Natural/Mild IVF vs conventional

[Crie1983]

Hello all

I hope you are all doing ok.

I’ve had a few months off since my last failed cycle, which was also sadly my last embryo. I’m keen to start a fresh ICSI cycle and have been researching alternative clinics locally and abroad.

I’ve just come off a webinar with a clinic that uses natural/mild treatment as opposed to the conventional process. They focus on quality vs quantity.

As silly as this sounds I have always been quite focussed on quantity and have felt the more eggs the better and I’ve felt that my previous clinic was heavily focussed on quantity. It almost seems scary to go down the process of a milder method which would produce fewer eggs. I just wondered whether any of you have either made the switch or always used the mild/natural method and what your experience has been?

Thanks so much. Any advice appreciated.

Xx

[Skittles11]

Interested to see any responses to this so am following this post. I also attended a webinar but have yet to move to this method xx

[Star3129]

Hi Crie,

Definitely mild ivf protocol is anyday better than the conventional one as it focuses on the quality of eggs and not quantity as only 1 good egg is required to make an embryo.

I am saying this because i had mild ivf in the starting of year however it didn't work as after having so many good quality embryo didn't stick.

Also it works best on females with advanced age and we also had 1 to freeze which was again top quality embryo.

Here also i keep reading ladies got 3 retrieved out of which 1 fertilized and transferred and they got pregnant with that so definitely quality over quantity.

Good luck in whatever you decide.

[Crie1983 in reply to Star3129]

Thank you for taking the time to reply. I really appreciate it. I have decided to book a baseline scan and consultation with the clinic so I feel more equipped to make an decision. X

[Kitca]

hi we are on transfer 3 now from 1 cycle of mild ivf. We got 19 eggs ( my right ovary was a bit excited) 12 fertilised and 3 made it. I think it is all how individuals react to meds , my understanding is mild/natural is done over a shorter time but i dont think it necessarily means less eggs. It all depends on how your body reacts i suppose but clinics will usually increase level of medication if you arent reacting well enough x

[Crie1983 in reply to Kitca]

Thanks so much for your reply. Wow, 19 eggs.

In my first fresh cycle using conventional IVF they collected 10 of which 9 were mature & 4 made it to blastocyst. I spoke to another clinic who use conventional and they expected to only collect 5-7 with my AMH. I know it only takes one good quality but feel so used to thinking in numbers.

I’ve booked a baseline scan and consultation with this new clinic and will then make my choice.

Wishing you all the very best. Xx

[Kitca in reply to Crie1983]

and you ! Xx

[JoyfulStar]

I know the clinic you are talking about and I almost went with them after an initial consultation but after weighing a number of factors, I decided to go with another clinic. It might be worth looking at the HFEA’s advice on the mild approach.

Also, compare their stats using the HFEA website against your clinic’s and see if you think it is worth making the switch. Like someone else said, less drugs may not necessarily mean less eggs as it depends on your response, ovarian reserve etc

I also understand that using a short protocol instead of a long protocol also means you are prioritising quality over quantity. The general consensus in the world of IVF is that 15 eggs is the number that is likely to give the best chances of success. In my case, that was definitely true! However at the time, I was convinced that that many eggs meant they will be all poor quality but I was wrong.

All the best with your journey x

[Crie1983 in reply to JoyfulStar]

Thanks so much for your reply. I have booked a scan and consultation with said clinic and will go from there.

We’ve looked up the stats on HFEA website and they have a better success rate so that’s at least comforting.

I’m realistic as I only produced 9 eggs in my last cycle, with 4 making it to blastocyst. I’m expecting fewer with any next round.

I feel it’s such a tough decision to make.

Thanks again for sharing your experience and thoughts. Xx

[Libsie3103]

I really think it’s an individual thing and you need to see how your body responds to the different protocols. I started with mild IVF (because I was over 40) and had 2 rounds - they were our worst and although we had (apparently) 3 top quality 5 day blastocysts the first round was a BFN (double transfer) and the 3rd embryo didn’t survive the thaw. I then went for “traditional” protocol and we had a BFP with twins on our first round (sadly ended in MMC) and a BFP on our 3rd round. So for me “traditional” protocol worked better than mild, even though I was 44 when I finally got pregnant.

I think if the protocol you’ve tried hasn’t worked it is always worth trying something else to see if that works. IVF is definitely a process of elimination and finding out what works for your body. Wishing you lots of luck xx

[Crie1983 in reply to Libsie3103]

Thank you for sharing your experience and advice. I started my first cycle at 37 and am now 39 so starting to worry about the age.

It’s so tough because you’re desperate to make the right choice and it’s a lot to go through emotionally, physically and financially.

I’ve booked my baseline scan and consultation with the new clinic and will make my decision after that. Xx

[Libsie3103 in reply to Crie1983]

Sounds like a really good decision - I wasn’t sure whether to move clinics and the Consultation gave me confidence I was doing the right thing. Like I said before it’s about finding what’s right for your body which isn’t easy. I was over 40 when I started and had my first baby at 45 with my OE. Hang in there and keep pushing for answers and to work out what’s right for you. Wishing you lots of luck!

[Buttontin]

Hi, New here today and interested to see your post! I was probably at the same webinar as you, and wondering if mild is the way forward! Did you decide to book the initial scan and consultation? I’m going round in circles!

[Crie1983 in reply to Buttontin]

Hello, I had a baseline scan yesterday and have my consultation in a couple of weeks time. I’ll make a decision from that. Feel like I should explore an alternative. Feel nervous either way 😬. X

[Buttontin in reply to Crie1983]

I’ve just been on verge of booking the scan so many times…. And was just about to do it…… but My partner is concerned what if I conceive this month and don’t know….. could the scan interfere with the success of the pregnancy! I think that’s unlikely or they wouldn’t say you can have it at any point in your cycle! (Also it’s not happened naturally in the last two years 🙄) Can I ask what clinic you are using, (area of country) You don’t have to if you’d prefer not to! I’m deliberating with that as they all have different success rates! 😩🤯

[BBHH1]

if you are producing many eggs and embryo continue what you are doing. Mild ivf it’s an alternative for people who are producing low eggs/embryos despite higher dose medication. Good luck next time

[Buttontin in reply to BBHH1]

I’m 41 and been told very low AMH levels so normal ivf drugs may not work!

[BBHH1 in reply to Buttontin]

I know. I read your profile and see your post with current status. I think high dose is still better for you. I think mild or natural makes sense when you really don’t get much more eggs, like 1-3 maybe 4 eggs with high dose. My thoughts only. But I think you should stay with dose that is giving you a decent chance. Maybe do things that are better for older ladies DHEA, retrieval with leading follicle between 16-18mm, and fresh day 3 transfer of multiple 2-3 embryos. Freeze any blastocyst left. Best regards

[Crie1983]

On my first fresh cycle with an AMH of 12.8 I had 9 eggs collected, 4 of which made it to blastocyst. I was on the maximum dosage for that cycle.

My AMH is now 7.8 and I had a baseline scan yesterday which showed 10 follicles so it’s likely I won’t get as many eggs on this fresh cycle. Xx