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Successful Embryo Culture - Dragon Baby Says Hi!
Dr. Shen Meng Shun
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Even a CC-Grade Embryo Can Triumph All the Way!
Rong faced challenges with immature eggs and poor embryo quality, resulting in disappointing outcomes in her previous IVF attempts. Finally, Dr. Shen Meng-Shun adjusted the strategy, and now, the baby has safely arrived!
Adjusting the Ovulation Trigger Timing for a Successful Pregnancy
Rong, who always wanted to become a mother of three, did not have a satisfactory result in her last IVF cycle. The main issues were immature eggs and poor-quality embryos. I tried several medication protocols, but her egg maturity rate was generally not good. Eventually, I found that we needed to wait until her follicles were larger than usual before administering the ovulation trigger shot for better results (typically, the trigger is given when follicles are around 1.6–2.0 cm).
Even though the embryo resulting from this cycle was not of the best quality, it was chromosomally normal and had developed reasonably well, so we decided to proceed with the transfer. If the baby is destined to become a part of their family, it will eventually find its way. One day, I ran into them while they were pushing their baby in a stroller—such a surprising and joyful encounter!
Causes of Immature Eggs
Generally, an egg needs to be mature to initiate the fertilization process. Maturity is assessed as MII (Metaphase II), which means the egg has completed the first meiotic division and is in the middle of the second meiotic division.
There are many reasons for immature eggs: the follicles may not have been large enough before retrieval, insufficient luteinizing hormone (LH) stimulation, medication effects, or issues with the body’s mechanisms for regulating egg maturity. Although there is now "in vitro maturation" (IVM) technology to assist and rescue such cases, it is still preferable for the egg to mature within the body before being retrieved.
Welcoming a Dragon Baby, the Fifth Member of the Family
I’ve encountered some very unique situations throughout my career, both good and bad, which I hope to share with everyone someday.
Dragon Year babies are so lucky! There are so many creative Dragon Year products available. Just look at this gift set and this Dragon Baby, a precious embryo that didn’t come easily to its mother. Even though it was a CC-grade embryo, it overcame all obstacles and safely became the fifth member of their family.