In Vitro Fertilization or, IVF for short, is a huge financial, physical, and emotional investment for anyone looking to build a family. Each IVF cycle comes with a lot of anxiety, hope, and stress. Sadly, IVF is not always successful even if you work with the top infertility doctors or the best fertility clinic in San Diego, California. Couples or patients who are dealing with infertility are strong, resolute, and resilient. They pass through a lot in order to achieve success. But what if, unfortunately, all your IVF cycles are unsuccessful? Is there a right time to stop infertility treatment for those who – despite all their efforts – are unable to have children through IVF? Here is what the top infertility doctors of California have to say about IVF treatment and couples who are undergoing treatment.
I’ve undergone multiple rounds of In Vitro Fertilization but couldn’t get pregnant. Why is it not working for me?
The process of In Vitro Fertilization is a very complex one. Thus, it is important to keep the patient posted every single step of the way. Usually, an infertility doctor will check the results of the couple’s or patient’s previous IVF cycles and look for the reasons why they were unsuccessful. They will find out if there is a particular factor that might be contributing to those In Vitro Fertilization. If they find a factor, the medical team may then suggest other infertility treatment options. For example, using another treatment protocol, donor sperm, donor egg, and/or surrogate if need be. Our team will speak with the couple or patient to know how they are fairing emotionally. Additionally, they would offer additional support if required or refer them to a fertility therapist for more assistance.
Is there a point when a patient shouldn’t go for another IVF cycle? How do I know it’s time to start considering other options to get pregnant?
This is a difficult question to answer because each patient and their situation are different. At RSMC, we work together with each patient to create customized infertility treatments. This is to ensure the best possible outcome and give viable advice on these situations. Generally, additional cycles of In Vitro Fertilization are not recommended if going for another round of IVF won’t be more beneficial than trying to get pregnant naturally. However, the success rates and the experience of the IVF clinic operating in or out of California will influence the advice the patient gets in this case.
Patients have different threshold limits for IVF. For this reason, it’s not easy to recommend other fertility options based on certain limits. To name a few, age, number of previous attempts, ovarian reserve testing, number of eggs, using fresh or frozen eggs, or the embryos formed all play vital roles. At RSMC fertility clinic located in San Diego, California, generally, if the odds of getting pregnant and delivering a healthy baby with IVF are below 5%, our infertility treatment doctor will discuss with the patient whether IVF is still an excellent option to consider.
How do you support patients in their acceptance of not utilizing their own eggs or carrying their own pregnancy?
Finding out that you cannot use your own eggs for the In Vitro Fertilization or carry your baby can be difficult news to swallow and ….accept. If a Gestational Surrogate or Egg Donor would be needed, the medical team at our fertility clinic in San Diego will first evaluate how the patient and their spouse feel about these options. Depending on the preliminary discussions, the patient will then work with our fertility therapists. They would deliver detailed information about these processes. In addition, we check possible social issues that can come up with getting pregnant. We will also evaluate such possibilities on raising a baby created using donor egg IVF and/or with the help of a surrogate. Our physicians will speak with the patient from time to time during the process. They will make sure patients get adequate support.
Surrogacy and egg donation agencies also give couples access to social workers and parent support groups. Such communities enable them to connect with people who are in their shoes.
Would you refuse to help a couple who wished to go for another cycle of In Vitro Fertilization if you didn’t think they should? How would you approach that conversation?
At RSMC fertility clinic located in San Diego, we are dedicated to the advancement of research to combat infertility. We thrive to eventually getting the best outcome, even with the worst infertility cases. With elective fertility treatments like In Vitro Fertilization, the possible risks and success rates have to be reviewed by our medical team. If the success chance is less than the treatment risks, another cycle of IVF may not be advised. In this case, the best approach is to be completely honest about the slim chance of success. However, we do remain empathic about the couple’s or patient’s frustration with previous failed treatments.
What advice do you give couples or women who have undergone several unsuccessful IVF attempts?
We understand that fertility problems are not usually discussed. Our aim is to change the cultural narrative surrounding fertility and family building. We believe it is essential to understanding and conquering infertility. We advise that those who have had several unsuccessful IVF tries are as honest as possible about their feelings. Also, it is our suggestion that they get a second opinion at a different IVF clinic in California. That is if they aren’t achieving success as they hoped.
You are the only one who knows what’s best for you when trying to build a family. There are other options apart from In Vitro Fertilization. Such as adoption, egg donation, and surrogacy. But first, you need to be comfortable with trying another way to grow your family. The decision might be easy or difficult. In some instances, you might not even be able to decide at all, and that’s okay.
Conclusion
Have you been trying to conceive through the In-vitro Fertilization process? Had a lot of failed IVF cycles and need a second opinion on what may be going wrong? Visit our website or schedule a consultation.
