Mild IVF vs Conventional IVF: Key Differences Explained

Mild IVF is emerging as the alternate to conventional IVF for various reasons, which is set to benefit the mother-to-be. If you are going in for IVF to address your fertility struggles, which one should you choose? Here is all the information you will need to make that informed decision.

IVF

In-vitro Fertilization is a commonly used fertility treatment to address infertility in either or both partners. The treatment involves extracting the eggs and sperm from the couple and fertilising the egg under clinical conditions outside the body. Once the fertilisation is complete, an embryo will form. This embryo is then transferred back into the uterus for implantation and develop naturally.

IVF is a type of assisted reproductive technology that comprises multiple steps to combat infertility and increase the chances of a successful pregnancy. It does not, however, guarantee any outcome as the success of a pregnancy depends on various factors.

Mild IVF

Mild IVF is nothing but a milder form of the entire IVF treatment. It involves milder drugs, a shorter duration, and the retrieval of only a few eggs. The treatment focuses more on quality over quantity and can be a good alternative when the woman has a low egg reserve or the male has fertility issues.

Benefits of Mild IVF

Mild IVF is gaining popularity among doctors and patients due to the following benefits it has to offer –

Lesser Medication – The woman is given less medication, and the ovarian stimulation is less when compared to conventional IVF. As fewer follicles are required in mild IVF, the woman does not take too many hormonal injections or medications before the retrieval.
Fewer Side Effects – With fewer medications, the interference with hormonal balance is less. As a result, the women suffers lesser side effects. If needed, she can go in for multiple rounds of mild IVF without having to suffer strong side effects that can lead to many complications in her body, both short-term and long-term.
More Affordable – IVF is expensive, especially if you need multiple cycles. Many medical or health insurances do not cover IVF or related treatments/procedures. Mild IVF requires fewer medications, fewer eggs to retrieve, fertilise, and preserve. Overall, the expenditure involved is less than in traditional IVF.
Reduces OHSS - The risk of hyperstimulating the ovaries is much lower in mild IVF. Women with PCOS, aiming to get pregnant, can opt for mild IVF without having to worry about OHSS.

Conventional IVF

In conventional IVF, which women have been undergoing for decades now, everything is different when compared to mild IVF. The woman is put on medications to stimulate her ovaries to release more eggs. The treatment focuses on quantity to increase the chances of pregnancy without wasting much time.

Benefits of Conventional IVF

Many candidates and doctors stick to conventional IVF due to the following advantages it offers –

More Chances – Conventional IVF aims at extracting the maximum number of eggs possible in one menstrual cycle. By stimulating the ovaries with specific hormonal drugs, a larger number of eggs are retrieved. Many eggs don’t survive the freezing and thawing procedure. With more eggs in hand, the risk of not having enough embryos for transfer is reduced.
Fewer Cycles – The woman’s ovaries are stimulated with medication to release a larger number of eggs. With more eggs, the chances of more embryos for transfer are higher, increasing the chances of pregnancy without the need for multiple rounds. Fewer IVF cycles mean less cost and emotional trauma.
Genetic Testing – As more follicles are retrieved, more embryos are available for those considered for genetic testing or profiling. Genetic profiling carries the risk of embryo damage and will also remove some embryos if not healthy. When the embryos are fewer in number, genetic profiling becomes tricky, as you may not have enough embryos for transfer after the test.
More Data – Conventional IVF has been in use for many decades now, giving doctors more data regarding successful outcomes, complications, challenges, etc. Doctors have enough data and expertise to formulate an IVF plan according to a couple’s needs and limitations.

Mild IVF or Conventional IVF?

So, which is better for you, mild or conventional IVF?

If you want to try IVF without having to suffer severe side effects or risk OHSS, you can opt for mild IVF to see if your ovaries release enough follicles for a successful treatment. For couples where the male partner has fertility issues, mild IVF can be beneficial as the eggs are depleted at a slower pace, giving you a chance to consider donor sperm if necessary. Conventional IVF can benefit women short on time, want quicker results, or don’t want to endure multiple rounds of IVF. For women with higher ovarian reserve but repeated implantation failure, a higher number of embryos transferred increases the chances of a successful implantation. In case of genetic issues, unexplained infertility or repeated miscarriages, genetic profiling can be a good option to understand where the problem could be. If you want to perform genetic profiling on your embryos, you will need more of them, for which mild IVF may not be suitable. If you have too many healthy embryos, you can always talk to your doctor and consider freezing the eggs or embryos (cryopreservation). Remember, not all eggs and embryos survive the freezing and thawing process.

Book an online appointment with Dr. Akhila Anand for fertility related issues.

Conclusion

A detailed discussion with your doctor to understand the pros, cons, and what your associated risks are can help you make an informed decision. Remember, each body is different, and every couple has a different expectation from their fertility treatments.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is mild IVF, and how does it differ from conventional IVF?

Mild IVF is a milder form of the traditional IVF treatment that uses fewer medications. The ovarian stimulation is less, so the number of eggs released is also fewer. This method focuses on quality over quantity, trying to maximise results with fewer side effects.

Who is a good candidate for mild IVF treatment?

Women who suffer from PCOS and are at risk of OHSS are the best candidates for mild IVF. Women with a lowegg reserve, money and time constraints can also benefit from mild IVF.

What does the conventional IVF process involve?

The conventional process involves hormonal medications to stimulate the ovaries to release more follicles per cycle. The eggs are extracted just before ovulation and put in a dish with the extracted sperm for fertilisation. After fertilisation, the resulting embryos are checked, and the best are transferred into the uterus for natural implantation and development

How do success rates compare between mild and conventional IVF?

There is not enough data to compare the two. Conventional IVF has been in practice, and mild IVF is just catching up. While some resources say the results are very similar, some sources claim conventional IVF has better outcomes, especially in older women.