How common are miscarriages after IVF?

Getting ready for motherhood, but worried about all the complications that come with it? Find out how common miscarriages really are, when and why they're most likely to occur, and how common miscarriages are with in vitro fertilisation!

Read more to find out how common miscarriages are after IVF!

Many think getting pregnant literally takes having sex one time, but that statement is far from the truth. Some folks may be successful during the first try yet other women are not so lucky. There are couples who have been trying to have a baby for years and have had no luck with it. Some don’t get pregnant at all while others always miscarry.

We give you all the details on miscarriages and how common they are when using advanced treatments such as in vitro fertilisation (IVF), so that you can have a better understanding of the process before starting your journey to motherhood. Let’s take a look at miscarriages and IVF.

Miscarriages

Miscarriages are sadly very common and affect 30% of pregnant women from all over the world. A miscarriage is an unplanned and abrupt abortion of an unborn baby before it is even 20 weeks old. However, some women miscarry very early, even before they know that they are pregnant. Contrary to what other people say, miscarriages are not caused by having sex, working out or working. Falls and bumps also shouldn’t cause miscarriages unless the impact is truly tremendous. The cause of miscarriages varies from woman to woman. It could be because:

The baby was not formed properly, which makes it impossible to survive.
The uterus of the mother is deformed/malformed, which makes it impossible for the baby to grow.
The pregnant woman suffers from an illness such as measles, lupus or diabetes.

No matter what the cause of the miscarriage may be, the effect is always heart breaking and devastating to anyone involved.

In vitro fertilisation (IVF)

In this time of modern technology, it is safe to assume that there is an advanced treatment or method that allows women to get pregnant and deliver a healthy baby safely. IVF is a type of assisted reproductive technology, which allows specialists to fertilize a woman’s egg cell outside of her body. Here are the IVF steps simplified:

A woman’s eggs are stimulated and developed inside her ovaries. This could be done by medication or other treatments.
Once the eggs are ready, they are removed from the body.
The eggs are then fertilized by the donor’s/husband’s sperm.
The fertilized egg cells are observed and are allowed to grow and develop.
Once the eggs are successfully grown into embryos, they are placed in the woman’s uterus to turn into a baby.

The entire IVF process is not easy and requires emotional and financial preparedness from the couple. Apart from its hefty price tag, the couples must also remember that the success rate of IVF is only about 20%. The other 80% results in non-pregnancy that may be due to the poor quality of the embryo, non-responsive ovaries or implantation concerns. But did you know that miscarriage is also one of the reasons why IVF fails?

Miscarriages and IVF

The case of a miscarriage in IVF is actually higher than in regular pregnancy. This is not because the process is sensitive but because the woman is already at risk to begin with. IVF is actually considered as the last resort for couples, who failed to have a baby for years. However, a miscarriage after an IVF should not hinder the couple from trying again. If they are willing to try again and have enough funds to do so, they can go through IVF again, unless specified by their doctor.

Have your ever dealt with miscarriages and IVF? Tell us your experience. We’d love to hear from you.

WATCH: Treating Recurrent IVF Failure & Recurrent Miscarriage

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Written by

Karen Mira

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