Natural Cycle IVF

May 2, 2024
Fertility

There are several ways to help you get pregnant when you suffer from problems related to fertility. Natural-cycle IVF is a natural and safe procedure that allows women to get pregnant. It is a supportive reproductive technique that is mainly done for older women or women whose egg count is relatively low. During this procedure, no medicine is offered to improve the quality of the egg. It is a simple procedure with no side effects and fewer risks. If you wish to know more about natural cycle IVF, continue reading the following:

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Natural Cycle IVF-Overview

Natural IVF is the most simple and affordable In-vitro Fertilization treatment, with minimal or no use of fertility medications. It is a gentle procedure that avoids fertility drugs or injections to improve the chances of the procedure. It is a procedure in which the egg is collected based on the natural menstrual cycle of women. The egg is not stimulated or injected with any fertility drugs to improve its quality. The naturally formed egg is of good quality and it has a higher chance of conception. It is similar to the natural conception process, except that the egg is collected and fertilized. The fertilized embryo is implanted in the uterus for fertilization.

Understanding the One Egg Policy

In this procedure, the quality of the egg is considered rather than its quantity. The procedure does not support the concept of using multiple eggs for fertilization. It mainly focuses on the quality of the egg formed naturally by a woman during the ovulation period. This increased the chances of conception compared to modified natural cycle IVF. It requires only one egg to grow a healthy baby

What Can You Expect During the Procedure?

Your doctor would examine the menstrual cycle and monitor egg production. This can be done through an ultrasound. Then, before ovulation, the egg is retrieved through a simple procedure. The fertilisation of the embryo is carried out in the laboratory. The fertilized embryo is then implanted into the uterus of a woman using a catheter.

Who Can Go for Natural Cycle IVF?

The natural cycle IVF is mainly carried out for women who are older than 40 years. It is a natural fertilisation procedure for women with less egg reserve in the ovary. Women who wish to avoid the side effects of fertilisation drugs can very well opt for this procedure. If the levels of AMH and FSH are abnormal, then it is better to undergo a natural IVF cycle for conception. Women with a history of hormone-related cancer can try natural-cycle IVF for a successful pregnancy. It is also a good choice for women who have failed to conceive with multiple conventional IVF treatments.

Conventional IVF Cycle vs. Natural IVF Cycle

In conventional IVF, stimulating hormones are injected to harvest multiple eggs from the ovaries. The multiple eggs are fertilized and implanted in the uterus lining. But in the natural cycle, only one egg, which is produced naturally in the natural menstrual cycle, is harvested and fertilized into an embryo. The conventional IVF cycle makes use of various fertility drugs and hormone-stimulating injections. Thus, there are chances of complications and side effects in pregnancy. In the natural IVF cycle, there are no fertility drugs or hormone injections. Conventional IVF treatments are quite complicated, whereas natural IVF is a simple and effective fertility treatment. The conventional IVF cycle is quite expensive, as the cost of drugs and hormone injections is too high.

Advantages of the Natural IVF Cycle

As the natural IVF cycle does not involve any fertility drugs, it comes with several benefits as well.

  • There are fewer or no side effects with the natural IVF cycle.
  • The procedure is simple and completed in a short time.
  • Local anesthesia is administered, which avoids the risk of general anesthesia.
  • Patients can resume normal work immediately after the procedure.
  • There are no chances of multiple pregnancies.
  • The cost of the natural IVF cycle is lower compared to conventional IVF.
  • You need not visit the hospital often for repeated monitoring.
  • There is less emotional burden.
  • There are no complications for the baby.
  • There is a high chance of successful embryo implantation.
  • The natural IVF success rate is high compared to other fertility treatments.

Cons of the Natural IVF Cycle

Though a natural IVF cycle comes with various benefits, there are some disadvantages as well.

  • There are chances that the egg extracted may not fertilize or grow into a healthy embryo.
  • There is no chance to store the extra eggs, as the procedure deals with only one egg.

Thus, it is evident that the natural IVF cycle is the right option to conceive naturally without the use of fertility drugs.

Also Read : When is IVF the best option for you?

FAQs:

1. How successful is natural-cycle IVF?

The success rate of natural-cycle IVF is high. This is because, in natural cycle IVF, the quality of the egg is given more importance than its quantity. The egg selected for the procedure is produced naturally by women during their natural menstrual cycle. Thus, the egg is of good quality and has a good potential for successful fertilisation and conception.

2. What is the natural cycle IVF procedure?

The natural cycle IVF procedure is a fertility procedure done for women who have trouble getting pregnant due to age or a low egg reserve. In this procedure, the egg produced during the natural cycle of the woman is harvested and allowed to fertilise in the laboratory. The mature embryo is then implanted in the uterus lining for further growth.

3. Is natural-cycle IVF better than regular IVF?

Yes, natural cycle IVF is better than regular IVF as it does not involve any strong fertility drugs or hormone-stimulating hormones. This helps in avoiding side effects and complications. The success rate of natural-cycle IVF is high compared to regular IVF.

4. Can you try it naturally between IVF cycles?

Yes, you can very well try it naturally during the IVF cycle for a natural pregnancy. Make sure to consult your fertility doctor before you try naturally for a baby.