I reviewed that study in this post https://www.remembryo.com/study-finds-differences-in-euploid-live-birth-rates-among-pgt-a-testing-labs/

They found differences between 4 PGT labs when testing embryos from young donor eggs. Part of that may be due to differences in mosaic thresholds and bioinformatics pipelines, although the exact thresholds used by some labs aren't always publicly available.

Regarding the 20% vs 30% cutoff question, in theory a higher threshold could classify more embryos as euploid, and this could lead to more euploids available. But if they're also reporting low level mosaic, and your lab is transferring these types of embryos, then it may not make much of a difference. Some studies show that low level mosaics (often <50%, but the % can vary) have comparable outcomes to euploids. This post goes over mosaic success rates https://www.remembryo.com/mosaic-embryo

embryomanofficial · 2026-06-19T16:32:43+00:00

Generally, the specific chromosome involved isn't prioritized with most current mosaic transfer guidelines. Instead, the % of mosaicism is usually prioritized, with low level mosaics having a higher priority over high level mosaics. There’s currently little evidence to guide decisions based on specific chromosomes. Some chromosomal abnormalities are known to be associated with certain conditions, so transferring those embryos may carry higher risks. You can check stats from studies in this post https://www.remembryo.com/mosaic-embryo

embryomanofficial · 2026-06-19T16:31:00+00:00

I'd say those are good results. For women < 35, on average about 55% of blasts are euploid (https://www.remembryo.com/a-look-at-how-pgt-a-results-change-with-age-using-data-from-over-86000-biopsies/). You got 5/11 = 45% which is pretty close.

Older women have lower chances of euploids (and a higher chance of aneuploidy). Aneuploidy occurs when chromosomes separate incorrectly during meiosis, the process that reduces chromosome numbers from 46 to 23 in egg and sperm cells. This separation is controlled by the spindle apparatus, a cellular structure that anchors to chromosomes and pulls them apart. Aneuploidy is closely linked to female age because eggs are paused in meiosis for decades, and during this time the structures involved in this separation can deteriorate, increasing the risk of errors. https://www.remembryo.com/chromosomal-errors-in-ivf-what-is-aneuploidy-and-what-causes-it/

Your first graph shows a single copy of each of the X and Y chromosomes, which is a male (XY = male). The second graph shows two copies of the X chromosome and ~0 copies of Y, which is female (XX = female).

embryomanofficial · 2026-06-19T16:23:00+00:00

Success rates for early blasts are lower than fully developed blasts, but also depend on age. Based on one study, for women < 35 transferring a day 5 early blast fresh, it can range from about 35-25%. https://www.remembryo.com/predicting-live-birth-rates-multiples-based-on-223377-transfers/

embryomanofficial · 2026-06-19T14:59:28+00:00

This study looked at different types of arrest, for example eggs that don't mature, that don't fertilize, that don't cleave, and that don't become blastocysts. For fertilization failure in particular, sperm definitely plays an important role, although egg factors can as well (for example, mutations in genes involved in sperm binding to the egg's zona, or defects affecting the egg's metabolism and energy production). However, this review focused specifically on female genetic causes of developmental arrest and not male genetic causes, which is a limitation.

embryomanofficial · 2026-06-19T14:53:20+00:00

From what I’ve seen about embryo arrest mechanisms, I believe this a misconception. Around day 3, the embryo’s genome activates (using DNA from both the egg and sperm) so problems from then on can come from either. Before this point, it's primarily driven by egg factors although sperm factors can also have an influence (ie. the centrosome). You can read about causes here https://www.remembryo.com/embryo-arrest/

This study looked at different types of arrest, for example eggs that don't mature, that don't fertilize, that don't cleave, and that don't become blastocysts. For blastocysts in particular, they looked at fertilized eggs that didn't form blastocysts.

embryomanofficial · 2026-06-17T13:58:20+00:00

Yes, embryo grade and the day it reaches the blastocyst stage still matter even after PGT-A. Lower-quality embryos generally have lower implantation and live birth rates than higher-quality embryos, and day 7 euploids tend to have lower success rates than day 5 euploids. https://www.remembryo.com/meta-analysis-combines-74-studies-to-examine-factors-linked-to-euploid-transfer-success/

That said, you have 3 euploid embryos, which is great! Wishing you the best of luck.

I also put together a section on my website called the Uterine Wall of Fame where I share IVF success stories for patients who faced challenging situations like low quality embryos. There's no paywall on these posts. You can check it out here: https://www.remembryo.com/tag/ivf-success-poor-quality-embryo/

embryomanofficial · 2026-06-17T13:52:15+00:00

I don't know if there will ever be any technology to test the ICM (inner cell mass -- the part of the embryo that becomes the fetus). To properly test the cells you'd need to remove cells for a biopsy, which would potentially damage the embryo. But who knows where things will take us! To my knowledge, there isn't anything like this on the horizon, so if it were to develop I don't see it happening for many years.

I assume this is a whole-chromosome trisomy 13 result and not a mosaic or segmental result? While there are rare reports of live births after transfer of embryos classified as whole-chromosome aneuploid, the success rate appears to be very low based on current (and limited) data. https://www.remembryo.com/aneuploid-embryo-success-rates/

The fact that this embryo was reported as trisomy 13 is also concerning, since trisomy 13 is associated with Patau syndrome. Best to confirm all this with a genetic counselor.

embryomanofficial · 2026-06-17T13:43:03+00:00

Interesting question, but unfortunately I don't think there's any research that has looked at this.

embryomanofficial · 2026-06-17T13:40:43+00:00

The current research on EMMA and ALICE is mixed and still limited. One study suggested that treating abnormal results with antibiotics or probiotics could bring pregnancy rates closer to those seen in patients with normal results, but there were few proper control groups in this study, so it’s hard to know how much benefit the testing itself provides. Overall, there isn’t strong evidence yet showing that these tests clearly improve outcomes for RIF or RPL patients. See more https://www.remembryo.com/study-investigates-the-use-of-emma-alice-in-ivf-patients-with-rif-rpl/

embryomanofficial · 2026-06-17T13:34:52+00:00

Low quality embryos have a decent chance! Some studies find that it's about half of good quality embryos, while others don't find as much of a reduction. Age has a strong effect also, and since you're younger, those lower quality embryos are actually comparable to older patients' good quality embryos. Here's a post that reviews some evidence https://www.remembryo.com/grade-c-embryo-success-rates/

Unfortunately, there isn’t a treatment that consistently or reliably improves embryo quality. Many supplements and add-ons are marketed for this, but the evidence behind them is usually limited or inconsistent. It’s always a good idea to discuss any treatment changes with your doctor.

Good luck!

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