If you’re considering IVF, you may read about ‘mild’ or Modified Natural Cycle IVF. It’s a form of IVF that uses lower doses of fertility medications than conventional techniques and at Manchester Fertility, it’s a method we recommend only in specific circumstances.
But with many clinics presenting it as a ‘safe’ and more ‘natural’ way to try for a baby using IVF, here’s what you need to know about this emerging treatment – and what you need to carefully consider if you’re thinking of using this form of IVF to try for a baby:
Mild or Modified Natural Cycle IVF: Safer than traditional IVF?
Worries about side-effects is one of the main reasons women consider mild IVF, but minimising the risk of side-effects can be achieved through conventional IVF just as effectively. At Manchester Fertility, regardless of which type of IVF you have, your treatment protocol only ever uses the lowest doses of fertility medications necessary.
By using the most appropriate treatment protocol with the correct dosage of hormones, combined with careful monitoring involving blood tests and scans, we reduce your risk of side-effects significantly, giving you the reassurance that your protocol is safe and exactly tailored to you.
Mild IVF: Suitable for everyone?
Mild or Modified Natural Cycle is not a form of IVF that we recommend to every patient. It’s not suitable for everyone and we do not promote it as such. It may be an option, for example, if you have a very low AMH level which indicates fewer eggs remaining, as the number of eggs collected is unlikely to be higher even if higher doses of drugs were used. Your fertility consultant will only ever recommend the treatment and method which gives you the optimum chance of success.
Effectiveness: Mild IVF
Mild or Modified Natural Cycle IVF are not as effective as conventional IVF. At Manchester Fertility, although our Modified Natural Cycle IVF is designed to give you more than one egg to fertilise, you will not have as many eggs and resulting embryos to transfer compared to a traditional approach. There is a higher risk that you will have no eggs or suitable embryos to use.
This means that although it’s lower in cost per cycle compared to traditional IVF, you may need repeated cycles of Modified Natural Cycle or Mild IVF to achieve pregnancy.
Mild IVF: Egg quality vs quantity?
Some people believe that mild IVF results in better quality, more ‘naturally selected’ eggs and better quality embryos compared to traditional IVF. But Mild or Modified Natural Cycle IVF is less successful with lower pregnancy rates.
If you’re interested in Mild or Modified Natural Cycle IVF, your Manchester Fertility consultant will advise if it’s a form of treatment you could consider based on your test results and any previous treatment history.
It’s important to remember that we take very individualised approach and will only advise it as an option for you, if we think it gives you a good chance of success. If you'd like to know more about how we can help you have a baby, call our Patient Advisors on 0161 300 2737.
Last updated: 23rd August 2016
