IVF failure is devastating for anyone who has spent weeks planning the treatment, taking injections, fighting anxiety, going through the process, and spending their hard-earned money.
A failed cycle however, does not always mean you have to re-start the whole process. Advancements in technology now allow the embryos from your first cycle to be frozen for subsequent use. The use of frozen embryos is infact preferred over fresh embryo transfer by many doctors.
No matter how much you optimize your cycle to achieve success in the first chance, there are so many factors at play that no one can guarantee success in IVF. No fertility clinic, irrespective of how good they claim to be, can have a 100% success rate.
Some couples try for a few cycles before they take an alternative approach to the treatment, like third party reproduction, while others talk to different doctors to see if anyone points out to something that their own fertility doctor may have missed. Getting a second opinion is usually a good idea.
If your doctor has documented and provided detailed reports of every step of the procedure including your response to ovarian stimulation medication, problems with egg maturation, quantity and quality or eggs and sperm, the number and quality of embryos formed, the condition of your uterine lining, etc. it will help to determine the cause of IVF failure, in case it happens.
Over 25% of patients have multiple reasons for infertility and carefully looking at these reports, a doctor may have a better understanding of your problem.
It is imperative you also take care of your mental health and be there for your partner to try to absorb the emotional impact of IVF failure.
Know that despite the best efforts of the doctors, failure in some IVF cycles is inevitable. However, solutions are abundant today and with the right guidance and some patience, you will find a way to get through.