Why does IVF fail?
Fertility treatment is often filled with plenty of ups and downs, making the journey towards parenthood feel like an emotional rollercoaster. A failed IVF attempt can feel unbearable but try to remember that many people manage to conceive after multiple failed IVF attempts. Read about the most common causes of a failed IVF treatment below and learn how to proceed.
Reasons for a failed IVF
There are many possible reasons for a failed IVF treatment. The most common reasons are age, ovulatory issues, and an insufficient number of treatments.
- Age: Age is one of the most defining factors in fertility and the ability to conceive. Women’s fertility decreases significantly after they turn 35, while the decrease is less significant for men. As a result, you may need more attempts to succeed if you are 35+ years old.
- Fertility diseases: Conditions like PCOS and endometriosis are quite common among women and can make it harder to conceive. If you have been diagnosed with fertility diseases, you can still conceive, but it may take longer or require an alternate treatment plan.
- Poor sperm quality: IVF is an option for men struggling with low sperm count or low sperm motility, as the procedure makes the journey easier for the sperm cells. Even though the procedure increases the success rate for men with low sperm quality, a failed IVF is still an option.
- Poor egg quality: IVF can also help women with low egg quality to conceive. However, poor egg quality still causes many IVF fails, as the egg must be of good quality to develop into a healthy embryo and hopefully a successful pregnancy.
- Insufficient number of treatments: Every fertility journey is different. Try to be patient and remember that some get pregnant after their first round of treatment, while others need more attempts.
- Lifestyle: Your lifestyle affects your fertility and chances of a successful IVF attempt. If your diet consists of fatty food and you rarely do any exercise, your chances of a successful IVF decrease.
Struggling to get pregnant?
If you have had unsuccessful fertility treatment using your own sperm, it may be worth considering other options like using a sperm donor. Contact us to learn more about the process and how to get started.
Symptoms of IVF failure
Usually, a pregnancy test two weeks after an embryo transfer will be the only way to determine whether the IVF treatment has resulted in a pregnancy. However, during the two-week-wait, some women experience what they think are symptoms of failure, causing them to feel convinced about a possible IVF failure.
Some of the most common signs of IVF failure are:
- Menstrual bleeding
- Lack of pregnancy signs
- Pain in the abdominal area
However, you can experience these symptoms and yet still be pregnant. Therefore, we always recommend you take a test before losing hope, as a pregnancy test is the only way to be sure whether the treatment was a success or not.
Coping with a failed IVF
A failed IVF attempt can feel emotionally draining and perhaps even resemble the experience of losing someone close to you. If you have just experienced a failed IVF attempt, know that it is perfectly okay to feel sad and to need some time to cope with it. Hopefully, it is just a bump along the way and your next attempt might turn out differently.
It is important to take care of yourself during fertility treatment. Try to prioritise your own needs and do activities that make you feel good and think of something else than IVF, hormones, and visits to the fertility clinic.
Follow the link for more advice on how to take care of your mental health during fertility treatment.
Relevant articles about IVF treatment
The next step after a failed IVF
If your IVF treatment has failed, the next step depends on your situation. Depending on the number of treatments you have received, you might want to try again until your doctor advises you to change the treatment plan. If you have tried multiple rounds of IVF without a positive pregnancy test, you may need to consider alternative options like ICSI. Always consult your doctor before changing your treatment plan.
If you have had IVF using your own sperm and eggs, you may at some point need to consider other alternatives like treatment with donor sperm or eggs. By getting help from an egg or a sperm donor, you maintain a genetic relationship between one parent and the child.
Click on the buttons below to see our sperm and egg donor database.
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FAQ about unsuccessful IVF
What are the odds of getting pregnant after a failed IVF?
It is difficult to predict the odds of getting pregnant after a failed IVF, as the chances depend on multiple factors like your age, fertility, and number of treatments received. Try to remember that many people have been through multiple rounds of treatment before being pregnant.
What do you do when IVF fails?
Your next step after a failed IVF depends on many things like the number of treatments received, the cause of your infertility, and your financial situation. If you want to change treatment, we recommend consulting a doctor.
How common is it for IVF to fail?
It is quite common to experience a failed IVF treatment. The success rate for IVF is around 51% for women below the age of 35 and around 15% for people above the age of 40. As a result, many others have experienced failed IVF treatments before a positive pregnancy result.
What are the symptoms of a failed IVF?
The clearest sign of a failed IVF is a negative pregnancy test. Other than that, things like menstrual bleeding and a lack of pregnancy signs are common symptoms of a failed IVF.