Natural Cycle IVF
Hope Healing Happiness
in Fertility Care
Natural Cycle IVF is a version of IVF that closely follows a woman’s natural menstrual cycle without using high-dose fertility drugs to stimulate multiple eggs.
Natural Cycle IVF
What is Natural Cycle IVF ?
Natural Cycle IVF is a version of IVF that closely follows a woman’s natural menstrual cycle without using high-dose fertility drugs to stimulate multiple eggs. In classic IVF, medications are used to generate multiple eggs. With Natural IVF, one or occasionally none of the woman’s own naturally selected eggs is retrieved, fertilized in the lab, and transferred back into the uterus.
Modifications of this approach include:
- Modified Natural Cycle IVF (MNC-IVF): Includes mild stimulation and suppression using GnRH antagonists alongside natural ovulation.
- Frozen-Embryo Transfer after Natural Cycle: Eggs are fertilized during a stimulated cycle, then embryos are frozen and later transferred in a natural cycle.
When to Consider It ?
Natural IVF may be chosen in cases such as:
- Women who want to avoid hormone medications.
- Those at risk for hormone-related cancers.
- Patients concerned about side effects of stimulation (e.g., OHSS).
- Women with low ovarian reserve or poor response to stimulation.
- Individuals who prefer a more natural approach, or have ethical or financial reasons to avoid multiple embryos.
Types of Natural IVF
Pure Natural Cycle IVF
- No stimulation drugs are used.
Modified Natural Cycle (MNC-IVF)
- Adds mild hormone suppression to prevent premature ovulation while avoiding high-dose stimulation.
Natural Frozen Embryo Transfer (FET)
- Uses embryos created in a stimulated cycle but transferred in a later natural cycle.
Step Process
Procedure
The steps are similar to standard IVF but without heavy drug use:
Step 1 : Monitoring
- The doctor tracks your natural egg growth via ultrasound and blood tests.
Step 2 : Retrieval
- When the single dominant follicle matures, the egg is retrieved with an ultrasound-guided needle (the usual IVF method).
Step 3 : Fertilization
- The egg is fertilized in the lab (via regular IVF or, if needed, ICSI).
Step 4 : Embryo Transfer
- A healthy embryo is transferred back into your uterus in the same cycle—no heavy medications involved.
Overall, the steps mirror conventional IVF, but drug use and stimulation intensity are greatly reduced.
Results and Effectiveness
- Natural IVF has much lower success rates compared to stimulated IVF—typically around 7–10% per cycle, versus 20–40% in standard IVF.
- Often, multiple cycles are required to achieve pregnancy, which can offset cost savings.
However, it’s seen as:
- Less emotionally and physically demanding
- Cost-effective (no expensive stimulation drugs)
- Lower risk—no chance of OHSS, and fewer embryos are created (addressing ethical concerns)