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Why Your IVF Failed and How We Can Help

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Infertility can be extremely frustrating and debilitating on its own, but when in-vitro fertilization (IVF) fails to result in pregnancy, you may feel devastated.

Although IVF is a fantastic option for infertile couples, the reality is that only 26% of IVF cycles actually produce a baby. If you’re older than 40, this percentage is even lower.

Don’t let these statistics discourage you. A failed IVF attempt does not end your attempt to create your family. Our team at the California Center for Reproductive Health offers the most up-to-date infertility interventions and evaluations. We have advanced infertility treatments that can still help if IVF failed. Here’s how.

How IVF works

IVF involves fertilizing a woman’s egg with her partner’s sperm in a laboratory. The embryos develop in the lab and when determined viable, they’re implanted into a woman’s uterus, with the hope that they attach and grow into a healthy baby.

Why IVF fails

An IVF cycle may fail due to any number of reasons. Here are explanations of some of the more common reasons.

Embryo quality

An IVF cycle most often fails due to the quality of the embryo implanted. Although we do a thorough evaluation of the embryo’s health before implantation, it may have defects that prevent it from growing.

Age of the eggs

The age of the eggs used to create the embryo in the lab matters, too. As a woman ages, the quality and quantity of viable eggs decreases.

Ovarian function

Prior to egg harvesting, a woman undergoes hormone treatments that stimulate her ovaries to produce multiple eggs. If you’re older than 37 or have high levels of follicle-stimulating hormone, you may have trouble producing enough eggs, and IVF may fail.

Chromosomal abnormalities

A common reason why pregnancies fail early on is due to chromosomal abnormalities. Even women who’ve conceived naturally can suffer chromosomal abnormalities that result in miscarriage.

Sometimes these can be detected in the lab, and embryos with such abnormalities are not used during the IVF process. But, if such an embryo is used, it may not implant correctly in the uterus of could result in miscarriage. Sometimes, an IVF round fails even before the attempt to transfer the embryo to a woman’s uterus occurs because all of the embryos that were created have chromosomal abnormalities.

Lifestyle choices

Smoking is a definite poor lifestyle choice when you’re undergoing IVF. Smokers usually need more IVF cycles to successfully conceive and are more likely to experience a miscarriage. Being underweight or overweight also affects your IVF treatment outcome.

Implantation issues

Sometimes the uterus isn’t receptive to implantation. While this is sometimes due to issues with the embryo, it can also have to do with the status of your uterine lining. If the IVF hormones used prior to implantation are out of balance, your uterus may not be sticky enough or at the right point in its cycle to accept an embryo.

Endometriosis

Endometriosis is an overgrowth of uterine lining. The tissue often grows outside of the womb and affects your reproductive organs. Some women have symptoms associated with endometriosis, such as irregular bleeding or cramping, but other women aren’t aware they have it until a complication with IVF occurs.

How we can help

For older women who are concerned about their egg quality, using donor eggs greatly increases the chance of success with IVF. We’re happy to discuss this option with you at a consultation.

If your ovaries are at risk of not producing enough eggs, our team can work with you to evaluate your ovarian reserve and discuss any changes that will need to be made to your fertility medications for future IVF rounds.

We may recommend lifestyle changes to improve your chances of success. For instance, if you smoke, you should quit at least three months before your next IVF cycle. Also, it’s helpful to achieve a healthy weight to optimize your chances of successful IVF.

The doctors may also recommend an evaluation of your uterine lining if it seems you’re having trouble with implantation. They may be able to adjust your IVF hormone treatments to optimize progesterone timing and improve your uterine receptivity.

Dr. Mor and Dr. Woo may suggest a ReceptivaDx test that detects inflammation of the uterine lining. Inflammation is most commonly associated with endometriosis, one of the leading causes of infertility and failed implantation.

We can do a biopsy of suspicious tissue if endometriosis is suspected in order to confirm a diagnosis. Endometriosis may be removed with minimally invasive surgery and a course of antibiotics to reduce inflammation and improve chances of implantation in a future IVF cycle.

Disappointment can’t even begin to explain how you feel after a failed IVF cycle. But you don’t have to give up on your dreams of a family. Take advantage of the expertise and compassion of our infertility experts at California Center for Reproductive Health.

Call one of our offices in Encino, Santa Monica, Valencia, Alhambra, and West Hollywood, California, to set up a consultation and evaluation. Alternatively, you can schedule an appointment online.

