Mild IVF

A minimal enhancement to your
natural reproductive cycle using
a lower dose of medication

INTRODUCTION

Mild or Modified Natural Cycle IVF is conducted during a woman’s natural menstrual cycle, with a later addition of fertility medication to help stimulate her ovaries into producing a number of eggs ready for collection. This treatment is sometimes also referred to as Mini IVF.

Whilst this process aims to provide more than one egg (as with Natural Cycle IVF), you may not produce as many eggs and resulting embryos for transfer compared to a conventional IVF cycle, however there is less risk

associated with this treatment as a lower dose of medication is used for a much shorter period of time, just five to nine days (or 2-3) rather than the standard four to six weeks; which can be appealing to many women.

Your consultant will advise if they feel that Mild IVF is likely to provide you with the greatest chance of success based on your medical history.

Who?

Mild or Modified Natural Cycle IVF is suitable for women who wish to minimise the amount of fertility medication they take during a treatment and for older women who are more likely to produce less eggs during a conventional IVF cycle owing to a low ovarian reserve meaning even high doses of medication would not yield any more eggs. It is also beneficial for those who wish to reduce the risk of OHSS, including women with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) who are more likely to develop this condition within a conventional IVF cycle.

If male factor infertility is present, including low or poor quality semen, Mild IVF can also provide an opportunity to fertilise the woman’s eggs using an ICSI procedure to create embryos for transfer.

How

As with a standard IVF procedure, you will undergo an egg collection, laboratory insemination with your partners (or donor) sperm to fertilise your eggs (or ICSI procedure if deemed appropriate), followed by close monitoring of your developing embryos before an embryo transfer.

Any remaining embryos of suitable quality not used in treatment can be frozen and stored for future treatment.

What next?

Once the embryo has been transferred into your uterus, you will be need to continue taking any drugs prescribed in your treatment and wait 16 days before taking a pregnancy test to see if your treatment has been successful. You can continue your day to day activities but we recommend you refrain from any strenuous physical exercise and rest if you feel you need to. The clinic will confirm your pregnancy with ultrasound scans and blood tests before discharging you back to your own GP for antenatal care.

WHAT ARE THE SIDE-EFFECTS/RISKS?

There are fewer side-effects and risks with Mild IVF than with a conventional cycle. This is because a lower dose of medication is used for a shorter amount of time and whilst this aims to prepare eggs for collection, we may only be able to retrieve 2 to 4 eggs for fertilization and there is an increased chance that no eggs can be retrieved at all. With fewer eggs, there is less chance of a good quality selection of embryos and you will probably not have any remaining embryos to freeze.

Treatments

Find out more about our related services

Why Choose Us?

Here are some facts about your fertility journey with us that we’d like to share with you:

Every evaluation and treatment plan is uniquely tailored to meet your individual needs

You will have access to leading professionals, with over 35 years combined expertise, providing you with confidence and reassurance in your fertility diagnosis and subsequent treatment

Our multidisciplinary team includes specialists in fertility, urology, nutrition, counselling, genetics, endocrinology, haematology and weight management to provide a comprehensive range of support as and when you need it

We will work with you closely to understand your individual circumstances, identify any problems and agree with you, the best course of action to help make your dream a reality

We will always be honest and open about your chances of success with treatment.

Your comfort and care is always our top priority

Our focus remains entirely on you as an individual, your unique needs and your wellbeing

All investigations and treatments are provided within our new state-of-the-art clinic based in Elstree which offers a spacious environment with comfortable surroundings, to enhance your care and experience. We offer investigations and scans at our satellite locations too.

Our friendly consultant-led team is here to support you at every step throughout your fertility journey

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