Frozen Transfer vs. Fresh: Which One Is Best? Some studies have found that pregnancy rates are better with frozen embryo transfers than with fresh embryo transfers. Studies have also found that pregnancies conceived after frozen embryo transfer may have better outcomes for the baby. Most of these studies have been done in younger women with a good prognosis, so it’s unclear what it would mean for those over age 35 or with a poor prognosis. More research must be done. However, if it proves to be true that FET-IVF is more likely to lead to a live birth than a fresh transfer, what could be the reason for it? As mentioned earlier, one possible theory is that the fertility drugs that are ideal for ovarian stimulation are less than ideal for endometrial formation. This means that stimulating the ovaries in one cycle—with a plan to transfer the embryos during a non-stimulating cycle—may be better for implantation. The second possible reason could be that embryos that survive cryopreservation are stronger. The weaker embryos may not survive the extended time in the lab and the freeze-thaw process. This is one of the risks you take when choosing frozen embryo transfer. Some embryos may not make it. However, some doctors argue that those less-strong embryos wouldn’t have led to a healthy pregnancy in any case. Note: You may have read about earlier studies, which compared fresh vs. frozen transfer. Many of these older studies concluded that fresh embryo transfer cycles had better pregnancy rates than frozen embryo transfers. However, that research can’t be applied to a “freeze-all” cycle. The older studies involved taking the less-than-ideal embryos, freezing them, and transferring the best-looking embryos right away. It’s logical that the less-than-ideal embryos would have lower success rates than the good-looking ones that were transferred in a fresh cycle. Best Fertility Care Centre , Advanced Fertility Care Centre , Ashwini Hospital & Fertility Centre , Maternal & Child Health Care Centre.