As you must already know, the eggs retrieved during the egg retrieval procedure are vital in determining the success of your IVF treatment. One important debate that has been going on regarding these eggs is, “How many eggs are needed for a successful IVF?”
Some say more eggs are needed, and others argue that IVF can be successful even with one or two embryos. So, which one is true? Let’s look into all this in detail in this article.
What Is The Average Number Of Eggs Retrieved During An IVF Egg Retrieval?
On average, fertility doctors determine retrieving 10–12 mature eggs during the egg retrieval procedure to be a good number.
To be honest, there is no definite number of eggs that can be the right amount for a successful IVF. It all depends on the quality of your eggs and your fertility condition.
If you produce only 2 or 3 eggs, but they are of good quality, and you have no infertility issues, you can definitely have a successful pregnancy. However, even if you produce 15–20 eggs, if their quality is low, you won’t have a high chance of pregnancy.
Most of the time, the younger the woman is, the more eggs she can produce.Success rate of ivf can decrease with age, IVF doesn’t offer a 100% success rate, but younger women in their 20s or early 30s tend to produce more good-quality eggs than older women in their late 30s or 40s.
All the Best for your IVF Journey !
Do More Eggs Retrieved Mean A Higher Success Rate?
In some cases, yes, more eggs retrieved can lead to a high success rate. Take this for example:
Consider a woman produced 10 eggs during her egg retrieval procedure. Of those 10 eggs, let’s consider about 6 eggs are of good quality and got fertilized. Of these 6 eggs, only 3 or 4 will be able to develop into a healthy blastocyst embryo.
So now, we have about 3 to 4 good quality embryos for embryo transfer. Remember, a good-quality embryo does not guarantee IVF success. So, if you had an IVF failure with any of these embryos, you might still have 2 or 3 embryos for your next cycle. You don’t need to undergo the entire IVF procedure again.
This is how your fertility doctor will determine the average number of eggs they might need to ensure a successful IVF. However, this is not a definite number.
In some cases, even if you have produced a very low number of eggs, if their quality is good, you have a higher chance of IVF success. Similarly, no matter how many eggs you produce, if their quality is low, you don’t have much chance of IVF success.
So, don’t focus on the quantity of your eggs; instead, focus improve on the quality of the eggs produced. If you felt the sign of poor egg quality , then improve the quality by diet as well as through treatment ( if really needed)
Factors Affecting The Number Of Eggs Retrieved
Every woman is unique, and each will produce a different number of eggs during the egg retrieval procedure. The number of eggs retrieved depends on various factors. Many women assume that egg retrieval is very painful; however, it is generally not a painful procedure.
Below are some of the most common factors that influence the number of eggs produced during an IVF egg retrieval.
Your age
As a woman ages, her ovarian reserve, that is, the number of eggs in her ovaries, also decreases. So, if you are undergoing IVF in your older age, the number of eggs you can retrieve will be low.
Underlying medical conditions
Certain medical conditions, like PCOS, endometriosis, etc., can decrease the number of eggs retrieved during egg retrieval.
Response to fertility medications
Your ovaries should respond well to fertility medications to mature more eggs. If the response is low, you will only get fewer eggs.
Lifestyle factors
Unhealthy lifestyle factors like smoking, drinking, unhealthy food habits, obesity, stress, etc., can affect your hormone levels and decrease the number of eggs that can be retrieved during egg retrieval.
These are some of the most common factors that can affect how many eggs you can get during egg retrieval. When it comes to IVF treatments, it is best to focus on the quality of your eggs more than its quantity.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the number of eggs you retrieve during egg retrieval does not matter. The quality of the retrieved eggs matters more. However, it is still preferred to get as many eggs as possible. As you can see from the example above, out of 10 eggs retrieved, only 2 or 3 were good enough for embryo transfer and pregnancy.
Suppose you have any questions regarding the number of eggs you produce, as your fertility hospital immediately. Follow the medications and lifestyle modifications they suggest to get more number of high-quality eggs.
FAQs
On average, fertility doctors determine retrieving 10–12 mature eggs during the egg retrieval procedure to be a good number.
The maturity of your egg is determined by its follicle size. When the follicle reaches around 15–22 mm, it indicates it is about to mature and release from the follicle. Your doctor will monitor the follicle/s growth and conduct egg retrieval just before the egg ruptures from the follicles.
In an IVF treatment, egg quality is more important than egg quantity. If you produce only 2 or 3 eggs, but they are of good quality, and you have no infertility issues, you can definitely have a successful pregnancy.
However, even if you produce 15–20 eggs, if their quality is low, you won’t have a high chance of pregnancy.
