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On the journey to conception but facing difficulties? You’re not alone. Research shows that 1 in 6 adults suffer from infertility.
If you’re considering fertility treatments, you would have come across in vitro fertilization (IVF). But have you heard of mini IVF?
This is a gentler approach. Minimal stimulation IVF, a.k.a. mini IVF, is a great alternative to traditional in vitro fertilization. This approach uses lower doses of fertility medication than standard IVF to stimulate egg production. This means a more natural way and one that’s potentially less taxing on the body.
In this article, we will dive into the details of what minimal stimulation IVF (mini in vitro fertilization) is, the process, the pros, the cons, and whether it’s the right choice for you.
What is mini IVF?
Mini IVF goes by a few different names:
- Minimal stimulation IVF
- Mild IVF
- Gentle IVF
- Micro IVF
The process is more or less the same as regular IVF. But there’s one big difference: the dosage for mini IVF is much lower.
This means this method of in vitro fertilization has one big advantage: high-quality eggs with fewer side effects.
Minimal stimulation IVF isn’t a one-size-fits-all situation. There isn’t a fixed protocol or drug dose. Your doctor will work with you to determine your unique needs.
This approach is a more personalized experience than traditional in vitro fertilization. This is one of the many differences between mini and regular IVF, which we will look at next.
How is mini IVF different from regular IVF?
Mini IVF and regular IVF have differences when it comes to:
- Dosage
- Number of eggs retrieved
- Success rates
- Side effects
Dosage
With conventional IVF, high doses of injectable medications called gonadotropins are given. But when it comes to mini IVF, the doses are much lower.
Sometimes with mini IVF, injectables aren’t even used at all. Instead, patients are given oral medications like clomiphene instead.
Remember – there is no standard mini IVF protocol. Everything is tailored individually to each patient.
Number of eggs retrieved
Because mini IVF a.k.a. minimal stimulation is a gentler approach that involves a lower dose of fertility medication, fewer eggs are retrieved. Studies show that conventional IVF averages over 12 eggs compared to between 3-6 with mini IVF.
This may make you feel like conventional IVF is the way to go then – the more eggs, the merrier, right? Not necessarily.
While some studies show egg retrieval in the 15+ range resulted in higher pregnancy rates, others saw things level off between 11-20.
Research suggests that quality may be better than quantity in the case of IVF and pregnancy.
Success rates
Another study found that women under the age of 35 had a 50.2% success rate with traditional IVF versus 41.2% with mini. Not a huge difference, but certainly worth noting.
Side effects
Side effects of the mini IVF process will look like those of conventional IVF, just less intense.
They may include:
- Hot flashes
- Injection site pain
- Irritability
- Depression
- Headaches
- Restlessness
- Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS)
OHSS is a risk for those undergoing traditional IVF. This is especially true for women with PCOS.
Fertility medications stimulate your ovaries and produce multiple eggs. This may be great for fertility, but can also be too much stimulation for your ovaries. They can go into overdrive which looks like swelling and leaking fluid. Some cases are mild and go away on their own, but others require immediate doctor attention.
The good news? According to studies, mini IVF means a lower risk of OHSS. This makes it a better option for some women. One study of nearly 600 couples saw zero cases of OHSS with mini IVF versus 16 cases of OHSS with conventional IVF.
To summarize the above, here’s an easy-to-read table highlighting the differences between mini IVF and traditional IVF.
What are the advantages of mini IVF?
Minimal stimulation IVF offers all kinds of perks.
Easier on the body
For starters, this IVF treatment is easier on your body. You have fewer injection sites which means less pain at the injection sites.
The fewer injections also mean a lower exposure to the gonadotropin medication. This medication typically causes side effects like abdominal discomfort, bloating, and mood swings.
Fewer needles involved
And if you’re not a big fan of needles, mini IVF may be your saving grace. That’s thanks to the fact that this IVF treatment involves fewer injections, blood draws, and appointments.
There’s a chance you may not need injections at all if your doctor decides oral fertility medication may work just as well.
May be cheaper
Those fewer visits to the doctor also may end up saving you time and money, which we’re guessing you’ll love.
Speaking of money, mini IVF has a lower cost per IVF cycle because it uses a lower dose of drugs. So if you’re only doing a few IVF cycles, you could save yourself a lot of money there, too.
And then there’s the leftover embryo part.
Because mini in vitro fertilization uses a smaller batch of eggs, you’ll probably have fewer embryos left over after the process. Storing extra embryos can get pricey, so having fewer to worry about is another money saver.
Lower risk of OHSS
You’re also much less likely to experience OHSS with this type of IVF treatment, which is definitely a bonus.
What is the cost of mini IVF?
Mini IVF’s lower cost per cycle is certainly appealing – it’s half the price per cycle of standard IVF.
But since that’s per IVF cycle, does that make it cheaper overall?
That’s hard to say for sure. Since mini IVF uses fewer eggs, that can mean fewer embryos, too. And because IVF success rates are influenced by the number of embryos, this could mean less of a deal.
You may require multiple rounds of mini IVF to get pregnant. This could balance out the cost scales with conventional IVF cycles, or maybe even cost more.
Who is a good candidate for mini IVF?
There are some people who make especially good candidates for mini IVF.
- Women over the age of 35.
- Couples with only male infertility. The eggs are fine – it’s the sperm that’s causing issues.
- Patients with tubular infertility. The ovaries are doing their job but the tubes are struggling.
- Women with a high risk of OHSS. This includes women with PCOS, high estrogen levels, and previous history of OHSS.
- Women with a low ovarian reserve. This is in the case that traditional IVF isn’t working to increase the low reserve. For women with a low or diminished ovarian reserve, the strong medication used has more risks and side effects than benefits. So, it’s better to use fewer medications.
- Lesbian couples. Free of fertility issues, but wanting to get pregnant.
- Single women. Also free of fertility issues, but looking to get pregnant.
Women considering ethical or religious views. Some people may choose mini IVF because they don’t want any embryo remaining after the embryo transfer.
Wrapping it up
Mini IVF is a gentler alternative to traditional IVF. It offers fewer medications, side effects, and a lower risk of OHSS.
However, mini IVF does tend to have a lower success rate per cycle. That’s because fewer eggs are retrieved than in standard IVF.
How to know whether mini IVF is right for you? It depends on your fertility goals, circumstances, and age.
Talk with your fertility specialist to see if mini IVF is the best choice for achieving your pregnancy goals.
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- 1 in 6 people globally affected by infertility: WHO | WHO
- 10 Tips for Getting Pregnant on Clomid® | Inito
- Use of a novel minimal stimulation in vitro fertilization (“mini-IVF”) protocol for low ovarian reserve and for older women | Fertility and Sterility
- How many oocytes are optimal to achieve multiple live births with one stimulation cycle? The one-and-done approach | Fertility and Sterility
- The number of oocytes retrieved during IVF: a balance between efficacy and safety | Oxford Academic
- Minimal stimulation IVF vs conventional IVF: a randomized controlled trial | ScienceDirect
- Success rates in minimal stimulation cycle IVF with clomiphene citrate only | NIH
- Risks IVF | NHS
- Minimal stimulation IVF vs conventional IVF: a randomized controlled trial | NIH
