For would-be parents, it is important to know when to stop trying for IVF and go for Surrogacy as it will save time and money and improve their chances of success for them.
Every couple plan to have a family. But most of the intended parents do not realize that they may not be able to conceive naturally and might need the medically guided procedure of IVF or gestational surrogacy. Doing the IVF process is a mentally, physically, and financially exhausting journey and giving up on the parenthood dream is hard. However, sometimes intended parents need to stop trying for IVF and go for surrogacy to have a baby or we can say that it is the only alternative left for them to become parents. So, the question is when to stop trying for IVF and go for Surrogacy?
In-Vitro fertilization (IVF) is the most commonly used treatment for infertility. Firstly, the ovaries are stimulated by the use of “fertility drugs” to produce multiple follicles. Ultrasound monitoring of follicle number and development along with blood hormone levels determines when the eggs mature with a single injection. The fertility doctor then uses a small needle to remove the eggs from the ovaries, while the woman undergoes light anesthesia, in a specialized laboratory and fertilizes them with sperm. The eggs are processed and developed into embryos after fertilization. 3 to 5 days later the fertility specialist will move the embryo to the uterus of the intended mother.
Understanding the IVF success rates is very important before you go for the IVF procedure. Many factors affect IVF success rates. One of the main factors is age factor, especially for females. Your age and the use of your eggs are essential factors to consider for IVF success. Although younger women are more likely to succeed with IVF, factors that decrease the likelihood of success with IVF include an older woman with fewer eggs and the poorer quality of the woman’s eggs. The intended parents are advised to use an egg donor if the female partner is in a higher age group like 40 years or more.
There are other factors as well including- the type of fertility problem, lifestyle habits, use of donor eggs, previous pregnancy, etc.
Reasons for IVF failure
The most important factors of successful IVF treatment are good quality eggs, normal and functional sperm, and a healthy uterus to carry a child.
The problem with any one of these can lead to the failure of the IVF procedure.
- Poor quality of embryos One of the most frequent reasons why an IVF cycle fails is because of the embryo quality. After moving to the uterus several embryos are unable to implant because they are defective. Embryos looking safe in a laboratory can have defects that cause them to die rather than develop. The doctor might decide to do PGD, which is genetic testing to rule out any genetic abnormality in
- Quality of eggs – Although the woman’s age undergoing IVF plays an enormous part, the egg age is more significant. When a woman grows older, a woman’s eggs tend to deteriorate in quality and quantity. This would have a huge effect on her chances of pregnancy with and without IVF. The amount of mutation increases with age.
- Chromosomal abnormalities – Embryos that have chromosomal defects can cause IVF failure, whether they are born or formed naturally in a laboratory. Chromosomal defects are also the cause of IVF failure and miscarriages.
- Sperm abnormalities – While abnormal sperm tends to be a less common factor influencing an IVF cycle’s success, they nonetheless play a significant supporting role. Sperm isn’t just bumping into an egg and triggering fertilization. Instead, the fertilization process itself is very complex. To transfer sperm to the egg, it must be motile. If your sperm is non-motile it may lead to the failure of the IVF procedure. The sperm DNA fragmentations lead to lower fertilization.
- Lifestyle changes – Smokers also tend to conceive up to twice as many IVF cycles and are more likely to suffer a miscarriage. If you are overweight or underweight, you can try to achieve a healthier weight to improve the likelihood of IVF treatment being successful.
More resources on this topic:
Cause of infertility in females and treatment options
All you need to know about male infertility
How many IVF cycles should I go for before opting for surrogacy?
There are no particular times you must go for an IVF treatment. In the past, most physicians discourage women from seeking IVF cycles after around 3 to 4 failed IVF cycles using their sperm and eggs. These are especially disturbing for women with each cycle producing no eggs— or producing only two or fewer embryos then.
But new research found that after six or more IVF cycles, about two-thirds of patients would be successful. Such findings applied in particular to women under 40.
So, there is no particular limit as to how many cycles you must go for. But, do keep in mind the time and resources you have before proceeding with the other IVF cycles.
What other options do I have except IVF?
IVF is one of the finest and most commonly used ART techniques. But it is not the only one to be used. Many other ART techniques can be used by fertility specialists for the optimum outcome of IVF success. Of course, which options to choose for which intended parents depend on the individual case.
- Egg Donation – When procedures such as IVF cannot benefit a couple, they may want to consider using IVF with donor eggs. Donor eggs— and sometimes donor embryos— help an infertile woman carry and give birth to a child. When you have any of these criteria you may be a candidate for donor eggs:
- If you are suffering from genetically transmitted diseases that you don’t want to pass on to your child.
- When you have suffered from premature ovarian failure.
- When your egg quality is diminishing.
- Gestational Surrogacy – Gestational surrogacy is another procedure that is helpful to people who have gone through repeated IVF failures. In surrogacy, another woman (surrogate mother) carries and gives birth to a child for the couple (intended parents). A surrogate is of two types – gestational surrogate and traditional surrogate. A gestational surrogate is not biologically related to the child while a traditional surrogate is biologically related to the child.
Conclusion
There are several reasons why people opt for gestational and traditional surrogacy to extend their families. More and more couples are opting for surrogacy when faced with difficulties in naturally conceiving a child. For single male or gay couples, surrogacy is the only option for becoming parents.
Therefore, you must not lose hope if you have several unsuccessful IVF attempts. You must look for other options like surrogacy and egg donation to complete your family.
If you’d like to learn more about IVF, Egg Donation, or surrogacy services globally, check out the rest of our website at IVF Conceptions. We offer legally secure and affordable surrogacy consulting services for FREE.
