What is Natural Cycle IVF (Minimal stimulation)?

If you have been experiencing fertility issues, there are several ways to help you get pregnant and start a family. Natural-cycle IVF and minimal stimulation IVF are two sought-after methods that allow women to get pregnant. Both of these are supportive reproductive techniques with a high success rate.

Unlike conventional IVF, which involves a lot of medication, these procedures require minimal or no medication to improve the quality of the egg. They are straightforward procedures with minimum side effects and fewer risks.

What is Natural Cycle IVF?

Natural cycle IVF is the simplest and the most affordable way to get pregnant for women with infertility issues. It avoids using fertility drugs or injections to improve the chances of the procedure. Under natural cycle IVF, the egg is collected based on the natural menstrual cycle of women. It is not stimulated or injected with artificial drugs.

The naturally formed egg is of good quality and results in higher chances of conception. The process of getting pregnant is similar to the natural conception process. The only difference is that the egg is collected and fertilized. The fertilized embryo is then implanted in the uterus for fertilization.

What is Minimal Stimulation IVF?

Minimal stimulation IVF, also known as mini IVF, is a procedure in contrast to the natural cycle IVF. It doesn’t use strong stimulation medication and relies on the natural selection of a single egg or light stimulation medication. While the natural cycle of IVF has a higher cancellation rate because of the challenges involved in retrieving the single available egg, minimal IVF strikes a balance by retrieving more eggs than the natural cycle method.

This procedure results in fewer embryos than standard IVF but more than natural. It is a bridge between natural cycle IVF and conventional IVF that requires heavy medication.

What are the Benefits of Natural Stimulation IVF?

• There is no use of heavy injections or steroids, which reduces the risk of side effects from the procedure.
• Compared to conventional IVF, natural IVF is a more cost-effective approach.
• As you are not on medication, there would be less side effects. You will not experience symptoms like bloating, mood swings, and abdominal discomfort.
• Natural IVF has a high success rate.

What are the Benefits of Minimal Stimulation IVF?

• Minimal stimulation IVF involves reduced injection and medication, which leads to fewer side effects.
• There is a decreased likelihood of complications. This procedure doesn’t cause ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome—a situation where the body overreacts to hormones stimulating egg production.
• People who do not respond well to conventional IVF respond properly to minimal stimulation IVF, which increases their chances of getting pregnant.
• This procedure requires fewer injections, fewer blood draws, and less monitoring. As a result, you don’t have to visit the clinic again and again, which saves you a lot of time and energy.

Who Should Opt for Natural IVF and Mini Stimulation IVF?

Both these procedures are highly recommended to couples who do not want to spend a fortune on conventional IVF methods or who want to avoid higher doses of medication. These methods are also suitable for couples who want to reduce the commitment time associated with conventional IVF. The suitable candidates for this procedure include the following:

• Women who are under 35.
• Women with tubal factor infertility
• Couples who are not experiencing male factors infertility.
• Women who are at a greater risk of complications from injections used in conventional IVF methods.
• Women with diminished ovarian reserve have not responded properly to conventional IVF methods, especially to the injections.

Are there any Cons of these Procedures?

Although both these procedures come with numerous benefits, there are some disadvantages.

• If you opt for natural cycle IVF, there may be chances that the egg extracted may not fertilize or grow healthily into an embryo.
• In both procedures, there is no chance to store extra eggs, as both these procedures only deal with only one egg.
• Compared to conventional IVF, both these procedures have a low success rate.

Which Method Should I Opt for—Natural Cycle IVF or Minimal Stimulation IVF?

Both natural cycle IVF and minimal stimulation IVF are considered to be safe procedures. The method you choose depends on many factors—your overall health, the time you want to commit, your age, budget, and other factors. Natural IVF is best for patients who do not want to discard embryos. They are also suitable for a same-sex couples. Minimal stimulation IVF is for patients who want a high success rate of getting pregnant.

In the best practice, you must speak to your doctor and decide on the method you want to opt for to get pregnant.

Takeaway

Infertility is not an issue anymore. Methods such as conventional IVF, natural cycle IVF, and minimal stimulation IVF have made it possible for infertile women to plan pregnancy. Talk to your doctor and choose the best available method.