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Traditionally, embryos are cultured for 3 days to reach a cleavage stage with 4 to 10 cells, before being transferred back to the mother. However, embryos that look healthy and well developed by day 3 do not always have the best potential for implantation and a healthy pregnancy. Advances in blastocyst culture, a technique developed for in vitro fertilisation (IVF), now allow embryos to undergo an extended culture period of 5 or 6 days to reach the blastocyst stage.

By the time an embryo reaches the blastocyst stage with up to hundreds of cells, the embryo has already undergone several cell divisions and achieved its first cell differentiation. This allows us to identify with increased certainty the embryos with high potential for implantation (meaning that they are more likely to attach to the uterine wall and develop into a healthy pregnancy), therefore leading to higher chances of successful pregnancy and reducing the risk of multiple births.

At Mount Elizabeth Fertility Centre, our strict laboratory standards with ideal culture conditions allow us to support the growth of embryos to the blastocyst stage. Our ability to develop embryos to the blastocyst stage allows us to select the healthiest embryos with the highest potential for implantation at the time of transfer.

Only 1 or 2 blastocysts will be transferred, versus the traditional transfer of 3 or 4 early-stage embryos, back to the mother. This reduces the risk of multiple births from IVF due to fewer embryos being transferred back to the mother, while improving pregnancy rates.

Patients with poor ovarian response while undergoing IVF treatment can have renewed hope with the double stimulation protocol. Poor ovarian response could be due to multiple factors, including diminished ovarian reserves or older age.

In classic IVF procedures, only 1 oocyte retrieval (egg collection) is performed using mild ovarian stimulation during the early follicular phase of the menstrual cycle. The double stimulation protocol is where a 2 ^nd oocyte retrieval is performed during the luteal phase. This technique, where double stimulations are performed during both the follicular and luteal phases in the same menstrual cycle, leads to higher opportunity in retrieval of more oocytes. Retrieval of more oocytes allows for better chances in obtaining quality blastocysts and therefore higher pregnancy success rates.

Talk to your fertility specialist if you would like to understand more about IVF treatment and the double stimulation procedure.

A sperm donor may be required in a case where the husband has azoospermia (a condition of a man whose semen contains no sperm), poor sperm quality, inheritable diseases or other medical indications.

Mount Elizabeth Fertility Centre has a dedicated donor sperm programme to assist couples who are unable to achieve pregnancy due to male infertility. We will guide you through the process of selecting a sperm donor, handle the importation and shipment of the donor sperm, and manage the storage of the frozen sperm specimens.

Currently, MEFC is working with 3 of the largest sperm banks based in the United States. All sperm donors are screened for genetic diseases, chromosomal abnormalities and infectious diseases prior to sperm donation. These sperm banks are licensed and inspected by the Food and Drug Administration.

Before undergoing treatment, you will go for a psychological counselling session with our counsellor. This session will help in your consideration and discuss the legal, social, genetic and moral aspects of conceiving a child from the donor sperm programme.

For more information on the donor sperm programme, email ivf@parkwaypantai.com or call +65 6731 2693 / 2626.

Mount Elizabeth Fertility Centre is permitted by the Ministry of Health (MOH), Singapore, to work with one of the largest egg donor banks in Europe in importing donor eggs.

The egg donor selection process can be complicated. We understand that the safety and quality of the donated oocytes are major concerns for patients trying for a successful pregnancy.

To ensure this, all egg donors undergo infectious disease and genetic testing screening. In addition, the screening processes are in compliance with the European Union Tissues and Cells Directive (which sets and regulates the standards of quality and safety for the donation, procurement, testing, processing, preservation, storage and distribution of human tissues and cells) as well as Human Fertilisation & Embryology Authority's (HFEA) regulations on egg donation.

MEFC will facilitate and coordinate with the overseas egg bank to handle all the shipping logistics for you when you are ready to embark on our donor egg programme. Our team of IVF physicians, embryologists, psychologists and staff nurses are dedicated to supporting you in every way as you begin the journey to fulfilling your dreams of parenthood.

To get started, please email ivf@parkwaypantai.com or call +65 6731 2693 / 2626 for an appointment where we can help to answer all your questions.

At Mount Elizabeth Fertility Centre, we routinely apply a laboratory technique known as freeze-all IVF. In the past, the standard protocol was transferring fresh embryos during IVF. Now, advancements to the freezing process give couples more options than before.

Vitrification is a method for the safe freezing of blastocysts, where the process produces a glass-like solidification of living cells that avoids the formation of ice crystals. This is important in the embryology world as ice crystal formation can be extremely damaging to frozen embryos.

Vitrification in IVF allows for better survival rates of thawed embryos and improved pregnancy rates after frozen transfer procedures. This translates to better pregnancy outcomes, along with a lowered chance of obstetric complications such as pre-term labour or fetal growth restriction.

Quality blastocysts (advanced day 5 or day 6 embryos) that remain after the end of a treatment cycle will be saved, via vitrification, for future use. When needed, the frozen blastocysts are thawed for transfer, leading to ideal chances for a positive outcome upon harvesting of the eggs.

The freeze-all blastocysts strategy is especially beneficial for women who are diagnosed with low ovarian reserves or women who encounter poor ovarian response during IVF treatment. Older women, or even cancer patients who wish to preserve their fertility prior to undergoing gonadotoxic treatments, may also choose to benefit from this procedure.