The time between your embryo transfer and your pregnancy test is often the most nerve-racking part of the in vitro fertilization (IVF) process. You’ve been through so much to get to this point, and now you’re on edge waiting to see whether the transfer was successful. 

How Successful Are Embryo Transfers?

An embryo transfer is successful when the embryo implants in your uterine wall and you receive a positive pregnancy test. 

The success rates of embryo transfers vary greatly based on a number of factors, but especially your age. According to the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology, the average rate of live births after embryo transfer is about 54% for women under 35, 40.5% between the ages of 35-37, 24.8% if you are between 38-40 years old, 12.8% between the ages of 41-42, and 4% if you’re older than 42.

Success rates are lower for the first IVF attempt than subsequent attempts, ranging from 3.6% to 39.8%. Although it’s heartbreaking to learn that you didn’t have a successful embryo transfer, data indicate that the chances of success are higher with future attempts.

These figures are all based on women who use their own eggs, and are average numbers. Your own likelihood of success may be impacted by a whole host of factors, and your doctor will help determine how likely you are to have a successful embryo transfer based on your health, age, and other individual factors. No person is the same, and neither is their fertility health.

What Factors Affect a Successful Embryo Transfer?

Again, many factors may influence whether you have a successful embryo transfer. Some, such as your BMI at the time of the transfer, can be influenced by lifestyle changes, while others, such as your age, cannot. Here are some of the most common contributing factors:

Age and Embryo Quality

Eggs decrease in both number and quality, and sperm quality also diminishes with age. This means that older patients often have fewer embryos to work with, and the embryos they do have are more likely to have genetic abnormalities. You may want to have genetic testing done on to identify the healthiest embryos for transfer.

Your Medical History

Your past medical history, including health issues and reproductive history, can impact whether you have a successful embryo transfer. For example, a previous cesarean section increases your risk of an unsuccessful transfer, while managing conditions like endometriosis improves your chances of success. 

Lifestyle Factors

Lifestyle factors, such as your BMI, diet, whether you smoke or drink alcohol, how much exercise you get, how well you sleep, and your stress levels, are all known to impact fertility. Adopting healthy lifestyle choices, especially maintaining a healthy weight, may help your body prepare for successful embryo implantation and reduce the risk of miscarriage. 

Preparing Your Uterus

The timing of your embryo transfer is essential. Your uterus must be fully prepared to support a pregnancy, and achieving the right balance of hormones to stimulate your uterine wall to thicken is critical. Your doctor will closely monitor the condition of your uterus to best determine the ideal time to perform your embryo transfer.

Uterine Contractions

Whether you have frequent uterine contractions after your embryo transfer plays a big part in its success. In the same way that your body uses uterine contractions to give birth and shed the uterine lining during menstruation, uterine contractions can also cause your body to expel the embryo. 

Fresh vs. Frozen Embryos

There is some evidence that you’re more likely to have a successful embryo transfer with frozen embryos. Part of the reason is that freezing your embryos provides more time to regulate your menstrual cycle and ensure your uterine lining reaches the ideal thickness. Genetic testing on frozen embryos also enables your doctor to select the healthiest embryos.  

Difficulty with Your Embryo Transfer 

Many things can influence the difficulty of an embryo transfer. Excess cervical mucus may contaminate your embryo during the transfer, and your uterine anatomy may impact how easy it is to pass the catheter. Studies have shown that difficult embryo transfers are less likely to succeed because there’s more potential for the embryo to become contaminated or for it to end up outside the ideal location for implantation. But don’t give up if you’ve had a difficult transfer in the past. Your next transfer may go much better!

Your Doctor’s Skill

Finally, your doctor’s skill, experience, and transfer technique all influence whether you have a successful embryo transfer. It’s so important to do your research before choosing a fertility specialist, and not be afraid to seek a second opinion. It’s unrealistic to expect your doctor to have a 100% success rate (refer back to those earlier statistics), but fertility specialists should be able to share their overall success rates. It’s also a good idea to read patient testimonials to help see whether others had good experiences and results.

At Halo Fertility, we are proud of our exemplary IVF success rates and our commitment to our patients. If you’re considering IVF and want to build your family, book a consult to meet Dr. Macer and begin your fertility journey. We look forward to meeting you!