This patient went through six IVF cycles with multiple failed transfers and years of unexplained infertility. A final low-stimulation cycle and one day 3 embryo finally led to pregnancy and a baby girl.
⚠️ These stories are personal experiences, not medical advice or scientific evidence. People are much more likely to share success stories than unsuccessful ones, so they should not be interpreted as evidence that any particular test, treatment, protocol, or clinic caused that success. Always discuss treatment decisions with your fertility specialist.
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📊 Story Snapshot
👩 Age: 34📆 Years trying: 3
🧬 Embryo: Day 3 fair quality 8 cell
🧪 Retrievals: 6
🐣 Transfers: 6
💊 Diagnosis: Unexplained infertility
📈 Outcome: Live birth
I went through six rounds of IVF with a diagnosis of unexplained infertility. For no apparent reason, my egg quality just wasn’t good, and despite trying everything, I never got a clear answer why. I’ve had no major health issues before I started trying and very regular and unproblematic menstrual cycles. I had stopped any prescription medications, drinking, and smoking completely when I started trying. We tried unassisted for a year and 2 years of assisted reproduction before we were able to get pregnant. Often it was unclear if it would ever happen.
Throughout the 6 retrievals and transfers, the first transfer was canceled due to no viable eggs. I retrieved 10-20 eggs each retrieval, about half fertilized, and then basically transferred all of the couple viable embryos with nothing left to freeze each round.
Throughout the process, I did everything I could to improve my egg quality—changed my diet, exercised aggressively (and then scaled it back), tried acupuncture, traditional Chinese medicine, supplements, and even red light therapy. After three failed retrievals, I took a break to focus more deeply on traditional medicine, and right after that break, I had my first (and only) embryo that made it to day five and could be frozen. But even then, the transfer didn’t work, and the next cycle was worse.
It wasn’t until my sixth retrieval that something finally changed. We did a low-stimulation protocol, and although I got fewer eggs and the worst fertilization rate I’d had so far, one single embryo made it.
We transferred it on day three—and it stuck. One other change I made that cycle was more aggressive use of low-level red light therapy, both at home and in the clinic. Maybe it was the red light, maybe it was the protocol, or maybe it was just time—but somehow, that last cycle worked.
Sometimes there just aren’t clear answers. I tried everything, and in the end, it was one fragile little embryo that made me a mom.
What would you say to someone who’s going through what you went through?
“It seemed like it was never gonna happen for me, but then it did.”
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Want to learn more about day 3 embryos? Check out my guide on embryo grading and success rates.
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