4 MAIN CAUSES FOR IVF FAILURE AND WHAT YOU CAN DO!

Going through an IVF procedure and not having a successful healthy pregnancy is a devastating event in a woman and her partners life. This always leaves you with the question "what caused the IVF failure?"  According to Lucy Eades their are 4 main reasons for an IVF to fail.

Moving forward from a negative cycle is difficult and trying to figure out your next steps can be even more confusing. By understanding the main causes for IVF failure and how you can prevent these is a motivating way to begin another cycle.

The 4 main causes of IVF failure according to Lucy:

The Quality of an Embryo
Embryo quality is dependant on 2 factors, sperm and egg. Both partners need to be in optimal health for months before the IVF cycle to create the best quality embryo possible.  It takes up to 90 days for men to produce mature sperm. Anything they do during this time can negatively or positively impact their sperm.  Hot tubs, bike riding, alcohol, smoking will all negatively impact the sperm. Healthy diet high in alkaline foods and antioxidants can improve sperm parameters. Acupuncture and chinese herbal medicine can be very useful during these 90 days.  

Although not able to change the genetics of a women, egg quality can be improved by creating the healthiest possible environment. Egg's go through a recruitment process that takes months before they will be ready for ovulation. Making sure you are at the top of your health will help make sure the egg's genetic potential is reached. Diet, Lifestyle and acupuncture can all play a vital role in this process.

Poor Ovarian Response

A healthy woman should respond well producing many eggs during the stimulation phase of an IVF. Unfortunately many women may not respond well to IVF medications producing minimal or in some cases no eggs. This would be called a poor ovarian response. It is very common in woman who have high FSH levels or low Antral Follicle Counts. The best way to help the ovaries respond to IVF medications is similar to that of creating healthy embryo's, Create a healthy, fertile environment. Specific vitamin deficiencies such as Vitamin D can greatly diminish fertility. By optimizing the body and giving it time to respond to these changes dramatic results can be seen. I have seen success in women who had multiple failed IVF cycles but go on to have success and healthy children.

Implantation Failure

This is the last stage of achieving a pregnancy. A healthy egg is retrieved, sperm and egg are introduced and create an embryo and transferred into the uterus. Now only implantation needs to happen. 

Unfortunately implantation may be one of the most common factors causing IVF failure. Polyps, cysts, poor blood flow, thin lining, ....  may all contribute to an embryo not implanting after an IVF transfer. The good news is that acupuncture has a great track record of improving uterine blood flow and implantation rates. A large study has shown that just doing LASER acupuncture on the day of transfer increases implantation rates by 15%. More studies have also shown how regular acupuncture leading up to your retrieval day increases blood flow  as well as helps when there is a thin uterine lining.

A Woman's Age

There is little we can do or change about the age of our patients undergoing an IVF cycle. What you can do is help keep the body healthy to slow down the aging process. Healthy diet, regular sleep, stress reduction , ....  all can quicken or slow the aging process 

The above 4 reasons for IVF failure can be treated and improved using natural methods. Although not all woman who experience a negative IVF cycle can go on to a healthy pregnancy, many can! To find out if Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine can benefit you during your next IVF please contact us for a complimentary phone consultation.

Source Link: http://www.acubalance.ca/blog/4-main-causes-for-ivf-failure-and-what-you-can-do