See Dr. Mor’s Publications

Eliran Mor, MD

Reproductive Endocrinologist located in Encino, Santa Monica, Valencia & West Hollywood, CA
Reproductive Endocrinologist located in Encino, Valencia & West Hollywood, CA Doctor Mor received his medical degree from Tel Aviv University-Sackler School of Medicine in Israel. He completed a four-year residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology at New York Methodist Hospital in Brooklyn, New York. Subsequently, Dr. Mor completed a three-year fellowship in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility […]
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FAQ

What does a reproductive endocrinologist and infertility specialist do?

Reproductive endocrinology and Infertility is a sub-specialty of Obstetrics and Gynecology. In addition to managing medical and surgical treatment of disorders of the female reproductive tract, reproductive endocrinologist and infertility (REI) specialists undergo additional years of training to provide fertility treatments using assisted reproductive technology (ART) such as in vitro fertilization.

Reproductive endocrinologists receive board certification by the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology in both Obstetrics and Gynecology and Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility.

When should I see an REI specialist?

In general, patients should consider consulting with an REI specialist after one year of trying unsuccessfully to achieve pregnancy. The chance of conceiving every month is around 20%, therefore after a full year of trying approximately 15% of couples will still not have achieved a pregnancy.

However, if a woman is over the age of 35 it would be reasonable to see a fertility specialist earlier, typically after 6 months of trying.

Other candidates to seek earlier treatment are women who have irregular menses, endometriosis, fibroids, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), women who have had 2 or more miscarriages, or problems with the fallopian tubes (prior ectopic pregnancy).

What are the reasons we are having trouble conceiving?

Approximately 1/3 of the time cause for infertility is a female factor, 1/3 of the time a male factor, and the remaining 1/3 a couples’ factor.

At CCRH, we emphasize the importance of establishing a correct diagnosis. Both partners undergo a comprehensive evaluation including a medical history and physical exam.

Furthremore, the woman’s ovarian reserve is assessed with a pelvic ultrasound and a hormonal profile. A hysterosalpingogram (HSG) will confirm fallopian tube patency and the uterine cavity is free of intracavitary lesions. A semen analysis is also obtained to evaluate for concentration, motility, and morphology of the sperm.

Additional work up is then individualized to direct the best possible treatment option for each couple.

What is IVF? What is the process like?

In vitro fertilization (IVF) is the process that involves fertilization of an egg outside of a woman’s body.

The process starts with fertility drugs prescribed to help stimulate egg development. In your natural cycle, your body is only able to grow one dominant egg, but with stimulation medication we can recruit multiple eggs to continue to grow. After about 8-10 days of stimulation, the eggs are surgically retrieved and then fertilized with sperm in a specialized laboratory. Fertilized eggs are then cultured under a strictly controlled environment within specialized incubators in the IVF laboratory for 3-5 days while they develop as embryos. Finally, embryos (or an embryo) are transferred into the uterine cavity for implantation.

Should I have IVF?

Before deciding if IVF is the right choice, it’s important to sit down with an REI specialist to discuss available treatment options. For some people, other methods such as fertility drugs, intrauterine insemination (IUI) may be the best first choice treatment. At CCRH, we believe each individual couple is unique and not everyone needs IVF.

Is the IVF procedure painful?

While not painful, the fertility medications may some side effects including headaches, hot flashes, mood swings, and bloating. The injection sites may also bruise.

Will IVF guarantee a baby?

Unfortunately, no. Many people think once they start IVF it’s a matter of time that they will be pregnant and have a baby. But according to national statistics per the Society of Assisted Reproduction (SART), on average 40% of assisted reproduction cycles achieve live births in women under age 35. The chances of success then continue to decrease with advancing age.

At CCRH, we employ only evidence-based interventions to ensure patient safety and optimal outcome. While we cannot guarantee a baby, we guarantee that you will receive the best, most advanced, personalized care to help you maximize your chance of a baby.

What is the success rate for IVF?

The average IVF success rate (success measured in live birth rate) using one’s own eggs begins to drop around age 35 and then rapidly after age 40. This is due to the decline in egg quantity and egg quality as a woman ages.

Our clinic’s success rate consistently beats the national average year after year.

Do insurance plans cover infertility treatment? How much does IVF cost?

Individual insurance plans often do not have any coverage for infertility treatments. If you have a group plan, you can call members services to see if they have coverage for infertility (including consultation/workup and IVF).

After your consultation with our REI specialist, one of our dedicated account managers with sit with you to go over the cost of treatment.

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