Conventional in-vitro fertilization (IVF) treatments help many infertile couples get pregnant and have a healthy baby. IVF, however, can be time-consuming, invasive, and expensive. If several embryos are transferred to your uterus, IVF sometimes results in pregnancy with multiple babies.
Mini IVF, which is minimal stimulation IVF, is ideal for couples who may be concerned about the high dose of medications used in a conventional IVF cycle, whether you’re worried about the potential physical impact or the financial load.
Here at the California Center for Reproductive Health, our fertility specialists Eliran Mor, MD, and Irene Woo, MD, provide mini IVF as an alternative to conventional IVF to our patients living in the greater Los Angeles area. Read on to learn the benefits of this fertility treatment and see if you and your family could benefit.
The process of mini IVF
Mini IVF simplifies the fertility procedure, resulting in fewer injections, reduced cost, and equal success for appropriate candidates. Mini IVF calls for just a minimal amount of oral medication to stimulate your eggs to produce a small number of high-quality eggs appropriate for fertilization.
During mini IVF, you typically take Clomid or another oral fertility medication daily and have just 1-3 injections of an additional hormonal fertility medication. This is far less than the weeks of injections you might endure with conventional IVF. The entire process of mini IVF takes 7-10 days.
Once the eggs are ready, they’re harvested, viable ones are fertilized in a lab, and the embryos are placed into your uterus in hopes that they attach to the uterine wall to begin a healthy pregnancy.
Mini IVF has many advantages
Mini IVF offers numerous benefits in addition to the hope that you become pregnant. These include:
Lower hormone doses
Mini IVF uses smaller doses of injectable gonadotropins, so the side effects are gentler and easier on your body. Lower hormone dosage means you produce fewer eggs and don’t experience the side effects associated with the excessive levels of estrogen produced by large numbers of eggs.
Lower risk of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome
Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome occurs in some women going through the conventional IVF process. The aggressive administration of hormones causes the ovaries to swell and become painful.
Less monitoring
Because mini IVF happens with a lower dose of hormones and medications, less clinical and laboratory monitoring is required. This means you have fewer visits to our office and reduced costs.
Just the right number of eggs
With conventional IVF, the aggressive treatment stimulates the development of many eggs. However, in most cases, just 3-5 of this multitude are actually viable enough for fertilization and implantation. With mini IVF, you usually produce 3-5 high-quality eggs, just the right number for a good chance of developing a healthy embryo. Lower hormone stimulation can produce the highest quality of eggs and improved success rates. This is especially true for older women with poor ovarian reserve.
Fewer fears surrounding multiples
With conventional IVF, the risk of becoming pregnant with multiples is very real. Having more embryos is not necessarily better, as pregnancy with multiples puts you at a higher risk of complications and premature birth.
Candidates for mini IVF
Ultimately, your ability to become pregnant with any fertility treatment depends on your age, the cause of infertility, and your general health. Women younger than 35 with normal ovarian reserves do quite well with mini IVF and often find the procedure more effective than conventional IVF.
Women who are older than 40 may also seriously consider mini IVF if conventional IVF has resulted in poor-quality embryos. Our doctors at the California Center for Reproductive Health review your particular case and can help determine if mini IVF is the right approach for you.
Learn more about the revolutionary effects and methods involved in mini IVF. Call one of our offices in Santa Monica, Alhambra, West Hollywood, Encino, and Valencia, California or book an appointment using the online tool.
