The Center for Reproductive Health offers an alternative approach to the traditional IVF procedure for those eligible patients called Minimally Stimulated or Natural IVF treatment (also known as Mini- IVF).
In most traditional IVF cycles, injected fertility medications are administered to help stimulate multiple egg development in a woman’s ovaries. Mini- IVF, unlike traditional IVF, uses minimal or no fertility medications to stimulate egg development. Using this technique, a woman can use her natural ovulation cycle with no prescribed medications to produce eggs for IVF. Women who experience tubal factor infertility or unexplained infertility are considered good candidates and respond well to Mini IVF treatment(s).
Advantages to Minimally Stimulated or Natural cycle IVF:
- Avoids daily fertility injection medications
- Lower cost alternative as compared to traditional IVF due to little or no fertility medications
- Lower risk of potential multiple pregnancy
- Reduction of side effects associated with fertility medications-Hyperstimulation Syndrome
- Prevents ethical concerns related to Cryopreservation
The concept of Minimally Stimulated or Natural IVF is unique as it removes much of the complexity associated with traditional IVF and dramatically reduces the cost of an IVF treatment(s) with comparable results.