Why are IVF clinics so scared of growing embryos to the blastocyst stage in the lab ?

Why are IVF clinics so scared of growing embryos to the blastocyst  stage ? Many IVF clinics come up with all kinds of flimsy excuses and pretexts for transferring embryos back into the uterus on Day 3, especially when the patient has only a few follicles and a few eggs .

This is to cover up their incompetence, because they are scared that the embryo will not develop  to the blastocyst stage in their IVF lab, because they don't have enough confidence in their embryologist. This is why they pressurize the patient to transfer the embryo back into the uterus as soon as possible . This way, if it fails to implant , they can blame the patient’s poor endometrial receptivity, rather than accept responsibility for the fact that their lab was not good enough to make a good quality blastocyst.

The reality is that it makes no sense to transfer Day 2 or Day 3 embryos into the uterus , because the day 3 embryo doesn't belong in the uterus - it belongs in the fallopian tube . An embryo reaches the uterus after spending about 5 days in the fallopian tube, which is why all embryos that are transferred into the uterus should only be Day 5 embryos.

Now I understand the patient’s concern. You are worried that if your embryo arrests in vitro in the lab and doesn't become a blastocyst, you will end up with no embryos to transfer , which means your chances of getting pregnant will be zero .

That is a perfectly valid worry , but also remember that if your day 3 embryo doesn't become a day 5 embryo in a good laboratory , then it’s not going to become a Day 5 embryo in your uterus either. This embryo would not have implanted, no matter what.

Now if your IVF lab is not good, then you should kick yourself for having paid good money to take treatment in a bad IVF clinic !

Good IVF clinics are very confident about their ability to grow embryos to blastocysts routinely , irrespective of how many embryos they have to start off with .

Let’s assume the worst, and suppose your embryo does arrest in the lab. You will be broken-hearted in the short term, but this way you have gained invaluable information as to what the problem is , so that you can come up with more intelligent solutions for your next cycle . This way, at least you know what to do differently in the next cycle. You will also end up saving yourself from a fruitless and pointless 2ww !

Keeping on transferring Day 3 embryos cycle after cycle means you will end up wasting a lot of time, money and energy , and the only person who will benefit from your repeated failures is the IVF Clinic.

This is why it's so important that you be well informed about IVF treatment. If your doctor refuses  to grow your embryos to the blastocyst phase, this in itself is a red flag , and you should worry a lot about why they are reluctant to do so. Often, the truth is that they know their lab is incompetent, and want to hide this fact from you.

Need help in getting pregnant ? Please send me your medical details by filling in the form at www.drmalpani.com/free-second-opinion so that I can guide you !