Why are all my embryos abnormal?

This is a devastating result to receive, and the first thing to say is that it is not something you caused. The most common reason is egg age. Chromosome errors occur when eggs divide, and the frequency rises with age — this is biology, not anything you did or failed to do. ASRM notes aneuploidy is found in around 50% of tested miscarriages in women under 35 and 75% in women over 40, which gives a sense of how common these errors are generally. Other contributors: the number of eggs retrieved, since fewer eggs means fewer chances of a normal one; sperm factors in some cases; and simple chance, which plays a larger role than people expect. A cycle where all embryos test abnormal can be followed by one where several are normal. Some technical caveats worth knowing before concluding anything: The biopsy samples placental-lineage cells, which may not represent the whole embryo. Results labelled abnormal include a spectrum — some findings are more clearly incompatible with a healthy pregnancy than others. Laboratories differ in their reporting thresholds, particularly for mosaicism. What to ask: whether the pattern suggests anything specific, whether a different stimulation approach might yield more eggs, and whether the laboratory would review the results with you in detail. One cycle with all abnormal embryos does not predict the next. Several couples in this position conceive in a subsequent cycle. It is reasonable to ask what your realistic chances are before deciding whether to continue.