The most difficult decision and often most controversial when going through IVF is, “How Many Embryos Should I Transfer.” Since the “Octomom” incident, choosing how many embryos to transfer during IVF is much more complex given the risk of high order multiples.

Choosing how many embryos to transfer becomes a conversation between you and the fertility treatment center you choose. Factors such as age, fertility issues and fertility center guidelines will play an integral part in how many embryos will be transferred. Your beliefs on selective reduction may guide your decision on how many embryos to transfer.

The more embryos that are transferred, the higher the risk of high order multiples. High order multiples can increase the medical risk for both the babies and the mother.

Most fertility treatment centers transfer 2 embryos. There are circumstances where this is different depending on each patient case and whether they are 3, 4 or 5 day embryo transfer. Make sure to discuss this during your consultations with prospective fertility doctors. If the doctor states that you can transfer
as many embryos as you like, it might be time to move onto the next fertility treatment center. Make sure you trust the doctor that will be guiding you through the IVF process.

Before you decide on how many embryos to transfer, make sure you think about the increased medical risks for both the babies and the mother. The idea of IVF is to bring home healthy babies. By limiting the amount of embryos you transfer to a reasonable number, you can help increase the chance of having a healthy family in the future.