Frequently Asked Questions

It is important that you do not wait too long before seeing an infertility specialist. Please note that there is no distinction between having unprotected intercourse and "trying" to conceive. They both represent "exposure" to conception.

The following table illustrates the recommended length of "exposure," as it relates to the female partner’s age, before consulting a Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility (REI) specialist.

Your state of health can play an important role when trying to conceive. Please use the "Optimize Your Fertility" link in the menu and try to follow the recommendations as closely as possible.

Soft-IVF (mini IVF, micro IVF) is Bay IVF’s registered, unique In Vitro Fertilization treatment. It combines gentle ovarian stimulation with the latest advances in embryology laboratory techniques

Compared with conventional In Vitro Fertilization, the Soft-IVF procedure includes significantly fewer under-the-skin injections to stimulate the development of a moderate number of as high-quality eggs as possible (quality over quantity).

Ultrasound examinations and 1-3 estrogen and progesterone determinations are used to monitor progress. The egg retrieval procedure, oocyte fertilization, and embryo culture do not differ from conventional IVF.

Soft-IVF can be a very effective treatment for male factor infertility and should be considered a much better alternative to intrauterine inseminations (IUI).

The decision of which treatment option is most appropriate for you is based on your reproductive medical history, your preference, and the results of your infertility testing.

The majority of eligible patients will be candidates for both conventional IVF and Soft-IVF treatment. The treatment selection will largely depend on a personal preference between the following two choices:

• Select conventional In Vitro Fertilization if you want to maximize the cumulative probability of a successful outcome.
• Select Soft-IVF if you want to minimize the number of injections and the treatment cost.

The specific prerequisites for Soft-IVF include:

1. The patient’s age must be 40 years or younger by the time Soft-IVF treatment starts.
2. The patient's weight must be 15lb or less
3. Soft-IVF requires regular cycles every 21 to 35 days.
4. Antral follicle count must be between 10 and 24.
5. FSH level must be 9.0 or less, and estrogen level must be 50 or less
6. AMH must be between 1.5 and 4.0 inclusive
7. Sperm motility must be 5% or higher, and normal sperm morphology must be 5% or higher.

In contrast with "natural cycle" IVF, in Soft-IVF, gentle ovarian stimulation usually results in the development of several eggs. The likelihood of not retrieving any eggs is low, and by being able to transfer one or two embryos, the probability of pregnancy is usually much higher than with natural cycle IVF, which often results in no embryo being available for transfer into the uterus.

The decision of which treatment is the most appropriate for you is based on your past reproductive history, the results of your fertility testing, and the outcome of any reproductive treatments you may have had. You may need Soft-IVF treatment if any of the following apply to you:

• Long-standing infertility: No contraception use for a year and a half or more
• Male factor infertility
• History of tubal blockage and pelvic adhesions
• Infertility associated with endometriosis
• Infertility associated with mild to moderate polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)
• Unexplained infertility
• As an alternative to IUI treatments
• As an alternative to ovarian stimulation treatments

Soft-IVF is much closer to conventional In Vitro Fertilization than to ovarian stimulation and IUI treatment. It should provide a significantly higher probability of success. It can also be used to treat male infertility, for which ovarian stimulation with IUI may not be appropriate.

It takes approximately 8 weeks from the beginning of ovarian stimulation to the embryo transfer procedure. During this time, there are only approximately 4-6 visits to the Clinic.

As in conventional In Vitro Fertilization, a break of at least one spontaneous menstrual cycle is required between two Soft-IVF treatments.

The State of California requires both partners to be tested for Hepatitis B-Surface Antigen, Hepatitis C-Antibody, HIV I&II, HTLV I&II, and Syphilis.

Bay IVF prerequisites include an Ovarian Reserve Assay, a semen test, a sonohysterogram, and a measurement of the length of the endometrial cavity.

Since Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI) can be a part of the Soft-IVF treatment if needed, Soft-IVF can be an excellent choice for couples with mild to moderately severe male factor infertility.

Since Soft-IVF usually results in the development of fewer embryos, the cumulative pregnancy probability of Soft-IVF will be an average lower than the conventional IVF's cumulative probability.

On the other hand, the probability of a successful Soft-IVF outcome is much higher than the pregnancy probability of intrauterine insemination (IUI) treatment.

Most patients can increase their cumulative Soft-IVF pregnancy probability by having more than one embryo transfer. The following graph illustrates the approximate increase in successful outcome probability after two and three cycles of Soft-IVF embryo transfer.

Two or Three Cycles (Embryo Transfers)
Increase the Likelihood of a Successful Outcome

In this example, we used an arbitrary 35% successful outcome probability per Soft-IVF embryo transfer. Your actual likelihood of pregnancy could be higher or lower.

Soft-IVF ovarian stimulation usually results in the retrieval of two to five eggs. Most of them would be expected to fertilize, and you may have two or more embryos available for transfer. If you decide to transfer two embryos, the treatment can result in becoming pregnant with twins. Most couples select either one or two embryos for transfer.

You must be 40 years or younger to be a candidate for the Soft-IVF treatment. Compared with conventional In Vitro Fertilization, Soft-IVF commonly results in fewer eggs developing within the ovaries. Past the age of 40, conventional IVF is a more appropriate choice.

Most patients should expect minimal if any, side effects from the Soft-IVF medications. You should be able to continue with your everyday lifestyle during your treatment.

There is no time limit on storing cryopreserved embryos. They are stored in liquid nitrogen at close to absolute zero degrees temperature and do not age. Your uterus also does not "grow old." Theoretically, there is also no limit on the age of the recipient mother of frozen-thawed embryos.

Since pregnancy complications, not related to the uterus, increase significantly with age and could compromise the mother’s and baby’s health, you must be 48 and 11 months or younger at the time of transfer of your frozen embryos at Bay IVF.