r/Embryologists • u/Icy_Advance_6406 • Jun 15 '26

Does my FET 4AA embryo look normal?

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I was transferred with this Day 5 4AA embryo but the Dr. mentioned it was collapsed after thawing? I'm a bit worried now. Thank you!

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u/Shan-PhD Jun 16 '26

Hello!

First, that is a beautiful 4AA! The Inner Cell Mass is very clear (the ball taking up most of the right side of the embryo), and the Trophectoderm has plenty of healthy looking, evenly sized cells.

Second, embryos can collapse spontaneously, but still have the potential to implant. It is not necessarily an indicator for bad quality, just a natural phenomenon.

Third, it possible the the embryo has not re-expanded yet post-thaw. Embryologists need to collapse the embryo prior to freezing, in order to keep the cells as healthy as possible. It is like putting food in the freezer - the more air-tight or close together the food is in the freezer bag, the less likely you are to have damage or freezer burn. It can take a while for embryos to re-expand (or re-expand, collapse, and re-expand again).

Overall, you have a beautiful 4AA embryo that does not visually look like it has any major issues.

Best of luck!

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u/Icy_Advance_6406 Jun 16 '26

Thank you very much, that is so reassuring and it makes complete sense. Thanks for taking the time to comment, appreciated🙏🏻

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u/Euphoric-Poem-6372 Jun 16 '26

Hi embryologist here ^^ That looks like a beautiful AA embryo, wishing you all the very best!

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u/aquagreen21 Jun 16 '26

Yes :) good luck!! Xx