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Frozen embryo transfer at TFP Fertility
A frozen embryo transfer is where a healthy embryo that was frozen from a previous IVF cycle is carefully thawed before being transferred into the womb.
Want to know if this is for you? You can talk to one of our fertility experts.
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What is a frozen embryo transfer?
A frozen embryo transfer (FET) gives you another opportunity to become pregnant without having to go through a full IVF cycle.
The transfer may take place during a natural cycle or a hormone-regulated cycle.
A hormone-regulated cycle involves you taking medication to temporarily switch off your ovaries and thicken the lining of your womb.
A frozen embryo transfer involving medication to regulate your hormones takes around 6–8 weeks.
Who can benefit from a frozen embryo transfer?
We offer frozen embryo transfer to couples and single women who have stored their frozen embryos with us, or those who wish to transfer their embryos to us from another clinic.
We can help you to transfer frozen embryos to TFP Fertility to continue your treatment here.
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Contact us today
If you’d like to know more about frozen embryo transfers at one of our clinics or would like to book an appointment, please get in touch. We’ll get back to you within 48 hours and provide you with all the information you need to get started.
What is the success rate of a frozen embryo transfer?
Success rates when using frozen embryos continue to improve because of advances in freezing techniques.
As a leading fertility group, we always aim to offer the latest proven techniques and have highly skilled teams dedicated to the science of fertility.
To find out success rates at your local TFP Fertility clinic, please enter your postcode on our local clinics page and select your nearest clinic.
You can also visit our success rates page to learn about how we calculate our IVF success rates and what to look out for when choosing a fertility clinic.
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How much does a frozen embryo transfer cost?
The cost of frozen embryo transfer at TFP Fertility UK varies because we carefully tailor each individual treatment plan to give the best chance of success.
A typical FET cycle includes:
monitoring scans
embryo thawing
post-thaw culture
embryo transfer
early pregnancy scan
You can find a detailed price list for all treatments and procedures on each TFP Fertility clinic page.
Find your nearest clinic, or use our contact form to request a confidential chat about your circumstances, whether frozen embryo transfer is right for you, and to take you through the costs.
FAQs
How are my embryos thawed?
The embryo is carefully warmed to thaw it safely, and we sometimes grow an embryo for a day or so after thawing to see if it will develop further.
The embryo is then returned to an incubator, ready for transfer to the womb.
How many embryos will be thawed for my transfer?
Having a multiple pregnancy (twins, triplets, or more) is the greatest health risk associated with fertility treatment.
For this reason, we typically thaw one embryo first and then assess its quality.
If for some reason the embryo doesn’t survive, we’ll speak to you before potentially thawing another embryo.
How many of my embryos will survive the process?
Currently, around 80% of the frozen embryos we thaw survive.
Two of the main factors that affect this are the stage of development at which the embryo was frozen, and the quality of the embryo.
A good quality embryo frozen on day five or six of development typically has over 90% chance of being successful.
By this stage an embryo is known as a blastocyst and is a healthy bundle of more than 100 cells.
Will my embryos deteriorate while they’re frozen?
We freeze embryos instantly in liquid nitrogen, using a technique called vitrification.
This means they are safely held in a suspended state during their time in storage, with no deterioration.
Will my embryos be transferred in a natural or hormone-regulated cycle?
Frozen embryos can be transferred into the womb during a natural cycle or a hormone-regulated cycle. Both are equally effective.
A hormone-regulated cycle temporarily switches off the ovaries and you take medication to prepare the lining of your womb for the developing embryo.
If you have regular menstrual cycles and ovulate on your own, you may be suitable for a FET in a natural cycle.
But it’s important to note that the timings of events in a natural cycle are outside anyone’s control.
This means your embryo transfer may need to take place on a day when we’re unable to provide treatment, which can be very disappointing.
This is why the majority of our frozen embryo transfer treatments are done in a hormone-regulated cycle.
If you have opted for a natural cycle FET though, missing your treatment day won’t affect your embryos, because they won’t have been thawed yet.
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Speak to us today
If you’re keen to discuss your fertility treatment options, have a question about frozen embryo transfer, or would like to book an appointment at your local TFP Fertility clinic, please use our contact form. There’s no experience like this, and we’re here with you every step of the way.
The frozen embryo transfer process in more detail
Every frozen embryo transfer is different because we individually tailor each treatment. But typically, your FET will follow the five steps outlined below.
1. Consultation and scan
The first step of the FET process is for you to have an advanced transvaginal ultrasound scan to check your reproductive organs.
This involves a small probe being passed through your vagina.
You’ll also have a consultation, where we’ll discuss your treatment plan, including whether to carry out the FET during a natural or hormone-regulated cycle.
2. Advice on injections
If your FET is set to take place during a hormone-regulated cycle, you’ll visit your TFP Fertility clinic on approximately day 18–23 of your cycle and we’ll show you how to self-administer injections at home to suppress your natural hormones.
3. Hormone levels check
Around two weeks later, you’ll have a blood test to check your hormone levels.
If all looks good, you’ll be given instructions on when to take oestrogen to build up the lining of your womb.
4. Womb lining check and FET date
Around 15 days later, you’ll have a transvaginal scan to check if the lining of your womb has thickened enough for the FET to take place.
If the thickness is adequate, we’ll ask you to start taking progesterone pessaries.
These can be inserted into the vagina or back passage.
We’ll also give you a date for your frozen embryo transfer.
5. Frozen embryo transfer
On the morning of your FET, we’ll call to let you know whether your embryos survived the thawing process.
If they have, the transfer may take place on that day or 1–3 days later, depending on whether it’s best to give the embryo some time to develop further.
For the actual transfer, a thin, flexible catheter tube containing the embryo will be inserted into your womb.
A small amount of fluid will then be used to push the embryo out of the tube.
What happens after the embryo transfer?
After your embryo transfer, we’ll give you the best date to carry out a pregnancy test, which will be around two weeks after the procedure.
We do understand what an intense and difficult wait this can be.
But, however tempting, we advise not testing before then, as the results could be misleading.
During this anxious time, do call us if you have any questions or concerns.
We’re with you and ready to give you reassurance and encouragement to get you through this time.
We also offer a range of supporting therapies, such as reflexology and acupuncture, which can relieve stress and help you feel better, both physically and emotionally.
You can book these at any point in your fertility journey with us.
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