Dr. Sony Sierra, MD, FRCSC, REI
When going through IVF, many patients hope that one cycle will be enough to build their family. Your doctor will select a protocol to give you the best chance of success in a single cycle, but in reality, some people need more than one cycle to create the number of healthy embryos required for the best possible outcome.
Another important factor to consider is your ideal family size. If your goal is to have more than one child, it may be helpful to explore a proactive approach known as embryo banking or creating an embryo reserve—which involves doing more than one IVF cycle before starting embryo transfers.
What Does It Mean to Create an Embryo Reserve?
This strategy means completing two (or more) IVF cycles before transferring any embryos. The goal is to freeze several embryos in advance—essentially saving them for future use. These embryos are often screened through preimplantation genetic testing (PGT-A) to help identify which have the highest potential to become healthy pregnancies.
By preparing a reserve of embryos upfront, you may be better positioned not only for your first transfer, but for future transfers—whether that’s after a failed attempt, after a delivery and postpartum recovery, or when you’re ready to grow your family again.
Why Do Some Patients Choose to Bank Embryos Ahead of Time?
Every fertility journey is unique, but here are some reasons patients choose this approach:
1. Planning for More Than One Child
If you’re hoping to have more than one child—and you’re over 35 or have concerns about egg quantity or quality—banking embryos now for future family-building can help. Creating an embryo reserve increases your chances of having embryos available when you’re ready for baby #2 (or beyond), using eggs retrieved at your current age.
2. Egg Quality and Age
Fertility naturally declines with age. After 36, it can become harder to create euploid embryos (chromosomally normal embryos). If you’re hoping for two children, research and clinical experience suggest you may need about five euploid embryos to reach that goal—which often takes more than one cycle, depending on how you respond to stimulation and your ovarian reserve.
3. Reducing Emotional Highs and Lows
IVF can come with emotional ups and downs: stimulating the ovaries, waiting for embryo results, transfers, and the two-week wait for pregnancy results. By completing multiple IVF cycles upfront, you’re banking embryos in advance, which can reduce the stress of starting over after a failed transfer, pregnancy loss, or even after delivering and breastfeeding your first child—all of which can delay your next treatment window.
4. Cost and Long-Term Efficiency
While doing more than one cycle before transfer might seem like a bigger upfront investment, it can actually save time and cost in the long run—especially if you’re hoping to grow your family over time. TRIO also offers pricing plans that support this approach and help make future-focused family planning more accessible.
Is Embryo Banking Right for You?
Not everyone needs to do more than one IVF cycle before transfer. If one cycle gives you enough embryos for your desired family size, that may be all you need. But if you’re over 36, have a lower ovarian reserve, or want to prepare for more than one child, creating an embryo reserve may give you peace of mind—and a stronger chance of success.
Talk to your doctor about your goals, your numbers, and what matters most to you. At TRIO, we’re here to support your decisions and your journey toward the family of your dreams. Speak to a TRIO Care Navigator today.
