A fertility journey is tough, filled with anxiety, excitement, and difficult choices. Back-to-back egg retrieval is one of the many options a patient can consider. While it may seem appealing to increase your chances with this method, it is imperative that you carefully weigh the pros and cons before moving forward.
What Is an Egg Retrieval Cycle?
An egg retrieval cycle is In-Vitro Fertilization, or IVF in which hormone treatments start to stimulate your ovaries so that you can produce several eggs. Once the eggs are sufficiently mature, a minor procedure is performed to obtain the eggs. The eggs proceed to be frozen or fertilized to create embryos for a future transfer. Back-to-back cycles means to start the next cycle of hormonal therapy immediately following the egg retrieval instead of taking a break to allow your body to recover from the egg retrieval. Some patients may benefit, but for others, this is not a great option.
Pros of Back-to-Back Egg Retrievals
- Increase Fertility in a Short Time: As we age, fertility and egg quality naturally decline. Back-to-back egg retrieval cycles can help collect more eggs quickly, which might be helpful if you’re facing issues with egg quality or quantity related to older age.
- Enhanced Egg & Embryo Reserve: If you have a desire to freeze eggs or create embryos for future use, the use of back-to-back cycles helps to build up a good reserve of eggs and embryos. This is important for comfort levels in egg number and/or if you have future plans to undergo genetic testing of embryos at a later time.
- Optimise Time: In cases where medical conditions or advancing age pose a time restriction, a back-to-back egg retrieval is effective.
- No Treatment Delays: Eliminating the gap between cycles enables couples to move through IVF efficiently and quickly proceed with embryo transfer or pregnancy.
Cons of Back-to-Back Egg Retrievals
- Physical Toll: Reactions to hormone treatments and egg retrieval typically take a toll on your body. While each individual responds differently, common side effects may include mood changes, bloating and fatigue. These symptoms may intensify during consecutive cycles as the body has little or no time to recover.
- Emotional Impact: Fertility treatments can be emotionally and psychologically demanding. Undergoing back-to-back cycles may add to the stress and burnout, as there is very little or no respite recharge emotionally.
- Financial Implications: IVF is expensive! In instances where one cycle doesn’t go as planned and the next is coming up soon, you may find it difficult to adjust your financial planning, which can add to stress.
- Compromised Egg Quality: Studies have shown that eggs retrieved from back-to-back cycles may not be of best quality. It is important to have every cycle monitored closely as the change in medication, or the ovarian response could impact quality of the egg.
- Recovery Time Limited: Each IVF cycle allows a physician to learn valuable information about your response. Without breaks, the egg retrieval specialist may not have enough time to restructure your plan if needed or desired, which might reduce your chances even more.
Is Back-to-Back Right for You?
Whether back-to-back egg retrievals are a good choice depends on many factors, like your age, health, and emotional well-being. It’s important to talk openly with your fertility doctor. They can help you understand the pros and cons based on your situation.
Here are some questions to ask:
- Considering previous cycles, how might my body respond?
- Will there be an adverse effect on my health with back-to-back cycles?
- What change can I expect to my health going forward?
- What is at stake here, both financially and emotionally?
Taking Care During Fertility Treatment
If you choose back-to-back egg retrievals, make sure you focus on taking care of your health. Keep yourself hydrated, eat food rich in nutrients, and give your body as much rest as possible. If required, speak to your friends or see a counsellor who can lighten the burden of a fertility treatment. The emotional quotient of this process is equally important. Your fertility journey is deeply personal, and every decision you take must align with your health and goals.
