Are you planning to undergo IVF? Then, congrats on taking your first step towards happy parenthood.
Now that you are undergoing IVF, the first question that will come to your mind is, “How many IVF cycles do I need to undergo to get pregnant?” As you know, IVF can be expensive, and undergoing too many cycles can be financially and physically straining.
So, what is the average number of cycles needed to get pregnant through IVF, and what are the factors that can affect IVF success? Let’s look at all these in this article.
Average Number Of Cycles Needed To Get Pregnant
On average, women might need to undergo at least two or three IVF cycles to get pregnant successfully. This is just an average estimate, and your number of cycles may increase or decrease based on your health and infertility condition.
In cases where you have minor infertility issues and only need a little push, you can very well get pregnant within one or two cycles. However, if you have severe infertility issues that require medical treatments, you might have to undergo four or more IVF treatment cycles to successfully get pregnant.
Here is the average success rate of IVF treatments according to your age.
| Age group | Success rate in 1st cycle | Success rate in 2nd cycle | Success rate in 3rd cycle |
|---|---|---|---|
|
26–30 |
50–56% |
60–65% |
70%+ |
|
31–35 |
40–45% |
50–55% |
60–67% |
|
36–40 |
25–30% |
40–45% |
50–55% |
|
41–45 |
7–13% |
15–20% |
20–25% |
Factors Influencing IVF Success
Note: This is just a general estimate of the IVF success rate in India for each age group. Your success rate will depend on other factors like your fertility, health, etc.
As discussed above, the number of IVF cycles you might have to undergo depends on your condition. Below are some factors that can influence your success in IVF treatments.
Impact Of Age On IVF Success Rates
Age is one of your biggest foes when you wish to get pregnant through fertility treatments. As you already know, your fertility will gradually decrease with age.
When you try IVF during your late 30s or 40s, the quality and quantity of your eggs and sperm will be much lower than if you underwent IVF in your 20s or early 30s.
Low-quality eggs and sperm will only lead to low-quality embryos. This can lead to IVF failure and make you undergo multiple IVF cycles to get pregnant.
Influence Of Reproductive Health Issues
Most times, you must have some infertility issues that prevent you from getting pregnant naturally. That might be the reason for choosing IVF.
Certain reproductive health issues like PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome), thin endometrium, endometriosis, adhesions, blocked fallopian tubes, etc., can make it difficult for you to get pregnant even with IVF.
You might need to get these issues treated and undergo some three or four cycles (depending on the severity of the issue) before you can successfully get pregnant.
Effect Of Prior Pregnancies On IVF Success
It is normal for you to think that if your first pregnancy was natural, you would also be able to conceive naturally in your second pregnancy. However, in some cases, this does not happen.
During your first pregnancy or childbirth, if you had experienced any injury or scarring to your uterus or other reproductive organs, they might make it difficult for you to get pregnant. This might cause you to undergo more number of IVF cycles to get pregnant.
Or, if you had experienced miscarriages in the past, they might have hurt your uterus sometimes. Studies have shown that IVF is more successful after a miscarriage. So, don’t lose hope and undergo the procedure.
When To Consider Alternative Options
IVF is a great option for you to get pregnant. However, if the fertility treatment does not work and does not help you achieve pregnancy, you can always adopt more advanced fertility treatment options.
Your success rates in your IVF treatment not only depend on your condition but also on the treatment facilities available in your chosen fertility center. So, ensure you choose the best fertility hospital in your area that has advanced technology equipment to give you a higher success rate in IVF treatments.
Try undergoing at least three or four IVF cycles before giving up on it. But if you ask what to do after three failed IVF cycles, here are some options for you.
Try other options like ICSI (intracytoplasmic sperm injection), IMSI (intracytoplasmic morphologically selected sperm injection), donor eggs or sperm, surrogacy, etc.
Conclusion
IVF is an effective procedure to get pregnant successfully. However, considering its cost, most people won’t wish to undergo multiple cycles and would like to make IVF successful the first time.
But don’t rush into giving up on the treatment if you can’t get pregnant. Trust in your doctor and the process. They will definitely help you achieve your dream of parenthood.
FAQs
The cost of IVF treatments vary for each individual based on theier medical needs and hospital policies. On average, a single IVF cycle will be around Rs. 1,00,000 to Rs. 1,50,000.
On average, women might need to undergo at least two or three IVF cycles to get pregnant successfully. This is just an average estimate, and your number of cycles may increase or decrease based on your health and infertility condition.
Yes, generally, IVF cycles have been noted to have a higher success rate as the number of cycles increases. So, if you had a 50% success rate in your first IVF cycle, you might have a 55% chance of success in your second IVF cycle.
