More than 40% of men and women report having trouble conceiving a child. In fact, 1 in 6 couples report having trouble becoming pregnant. You still have choices if infertility is a problem for you.
One medical treatment that you can have to improve your chances of getting pregnant is in vitro fertilization (IVF). This procedure enables you to conceive a kid outside of your body using your eggs or sperm.
The fertility doctors will place a fertilized egg, now known as an embryo, into the uterus once the eggs have been fertilized, and they will watch to see if the treatment was successful. After 15 days of treatment if you undergone by symptoms like vaginal bleeding and stomach pain which are the symptoms of Implantation failure.
IVF Cycle Limitations
Most people who undergo IVF will continue trying until they become pregnant. Only about 50% of the couples successfully undergo IVF during their first and second cycles.
The first cycle of IVF, although fortunate for some couples, it ends in failure for most. These couples might need to continue attempting because of this. According to studies, most couples will require about six embryo transfers before successfully becoming pregnant.
There are no restrictions on how many IVF cycles you can undergo. It is totally up to you and the fertility doctors to make this choice. Naturally, you need to be healthy when you undergo IVF, no matter how many cycles you have. Otherwise, the cycle has a higher likelihood of failure.
The choice is yours whether to continue with IVF after the first round or not. Some couples have gone through more than ten cycles before becoming pregnant. You may choose how many IVF cycles you want to do, but you should be aware of the heavy expenses involved and make decisions accordingly.
Age Limitations On IVF
The younger an individual or couple is, the higher the chances of having a successful IVF procedure. This is because the quality of the egg and sperm decreases as a person’s age increases.
In India, the average success rate of IVF treatments is somewhere between 75-90%. It is a bit complicated to determine the effects age has on successful IVF treatments. Here is an approximate estimation of the percentage of successful IVF treatments based on a woman’s age.
Women younger than 35 – 80-95%
35-37 years – 70%
38-40 years – 60%
40-42 years – 40%
Over 43 years – 20%
Men and women can also choose to have a donor sperm or egg in place of their own if theirs is not of the appropriate quality.
Embryo Limits
Even though there are no limitations to the number of times you can undergo IVF cycles, there are limitations to the number of embryos you can transfer into the uterus during a single IVF cycle.
Most fertility doctors only transfer one or two embryos per cycle. This is to reduce the chances of multiple births, which might lead to miscarriages and other health issues for mothers.
This highly increases the number of times you have to undergo IVF if the previous ones are not successful.
How Long after trying to get Pregnant should someone consider IVF?
IVF is the last option fertility doctors would choose when all the other natural and assisted reproductive techniques did not succeed in pregnancy. Before opting for artificial methods for pregnancy, women first try to get pregnant naturally.
For women under 35, they can very well try to get pregnant naturally for at least a year before choosing IVF. Women who are over 35 can try to get pregnant for six months before choosing IVF.
What are the risks associated with IVF?
Given below are some of the risks involved in IVF treatments.
- Complications during egg retrieval: Complications with egg retrieval may lead to bleeding, infections, and damage to the reproductive organs.
- Multiple births: Assisted reproductive technologies like IVF enhance the likelihood of multiple pregnancies. This might result in early labor and a baby with a low birth weight.
- Miscarriage: The likelihood of miscarriage increases with the mother’s age, despite the fact that the rate of miscarriages in IVF is the same as that with unassisted pregnancies.
- Premature delivery: Women may be slightly more at risk of having premature delivery or birthing babies with lower birth weight.
- Ectopic pregnancy: When fertilized eggs implant outside the uterus, such as in the fallopian tubes, this condition is called ectopic pregnancy.
- Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome (OHSS): OHSS is a rare condition that causes nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhoea, bloating, rapid weight gain, and the inability to urinate in women.
How often can I do IVF treatments?
This might be one of the most important quotations women wish to know the answer to. Even though there are no limitations to the number of times you can undergo IVF, you certainly need to give your body some time to rest before commencing the next cycle.
Most fertility clinics wait until women have gone through a whole menstrual cycle after a failed IVF attempt before trying again. Some people might choose to take a longer break due to financial constraints or to recover from the effects of the medications.
According to studies, IVF done either after a short interval or a long interval does not necessarily affect success rates.
If my first IVF cycle fails, can I improve my chances for the next round?
You should understand why your first IVF cycle failed before undergoing the second or third cycle of IVF cycles. This can give you an idea of the complication you face and take measures accordingly.
One of the main complications that result in failure is the quality of the sperm. Even though your age can be a determining factor in IVF success, this doesn’t mean that the male has nothing to do with its success or failure. Fertility doctors should do a semen analysis and check whether the sperm are able to fertilize the egg.
You can also try improving your eating and lifestyle habits. Having a healthy and nutritious diet and following healthy lifestyle practices has a positive impact on improving your fertility and increases the chances of IVF success.
Conclusion
IVF can be a roller coaster ride of emotions, and it can very well take multiple attempts before you succeed in it. Consult with your fertility doctor and choose the best and safest frequency you can follow if you wish to undergo multiple cycles of treatment. Always put your physical and mental health before anything else.
Frequently asked questions
The IVF process, as a whole, is not painful, though patients may experience slight discomfort or mild side effects during the medication, egg retrieval, and embryo transfer procedures.
Most times, couples can achieve success in IVF during their third or fourth cycles. If they do not succeed after these attempts, couples might need to check the quality of their eggs and sperm, and the implantation ability of the embryos.
Most fertility clinics do not recommend couples undergo more than three cycles. They should take a considerable amount of break between each cycle.
Due to the increasing number of successful IVF treatments in India, the demand for these treatments has also experienced a notable increase. According to research, more than 8 million babies are born annually through IVF, and around 2 million babies are born through ICSI in India.
