Hey friends! If you’ve ever felt discouraged after a round of IVF, you’re not alone. A recent study published in The Journal of The American Medical Association (JAMA) shows that sticking with it can really pay off. In fact, nearly 66% of women who tried IVF six times ended up giving birth.
Study Overview
Let’s break it down. This study followed around 157,000 women in the UK over several years, tracking more than 257,000 IVF cycles from 2003 to 2010, and continued observing until mid-2012. Researchers defined a cycle as an ovarian stimulation followed by either fresh or frozen embryo transfers. On average, the women started the study at 35 years old and had been facing infertility for about four years.
Key Findings
What’s really interesting is that this study is the first to connect fresh and frozen embryo transfers to live birth rates in each IVF cycle. They measured both the live birth rate for each cycle and the cumulative rates across all attempts. The results were pretty eye-opening:
- The first cycle had a live birth rate of 29.5%.
- The second, third, and fourth cycles all had live birth rates above 20%.
- By the sixth cycle, the rate was around 17.4%.
Interestingly, the number of eggs retrieved didn’t impact the live birth rates in subsequent cycles. The cumulative live birth rate actually increased slightly through the ninth cycle, reaching 65.3% by the sixth try.
Age and Success Rates
When looking at age, the results varied. Women under 40 using their own eggs had a first cycle live birth rate of 32.3%, maintaining rates above 20% through the fourth cycle, and achieving a cumulative rate of 68.4% by the sixth cycle. In contrast, women aged 40 to 42 began with a 12.3% live birth rate in their first cycle, which rose to 31.5% by the sixth. Unfortunately, for women older than 42, the rate remained below 4% per cycle.
If a woman was coupled with a partner who had untreated infertility, success rates were lower, but treatments like intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) or using donor sperm leveled the playing field.
What This Means for You
So, what does this mean for you? This study suggests it’s crucial not to focus too heavily on the outcome of just one cycle. While age certainly plays a role, not succeeding in the first few tries doesn’t mean you won’t eventually find success. Ultimately, every woman or couple must decide how many attempts to make and should do so without guilt.
And while we’re on the topic of IVF, you might be interested in checking out our other blog on recalled baby products available for purchase, which you can read about here. Also, if you’re exploring at-home options, the Impregnator at Home Insemination Kit from Make A Mom is a fantastic resource. For more insights on pregnancy and home insemination, you might want to listen to this helpful podcast from the Cleveland Clinic.
Conclusion
In summary, persistence in IVF can significantly boost live birth rates, especially when considering cumulative attempts. Remember to consult with a fertility expert to make informed decisions about your journey.