Lab efficiency: what numbers should I expect?

Much of the success of your cycle is dependent on your lab and their team, so it's important to have a strong understanding of your lab's historical results and what they are predicting for you as you progress through your cycle. Most clinics will review expectations during your initial consultation, revise expectations through stimulation, and then provide actual updates as your embryos progress through development. Setting clear expectations, being transparent through the entire process, and communicating diligently are all important things to advocate for if you feel like you're not receiving good quality information.

While older patients generally see fewer blastocysts develop as an overall percentage of embryos due to a decline in the quality of the egg and therefore, a greater number of embryos arresting in development post-day 3, once embryos reach blast and are biopsied, we generally see the below results:

Age 28: 3 out of 4 "normal"

Age 38: 2 out of 4 "normal"

Age 42:  1 out of 4 "normal"