Why does IVF fail for some people?

Unfortunately, IVF treatment does not always work successfully. Younger women have a higher chance of IVF success, with the success rate for women under 35 at 40%.

When an IVF cycle fails, many people feel grief, anger and frustration. It’s extremely normal to feel these emotions, but you should not blame yourself or your partner. IVF can fail for many reasons, and the chances are that it is completely out of your control. Talk to your fertility treatment specialist who will be able to explain what may have happened and what steps to take next.

We’ve put together some of the most common reasons why In Vitro Fertilisation fails.

The Quality of the Embryo

One of the most common reasons as to why an IVF cycle fails is due to the quality of the embryo. Many embryos are unable to implant after transfer to the uterus as they are defective. Embryos that look healthy in a lab may have defects that cause them to die rather than grow. In most cases when this happens, it is down to the embryo and not the uterus.

The Age of the Eggs

Whilst the age of the woman undergoing IVF plays a huge part, the age of the eggs is more important. As a woman grows older, the quality and quantity of a woman’s eggs begins to worsen. This will greatly affect her chances of pregnancy with and without IVF. On average, around 25% of embryos used in IVF will result in a live birth. At Nurture Fertility, our success rates are 39% for women under 38 and 17% for those over.

Older women are more likely to have a greater chance of IVF success when using donor eggs.

Response from Ovaries

Occasionally, a woman’s ovaries do not respond to the IVF medication as they should do and fail to produce multiple eggs. For women over 37, or for those with high follicle-stimulating hormone levels, producing enough eggs may be difficult. If this is the case for you, the chances are that IVF will fail. Someone will work with you to evaluate the chances of this happening and will discuss any changes that will need to be made to your fertility medications.

Chromosomes

Embryos that have chromosomal abnormalities can result in IVF failure, whether they are naturally conceived or developed in a lab. Chromosomal abnormalities are often the reason behind miscarriages and implantation failure during IVF. Women over 30 are more likely to experience chromosomal abnormalities in their eggs, and this increases further when a woman reaches her mid-40’s.

Lifestyle

You will probably be asked to quit smoking up to three months before the start of your IVF treatment. Smokers often need up to twice as many IVF cycles to conceive and are more likely to experience a miscarriage. If you are overweight or underweight, you should try and reach a healthy weight to increase chances of a successful IVF treatment.

If you have previously undergone IVF treatment and have been unsuccessful, we may be able to help. For more information or to simply talk to a member of the Nurture Fertility Clinic team, get in touch today by giving us a call on 0115 828 0246 or via our contact page.