Fertility options before IVF

What's the reality of assisted conception?

Many people are looking for ways to improve their chances of pregnancy - but that can open the door to a whole host of confusing options and opinions.

News from the UK fertility watchdog: HFEA (Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority) around older women being exploited by IVF clinics ‘trading on hope’ raises the issue of IVF suitability for older women based on the low success rates and the high prices associated with what is an invasive and emotional medical procedure. Assisted conception can provide a much-needed glimmer of hope to many, but it's important to do your research before diving in.

With statistics clearly showing that assisted conception or IVF is less successful as a woman gets older and more women leaving pregnancy until later in life, there is a growing need for women to better understand their fertility cycle, their optimal time to conceive and how they can do this in a simple and natural way, without embarking upon high cost and low success rate medical procedures. New technologies are now becoming available to help women gain greater visibility over their fertile days, ovulation and the most optimal time to naturally conceive.

According to the NHS most couples (about 84 out of every 100) will get pregnant within a year if they have regular sex and don’t use contraception. But women become less fertile as they get older. One study found that among couples having regular unprotected sex: aged 19 to 26 – 92% will conceive after 1 year and 98% after 2 years. For women aged 35 to 39 – 82% will conceive after 1 year and 90% after 2 years.

How to improve your chances of pregnancy

Medical evidence shows that by tracking your ovulation you improve your odds of pregnancy: According to a 2003 study published in the journal Human Reproduction, when 346 women ages 20 to 44 timed their intercourse to help them conceive, they had a 38 per cent chance of conceiving in one cycle, a 68 per cent chance within three cycles, an 81 per cent chance within six cycles and a 92 per cent chance of getting pregnant within 12 cycles.

The statistics show a woman’s chance of a natural pregnancy is high provided she is not too old and is given enough time to find her fertile day(s) to naturally conceive.

How can a fertility monitor help?

If you're wondering how you can improve your chances of pregnancy with natural fertility methods ovulation kits can really help.

Fertility monitors (or OPK's) are great for tracking your cycle and allowing you to pinpoint your most fertile days. The myLotus tracker is a groundbreaking new fertility monitor has recently been launched in the U.K. and has just been made available in Boots UK and provides a new insight to women´s cycles and fertility allowing women to identify their most fertile days around their time of ovulation and the best time to conceive. This is especially important to older women as they can track their natural fertility cycle and ovulation before embarking on much more costly IVF.

The myLotus personal fertility tracker also allows women to identify their own personal ovulation hormone (LH) profile “signature” from a simple urine sample in the privacy of their home. The simple 10-minute test allows women to regularly check and monitor their hormone levels. Women can track their hormone levels, even if their hormones are well below (or above) the “normal” thresholds used by traditional ovulation tests. The myLotus tests and accompanying free app are extremely accurate in line with hospital-based testing, requiring no more interpretation of blurred lines or symbols.

Based on the wealth of fertility statistics for natural pregnancies women considering IVF should ensure they have exhausted their ability to naturally conceive using technology like myLotus to identify their fertile window for conception before considering IVF.

*Gnoth et al., Time to pregnancy: results of the German prospective study and impact on the management of infertility; Hum Reprod. 2003.