Success Stories of IVF

Success stories of IVF: Giving Hope After a Failed IVF When your IVF treatment fails, it is common to undergo moments of grief. In times like this, the success stories of IVF can help to make you stay positive and hopeful. Many couples who have conceived and have a baby via the test tube baby method have previously experienced multiple failures. One thing common in most of these couples is their persistence and determination to fulfil their parenthood dream. IVF journeys can be rough and drain you emotionally, mentally and psychologically, but always remember that there is hope after a failed IVF. You can also be a part of the success stories of IVF.   The Impact of failed IVF The “what ifs” and blaming after a failed IVF can be endless. Whenever a couple fails to get pregnant after the IVF treatment, they usually go through grieving. It starts with denial, where they refuse to accept that the treatment has failed. It then leads to feeling angry towards everything. They begin to blame the situation and everyone for the failure. They will start to ask questions like, “What if my IVF failed because I parked the car too far from my workplace and exerted myself whilst walking?” or “Doctor, maybe you didn’t do enough for this IVF to be successful”. These “what ifs” scenarios and unhealthy thoughts make them more depressed and exhausted. Then, slowly, the couple starts to accept the situation. The grieving they go through is somewhat similar to one who has lost a child. As much as a failed IVF affects couples, it affects our fertility team too. Any unfavorable outcome is devastating for us. My nurses, my embryologist and I put in our hearts and soul to do everything possible in hopes of a successful IVF outcome. We do everything possible to deliver happy news to couples. However, sometimes it just doesn’t happen. The average success rate of IVF globally is under 50 per cent. More than half of those who undergo IVF do not get pregnant. A hard fact to digest, but it is the truth. Coping with Failed IVF Going through various steps during IVF may exhaust you physically and emotionally. The process, which includes hormone injections, egg extraction and an embryo transfer over 2 to 6 weeks, can be tiring for those undergoing the IVF treatment. It is a challenging journey for many couples out there. Thus, I understand how devastating it must be for you when the treatment fails. I usually suggest my patients to give time for their body and mind to rest and heal. Here are some suggestions that you can considered if you have failed your IVF treatments. • Stop Blaming Yourself  The failed IVF treatment may cause you to think of all the “what ifs” and you may start to blame yourself for the failure. It is important for you to know that IVF success rates are affected by various factors. Even under promising cases, the transfer of fertilised eggs may not end with a positive result. Anything can happen. The fertility specialist will usually analyse and explain the next step after IVF. So, stop blaming yourself. Talk to your fertility doctor and plan your next step patiently. • Take a Break I would advise a couple that failed IVF to take a break. You may feel the rush to hop on to do another IVF cycle. However, give yourself and your partner a break. Stop all medication and take as much time as you need to grieve and accept the failure. Some patients even deeply mourn after a failed IVF. To these couples, I advise them to seek the right help. Getting proper aid will direct you to prepare emotionally and physically for the next cycle or to take the next step. • Approach a Fertility Coach For couples who are deeply mourning and do not know what to do next, I suggest they meet our Fertility Coach, who will help them cope with their failed IVF. You may feel depressed, guilty, and worthless. Sometimes, the inability to express emotions can also be overwhelming and isolating. Our Fertility Coach is a great help. She provides extra mental and emotional support while assisting couples in navigating through their fertility struggles. She can help couples work through their feelings and advise them on the best fertility plan. She will give you the support you need to function through the grief. • Read or listen to Success Stories of IVF Reading or listening to success stories of IVF is an excellent way to cope. These stories shared are usually filled with the struggles and emotional rides couples faced during their journey. It may not be the same for you. However, hearing similar stories may give validations to your feelings. The stories could be a reminder that you are not alone in this journey. It can give you hope and help you cope with your journey. • Get Involved with Fun Activities Couples need to engage themselves in different activities that can distract them from their problems. They may go cycling, attend yoga classes, watch movies, gardening, take art classes and many more. Such activities may give them peace of mind and make them feel good. It also is a good distraction from dwelling much on the failure of IVF. What to Do Next? I see failure as an opportunity to begin again – but more intelligently. When an IVF fails, there can be various reasons. Usually, I will review a couple’s latest IVF procedure to determine which areas could be improved to help boost the odds of success the next time. Depending on a couple’s situation, I may order additional tests such as: Immune System Tests- It is a test that figures out any issues that may cause the IVF treatment to fail. It checks different aspects of the immune system. When the immune system is over- or under-activated, it may result in repeated pregnancy loss or infertility.