At the Cyprus IVF Centre, all of us in Team Miracle understand that although embarking upon IVF treatment is an exciting and promising time, it can also be challenging. Though you will be in the very best hands at the Cyprus IVF Centre, there is no guaranteed outcome with IVF, or any of our procedures. The emotional investment into the process can be great and if the procedure fails, it can be a tough thing to handle. Happily, our success rates are very high and failure isn’t often something that we have to face. However, when it happens and we do have to, we have a few tried and tested methods for getting our patients through that difficult time.
Firstly, the negative associations of IVF may be something that you are more familiar with then you realise. When many people start IVF they pay a lot of attention to the exciting prospect of pregnancy and understandably less attention to their worries. However, the brain is a clever organ and may recognise these worries regardless, making accepting a disappointing outcome more manageable. People worry about all sorts of things, not just the possible failure of the treatment.
And no matter what the outcome, there is always specialist help available for patients at the Cyprus IVF Centre. From our doctors who can advise on medical issues, to the patient-co-ordinators who spend a lot of time with patients to counsellors who can be on hand for specific advice and support.
What do people worry about ?
Many patients are nervous of failure before they even embark upon IVF. For some, these nerves can mean that they wait a long time before seeking treatment and this fear becomes magnified. Other patients start the process in disappointment that they have not managed to conceive a child naturally.
Others worry about mood swings and having to inject themselves. Maintaining as positive an outlook as possible during IVF is important. If you feel relaxed yourself then your body will follow suit. Team Miracle have all of the elements combined to help you through all the stages that you will face.
And if the IVF treatment isn’t successful ?
First and foremost, be kind to yourself. If a pregnancy doesn’t develop then it won’t be your fault. Your body will have been through a stressful time from preparing for the treatment at home right through to egg harvesting and fertilisation. It’s important to give your body a proper break for a couple of months in order to rest and recuperate.
When you begin to think about trying again, consider whether you need another treatment alongside the main IVF to increase your chances of success. For example, using donor eggs or sperm can sometimes be appropriate. This can be a difficult concept, but Team Miracle at the Cyprus IVF Centre will be on hand to assist and advise whenever you feel ready to face the possibility.
It’s also important to consider WHY the IVF treatment failed. There are a few main reasons why an embryo has failed to develop inside the uterus:
- If an outside factor has affected it and there is something wrong with the structure of the embryo, i.e. it hasn’t divided as it should or matured properly. If there is a chromosomal problem with the embryo then sometimes the body can detect this and an early pregnancy loss can happen.
- If there is a lack of blood flow to the uterus; this results in the most basic support structure being missing and therefore there is a greater chance of miscarriage.
- Immune problems in the mother’s body can perceive the embryo as a foreign body and reject it.
Very occasionally treatment has to be cancelled for various reasons:
- If the patient doesn’t respond to drugs for egg stimulation
- If the patient over-responds to the drugs
- If there are no eggs (i.e. the follicles have developed but they are empty)
- The eggs aren’t mature so no embryos result
- If the embryos simply don’t develop in the lab
Each one of these scenarios may mean that you stop, or alter, your course of treatment. Sometimes, finances and emotionally-draining repeated failures mean that it’s best to halt the IVF treatment. It’s a difficult concept, but it’s important to remember that ending that specific IVF treatment in Cyprus does not mean ending the hope of having children. It’s possible to use an egg donor if you don’t have good quality eggs of your own and we have new technology available, such as the EmbryoScope time-lapse imaging system, which can increase your chance of success.
And if you don’t want to go through anymore treatment, you could consider using a surrogate mother to carry your child or alternatively, there are now more children available for adoption or fostering in the UK than ever before. A higher awareness of social services and more help is available for those who struggle mean that more and more children are being placed into care.
Team Miracle at the Cyprus IVF Centre is experienced in approaching all of these options. Each patient is unique and we are committed to supporting them all – in the right way for them. The failure of IVF treatment does not necessarily mean the failure of hopes and aspirations.
