Cat.
Yes, the pods were spongy. I was told that extracting the embryos at 6 weeks was a good guide, but I've never been ready at 6 weeks! I guess that's based on embryos reaching a manageable size before any incompatibility kicks in, but I'm wondering how successful ERers find the embryos at all! Do they use microscopes? I don't remember reading anything about that.
I wonder if it's too late at the point when the pod begins to lose turgidity.
We need someone with experience to share some answers.
