Mini IVF is a low-cost fertility treatment that uses smaller doses of fertility drugs and different timings compared to standard IVF, resulting in fewer, higher quality eggs. Embryos are frozen and transferred during a natural cycle to increase chances of success and reduce the risk of multiple births.
A mini IVF, or mini IVF, is a low-cost fertility treatment that is very similar to standard IVF, but with smaller doses of fertility drugs and different timings. Mini IVF is also known as micro IVF or low stimulation IVF. There are several significant differences between mini and standard IVF treatments, such as lower costs, fewer medications, fewer higher quality eggs, and different times to implant.
In vitro fertilization is a treatment in which eggs are taken from the mother, fertilized, and the resulting embryos are re-implanted into the mother in an attempt to achieve pregnancy. In standard IVF, the initial stage is ovarian stimulation, where massive amounts of fertility drugs are used in an attempt to get the ovaries to produce as many eggs as possible. In mini IVF treatment, far fewer drugs are used, with the stated aim of producing few high-quality oocytes. Using fewer drugs dramatically reduces the cost of treatment, as a large part of the cost of IVF treatment is for the fertility drugs used in the process. This may have the effect of making the procedure more accessible to patients who cannot afford traditional IVF.
The reduced amount of fertility drugs used in mini IVF for ovarian stimulation purposes means a lower level of stimulation which will often result in fewer eggs. It also reduces the risks of unpleasant side effects and problems such as ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome, a potentially dangerous condition that can result from the use of ovarian stimulating drugs. Mini IVF also often uses oral medications instead of injections, and proponents of the method say it’s less stressful and more like the body’s natural process.
Following ovarian stimulation, the eggs are retrieved, with a typical mini IVF yield of three to five eggs, compared to ten or more often produced with the standard method. The eggs are then fertilized and closely monitored for development into healthy embryos. Once they have developed to the appropriate stage, the embryos are then flash frozen for implantation during a subsequent menstrual cycle. This differs from the standard procedure where several embryos are returned immediately to the mother’s uterus for implantation.
Embryos are frozen with mini IVF because the fertility drugs used can affect the uterine lining and reduce the chances of implantation. Embryos are saved for implantation during a natural cycle to increase the chances of success. Fewer eggs, often just one or two, are typically transferred back into the mother’s uterus because the uterus is supposed to be more hospitable for implantation, thus increasing the chances of success. All remaining embryos are saved for future use.
With fewer embryos transferred during a cycle, mini IVF can reduce the risk of multiple births, which are more common with conventional fertility treatment. Proponents of the method say it is less stressful on the mother’s body with similar success rates to standard methods, all at a lower cost. Although relatively new, it appears to be a promising treatment method with growing acceptance.
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