Mild ovarian stimulation (mild IVF) aims to protect egg quality and to enhance the fertilisation and the implantation of the embryo created by reducing the impact of increased doses of stimulation drugs on the health of the woman. Thus, it offers an alternative solution to conventional IVF protocols.
Women who can undergo the process of mild ovarian stimulation are those who face infertility problems and who have enough follicles according to their age group, so that small doses of stimulation lead to optimal recruitment of eggs, which do not exceed 5-7 eggs per cycle. It is also the appropriate way to treat women who have a limited number of follicles and are of advanced age > 39 years old.
Mild ovarian stimulation, as mentioned above, is a form of assisted reproduction protocol. According to mild ovarian stimulation protocols, a smaller dosage of gonadotropins is administered for follicular recruitment compared to conventional protocols. The daily dose is ≤150 IU/day.
Avoiding the manifestation of Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome (OHSS) is the main advantage of mild ovarian stimulation. The Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome occurs when, due to the administration of gonadotropin, the ovaries produce too many eggs, which are non-viable. In case of a severe form, the woman needs hospitalization to treat the syndrome.
Following the dictates of nature, while the ovary grows one follicle every month, mild ovarian stimulation aims to produce more but not excessive in order not to compromise the quality of eggs.. In addition, its cost is lower and it helps avoiding side effects that can affect a woman’s daily life.The treatment is taken for a short period of time (6-8 days), contrary to the conventional IVF (2-4 weeks).
The success rates of mild ovarian stimulation are spectacular. Better egg quality also increases the chances of successful fertilisation, better progression of embryos and also more changes for successful implantation.In contrast, eggs resulting from conventional IVF, although more numerous, are often rejected before implantation and can lead to more frequent 1st trimester miscarriages, as the percentage of abnormal eggs also increases. In addition, by studying the reactions of the eggs of women over 40, it was observed that they respond better to mild stimulation than to conventional IVF.
Nowadays, gynecology has many ways to eliminate factors of infertility. The goal of mild ovarian stimulation is to achieve a pregnancy in a healthy body.
If you face infertility problems, contact an experienced gynecologist, such as Dr. Melina Stasinou. Every woman’s fertility journey is unique. Therefore, proper and individualized guidance from specialized reproductive scientists is of paramount importance.
The Obstetrician-Gynecologist Melina Stasinou has been a Research Associate at Imperial College’s Extracorporeal Unit in London and continues to supervise cases at London’s largest clinic specializing in mild ovarian stimulation (CREATE FERTILITY). What characterizes her is the individualization of treatment and the holistic approach to infertile couples. Contact us for any question or clarification regarding mild ovarian stimulation.
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