NATURAL CYCLE IVF
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The Brandeis Fertility Center, Leaders in Natural Cycle IVF and minimal Dose Stimulation IVF

The Brandeis Center specializes in natural cycle IVF, modified natural cycle IVF, and minimal stimulation techniques – all of which are attempts to rely upon the patients natural cycle to harvest a limited number of eggs that are most likely to be healthy.

Natural Cycle IVF is in contrast to conventional IVF where more drugs are used, more eggs are achieved - but some of these eggs may not be able to be fertilized.

The Brandeis Fertility Center specializes in natural cycle IVF.
1. pure natural cycle IVF
2. ovulation triggered natural cycle IVF
3. modified natural cycle IVF

We also offer
1. Minimal Dose Stimulation IVF
2. Conventional IVF

Premise of Natural Cycle

The number of eggs a person has during the first days of the menstrual cycle and number of follicles that respond to stimulation are very important fertility parameters. Patients should never be told that even if they only make 1 egg their chances are just as good as patients who make many eggs in response to stimulation.

However, if we capture the best possible egg that patient is able to produce with either a natural cycle or low dose stimulation – the chances for success for that patient maybe better then subjecting the same patient to an strong aggressive cycle stimulation with high doses of medication which at best will yield very fews egg.

Natural cycle IVF is useful for the following patients:

1. Patients who prefer to have a natural holistic approach avoiding any injections,     steroids
2. Patients who are afraid of injections
3. Patients who are over 35
4. Patients who do not respond well to stimulation
5. Patients who have a history of breast cancer or ovarian cancer
6. Patients who have religious or ethical concerns embryo reduction.
7. Patients who have failed to conceive despite multiple cycles of IVF
8. Patients who cannot afford the high cost of fertility medications
9. Patients who are unable to come for daily monitoring - for the daily monitoring     needed for conventional IVF

Since 2001, there has been a renewed interest in natural cycle IVF which has the following advantages:

1. Lower cost because of minimal medication
2. Less discomfort to the patient
3. No anesthesia required in some patients
4. No risk of multiple birth, so less risk of pre-term delivery
5. No risk of hyper-stimulation
6. No ethical problems about embryo freezing or fetal reduction

The disadvantages of pure cycle IVF and modified cycle IVF is that only 1 egg gets produced therefore couples aren't able to freeze extra embryos for later use. Every study in medical literature has shown that the success rate per cycle is less with pure natural cycle IVF or modified cycle IVF compared to conventional IVF.

However the cumulative pregnancy rate after several cycle of natural cycle IVF is similar to the success rate of conventional IVF in selected patients.

For patients who wish to freeze embryos. They can achieve pregnancy through natural cycle IVF and then use additional cycles to obtain additional embryos for a later use. These embryos can be stored at an embryo bank and then transferred years later. Additionally, minimal dose stimulation can be considered and one or two embryos transferred and the rest can be frozen.

Pure Natural Cycle IVF

Many patients choose pure natural cycle IVF because it is natural method and is the method of IVF that is close to natural conception – avoiding the use of any chemicals or steroids.

Pure Cycle IVF is the most natural method of invitro fertilization possible. No fertility hormones or drugs are given.

Near the time of ovulation a thin needle is passed through the vaginal wall into the ovaries with the hope of recovering the 1egg produced during the natural cycle. In some cases no anesthesia is required the egg is fertilized with the sperm and the embryo then transferred into the uterine cavity 3 to 5 days later.

Patients undergoing pure natural cycle IVF are monitored carefully using urine LH kits, blood testing, and sonogram.

When blood testing and sonograms indicate the follicle is mature it is removed as in standard IVF. In some cases no anesthesia is required.

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Ovulation triggered natural cycle IVF

The difficulty with pure cycle IVF is that in some cases despite best attempts at monitoring, the patient ovulates too soon.

To avoid this, HCG is given when the follicle appears to be mature.

As in pure natural cycle IVF, patients are carefully monitored using urine LH kits, blood testing, sonogram.

HCG - a natural hormone preparation is used to help insure egg maturation - is given when the egg-bearing follicle reaches a size of 18mm. egg retrieval is usually done 32-36 hours after HCG.