Pregnant from a 4BC embryo that didn’t re-expand

After four retrievals and several failed transfers, a frozen 4BC embryo that didn’t fully re-expand after thawing led to a healthy 21-week pregnancy and normal NIPT and anatomy scan results.

💬 These stories are part of the Uterine Wall of Fame — a growing collection of real IVF success stories submitted by patients who faced challenging scenarios like poor-quality embryos or low AMH. The UWOF is a project by Remembryo / Embryoman, a site that highlights new IVF research. All UWOF posts are free to access (no subscription required).

⚠️ These stories are personal experiences, not medical advice or scientific evidence. Success stories are more likely to be shared than unsuccessful ones, so they should not be interpreted as proof that a treatment works. Always discuss treatment decisions with your doctor.

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📊 Story Snapshot

👩 Age: 37
📆 Years trying: 6
🧬 Embryo: 4BB PGT-A
🧪 Retrievals: 2
🐣 Transfers: 3
💊 Diagnosis: Low AMH, thin lining
📈 Outcome: Pregnant at 21 weeks
🏷️ Tags: Poor quality embryo, Thin lining, Over 35

I just wanted to send along our story about our little embryo that could.

A total of 79 eggs were harvested across four retrievals. We transferred 1 early stage blast and 3 morulas, which had to be done fresh because they weren’t strong enough to freeze. And FINALLY one 4BC that we were able to freeze (that we called “Snowflake”).

At transfer, the embryologist told us the embryo didn’t fully expand prior to the transfer (after thawing), but assured us that it still had time in the uterus to catch up. Our doctor warned us to be reserved and aware that this was an unlikely scenario.

Here’s a picture of the un-expanded embryo we transferred:

At 8DPT my beta was 21. We were told to prepare for a possible chemical. At 10DPT it was 44. And at 13 DPT it was 219!!!

We are now 21 weeks pregnant. NIPT has given a great genetic result with 99%+ confidence that there is no genetic abnormality. The 20 week anatomy scan came back normal and our little girl is growing as best as she could.

Proud of our fighter for breaking barriers and proving everyone wrong from the very start.

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Want to learn more about poor quality embryos? Check out my guide on poor quality embryo success rates.

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