Pregnancy Rates

As IVF Treatment is designed to assist women to become pregnant, patients need to know their chance of achieving a successful pregnancy, so that an informed decision can be made.

At FRM, a Fertility Specialist will give each and every patient an honest and realistic indication of the likelihood of conceiving per treatment cycle, depending upon individual patient requirements and the specific treatment recommended. Major factors that will influence the chance of success are the patient's age, the patient's Body Mass Index (BMI) and the patient's lifestyle.

Age

The age of the woman is a very important factor to consider when estimating the chance of a successful pregnancy. Success rates drop dramatically as the woman's age increases beyond 35, as fertility declines significantly.

Body Mass Index (BMI)

BMI is calculated by dividing weight in kilograms by height in metres squared. As a guide, an adult with a BMI over 25 is considered overweight, while obesity is determined at a BMI of 30 or more. BMI calculators can be found on www.health.gov.au.

Lifestyle

Maintain a healthy weight as being over or under a healthy weight can affect fertility, decreasing the chance of conceiving a healthy pregnancy and increasing the chance of a miscarriage and pregnancy complications. If you are overweight, focus on becoming fitter, as losing a small amount of weight, approximately 5kg, has been shown to improve fertility.

For men, being overweight can also affect their sperm quality. Regular moderate exercise and a healthy balanced diet with low fat intake, plenty of fruit and vegetables, antioxidants and an adequate vitamin balance, can contribute to good reproductive health and help reduce stress.

Smoking and taking recreational drugs such as Marijuana is not only bad for your general health, but also decreases your chance of becoming pregnant, and can also increase the risk of pregnancy complications. For men, genetic material in the sperm can be damaged.

Drink no more than 2 cups of coffee per day as high levels of caffeine may affect fertility and increase the likelihood of pregnancy complications. Avoid alcohol, as in females alcohol may increase the time it takes to become pregnant and affect the developing baby, and in males, alcohol may affect the sperm. Males should not have more than two alcoholic drinks per day.

National data across all IVF units indicates that most patients will have a pregnancy after three stimulated IVF Cycles, as the chance of having a birth increases with repeated stimulated IVF Treatments.